MADISON, Wis. – When it comes to overcoming injury adversity, there are few better experts than those who play safety at the University of Wisconsin. Case in point, the Badgers two projected starters at that spot in 2021 didn’t let a pesky knee ligament hold them back.
Before transferring to Wisconsin, Collin Wilder had a season cut to two games due to an ACL tear. Scott Nelson did him one worse, tearing his ACL in the 2019 season opener. That injury cut short a rebound year in which he won the job in camp after missing four games with a knee injury the previous year.
Those two each played over 215 snaps last season, combining for 52 tackles, five tackles for loss, and three interceptions at the back end of the Badgers' defense.
“It’s a mental game, probably just as much if not more than physically when you are battling,” Wilder said of conquering injuries. “Finally trying to get to where you want to be, get back to normal … The difference is making sure you can go full speed, full aggressive.”
With the graduation of safety Eric Burrell, Nelson and Wilder spent most of spring building chemistry working next to each other instead of in a rotation. The two were listed as co-starters at free safety last season, but both consistently moved around with defensive coordinator/safeties coach Jim Leonhard doing his best to maximize versatility. The on-field workmanship has been natural, likely due to the pair being roommates and good friends.
“I think they work well together,” Leonhard said. “It’s been a couple years they’ve been in the secondary together in that rotation of three or four guys that have got the majority of snaps. Comfort level between them is very, very high. I like what they bring. As a group, it’s about finding who’s next to really step in and balance that group out.”
The next wave of safeties isn’t immune from the injury bug either. Redshirt junior Travian Blaylock had hamstring surgery as a true freshman, re-injured his hamstring to limit him to one game in 2019, and battled through a host of issues in 2020. He was having a strong spring camp until turning his ankle, ruling him out this final week.
Sophomore Titus Toler registered an interception in his collegiate debut in last year’s opener, but a back injury sidelined him for the season and has lingered in spring. The only consistently healthy option has been senior John Torchio, who battled COVID last fall.
Both Blaylock and Toler are expected to be ready for fall camp, but Blaylock seems better positioned considering he’s been seen more by Leonhard. Each player is a versatile defensive back who can either play in space in the secondary or be able to blitz near the line of scrimmage.
Twice this spring, Leonhard has compared the skill set of Blaylock and Toler to former UW safety Natrell Jamerson, who moved from wide receiver to corner to safety, relying on his athleticism and versatility to carve out an NFL career.
“The more you can do, the better,” Blaylock said. “Jamerson did a lot for this program, just being able to be all over the play. He moved to safety his senior year and made it to the league because he knew the defense and was able to use his athleticism and play wherever he was able to play at. That's a goal of mine. If I can get compared to someone like that, I'll take that all day."
While the evaluation process continues among the reserves, Wisconsin knows what it has in Nelson and Wilder. Not playing the opener and waiting through two canceled games, Nelson registered five tackles, a tackle for loss, and an interception in his debut at Michigan.
“I think he was playing so much faster and so much more confident than he was (before the injury),” Leonhard said. “He learned a lot from his freshman year from when he was playing a lot of football and it took a while to come to fruition. He’s carried it over this spring.
“From a physical aspect, I think he broke every record in the weight room from before he tore his ACL. You’re starting to see the confidence in his body and he’s able to push himself and do things that maybe even last year he wasn’t quite sure he was ready for. Making plays helps with that confidence.”
Wilder was one of the first seniors to announce he would return this fall, taking advantage of the NCAA's blanket waiver for last season to try and improve his NFL draft stock. Finishing third on the team with 30 tackles and being, arguably, the most physical safety on UW’s roster, Wilder is working with Leonhard on playing with more control on early downs before cutting loose.
“Coach Leonhard had a great quote, the beauty about football is you never get there,” Wider said. “There’s always something to work on. There’s always something to improve on. It’s really just building myself as a leader for this group. I have plenty of experience at this point. It’s continuing to craft the footwork, the tackling, and making sure I’m bringing others along.
“I know I have to have a big year. I know this is probably the most important year of my career personally.”
Wilder isn’t alone. Wisconsin is slated to enter the fall with six senior starters and nine returning starters on defense. It’s a group that finished last year with a defense ranked in the top five nationally but felt unsatisfied considering the Badgers went 4-3 and finished in third place in the Big Ten West.
“Last year, you can’t really blame anybody," Nelson said. "It was tough for freshmen to meet the older guys and the older guys to meet the freshmen and really become a team. Throughout all this, if you want to, it’s voluntary, it’s optional. Now, it’s in the past. You’re all in or you’re all out. If you’re not all in, you’re welcome to leave. We’re not going to carry dead weight around and have people act like they don't want to be here.
“If you’re here, you better be all in and willing to do whatever it takes to reach our goals as a team.”
