Tremendous day for the Lyles family
It's always been a dream for Kevin Lyles, who now resides in Arizona, to watch his sons wear the same cardinal and white he sported from 1993-1996 as a Wisconsin Badger.
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Thursday afternoon, that dream became a reality when Kayden Lyles, a junior offensive lineman, pledged to UW. Senior quarterback Kare' Lyles committed to Wisconsin last March.
"It's been a tremendous day for the Lyles family," Kevin Lyles told BadgerBlitz.com. "My wife and I went there, fell in love there and graduated from the school. I had a chance to play there and now my boys get to do the same and carry on the tradition of being Wisconsin Badgers. It's just a tremendous day."
After a visit to Madison this past weekend -- an official for Kare' and an unofficial for Kayden -- the No. 87 player in the junior class was ready to become the first member of the Badgers' 2017 recruiting cycle.
"I think deep down inside, Wisconsin has always been near and dear to Kayden's heart," Kevin Lyles said. "Taking the last couple trips back were great and having coach (Joe) Rudolph come out and get to know him, it really meant a lot.
"This last visit really closed the deal. This coaching staff -- I love Wisconsin and I wanted my boys to play there -- but this staff with coach (Paul) Chryst, coach (Joe) Rudoph and coach (Ted) Gilmore are really great men and great coaches These are people that I'm going to trust that my kids are in good hands with. I couldn't be more proud of a school, program and university where I get to place my kids' futures at."
Rudolph, in particular, was huge in both Lyles' recruitments. Having lined up alongside him on the Badgers' offensive line, Kevin Lyles was already well aware of Rudolph believed and stood for.
"He's (Rudolph) a Wisconsin man and he understands the Wisconsin tradition and what it takes to be a Badger," Lyles said of Rudolph, who also landed fellow Arizona standout Garrett Rand on Thursday. "Tough, committed, loyal, dependable, smart; those are all the things that a Wisconsin man has to be.
"From Kare' to Kayden to Garrett, those are all Wisconsin men. Coach Rudolph's a great teacher and a great motivator, and I know my sons are going to get the best out of him when coach Rudolph gets a chance to work with them."
While Kare' is considered one of the top players in Arizona, Kayden is one of the better players nationally. He chose UW over offers from Oklahoma, USC, Michigan, Ohio State and Notre Dame, among others, with strong interest coming from Alabama. The plan right now is for Kayden to begin on the offensive line at Wisconsin, but he could easily play defensive tackle if needed.
"Kayden's a smart kid with a 4.2 GPA, so when I look at him I see a smart kid who plays with a great pad level," Kevin Lyles said. "Great body control, great hands and he stays low to the ground.
"I'm looking at him as possibly playing center or guard; I think center would be a great spot for him or even pulling guard because he's athletic and can run. Because of his smarts and overall ability, I think that sets him apart and gives him a chance to excel in their system. If they wanted to play him on the defensive line, I think that would be just fine. He's a freak of nature when it comes to athleticism. His body is like Play-doh, you can mold it however you want."
With the chance of having one son snap to the other on Saturdays at Camp Randall Standium, Kevin and his wife are looking forward to spending more time in Madison.
"We're looking forward to the cold weather," Lyles joked. "It's an exciting time for our whole family."
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