MADISON, Wis. – Tyler Biadasz didn’t say much to Jerry Jones on Saturday afternoon.

When the long-time Dallas Cowboys owner/general manager called the former Wisconsin center to tell him his team was trading up in the draft to take him with the final pick of the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Biadasz – likely overwhelmed by the moment – simply thanked him and told him how much he appreciated the moment.

He also told Jones something that should come as a surprise: “I’m coming to work.”

Biadasz grew up working on his grandfather’s 1,000-acre farm during summers. He came to Wisconsin with no background as a center but spend his entire redshirt season learning the position. In all 41 games he was eligible, Biadasz started for the Badgers at center. Last season, Biadsaz was the Rimington Trophy winner (given to the college game's best center), an Outland Trophy finalist, a unanimous first-team All-American (AFCA, AP, FWAA, Sporting News, Walter Camp), a first-team All-Big Ten (consensus) and an Academic All-Big Ten.

No wonder Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones told the Dallas Morning News the team spent an hour discussing ways to move up the draft for Biadasz, who was dropping in the draft because of injury concerns with his hip and his shoulder.

To get their man, the Cowboys traded a fifth-round pick in 2020 and 2021 to the division-rival Philadelphia Eagles. And with former UW center Travis Frederick announcing his retirement from the Cowboys and the NFL in March, Biadasz will have a chance to replace him.

“We used to watch so much film on Travis of when he was in college and when he was a Cowboy,” Biadasz told reporters. “I try to mold [my game] like his. He's one of the greats. He's an animal. I try to play just like that. I think our body types are very similar.”

Just like Frederick opening running lanes for Montee Ball, Melvin Gordon and James White, Biadasz was one of the key cogs in an ever-rotating offensive line that helped tailback Jonathan Taylor – who went two rounds early to the Indianapolis Colts – rush for over 6,000 yards in just three seasons.

“I take a lot of pride in that," Biadasz said. “We knew JT's success would be our success. We just wanted to be the best O-Line in the nation … We have a grittiness to us. We work very hard. We know a lot of the success is in our hands. We take pride in that.”

Dallas has a proven tailback in Ezekiel Elliott and a veteran quarterback in Dax Prescott, so figuring out the void at center will be an important off-season task for first-year head coach Mike McCarthy. Biadasz will involved whenever offseason workouts resume, an uncertainty with the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.

When ready, Biadasz will be able to step right in and bring the same kind of the toughness Frederick did.

“I'm really excited that Tyler is joining the Cowboys. I think they got a good one," Frederick told ESPN. “Being from the same program at Wisconsin, I know he'll be smart, tough and hardworking. He's walking into a great room with great support as well, so I'm excited to see what he can do.”