With the All-American honors started to pile up, University of Wisconsin linebacker Zack Baun could only shake his head in bewilderment of his newfound fortune. As he embarks on his first steps of his professional career, Baun is doing his best to parlay his outstanding senior season into a high-paying NFL contract.

The only former Badger invited to the Reese’s Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., Baun has impressed onlooking scouts and the media has taken note, with NFL.com putting him as a late first-round pick in April’s draft.

“I think every linebacker that started at Wisconsin since I’ve been there is in the league and doing very well,’’ Baun told the New York Post, referring to former UW linebackers Ryan Connelly, T.J. Edwards, Leon Jacobs, Joe Schobert, Andrew Van Ginkel and T.J. Watt earning NFL paychecks.

“I think we’re the new Linebacker U.’”

Getting measured at 6-2 1/2 and 240 pounds with 32 1/8 inch arms, Baun has beaten a number of draft-hopeful process from the weakside linebacker position, not quite the position he played at Wisconsin when he led the Badgers this past season with 12.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss.

“With the spread offenses nowadays everyone’s running the zone read — it’s exactly what I ran in high school,’’ Baun told the Post. “I was a running quarterback, I was rarely handing the ball off in those zone reads. Players are so undisciplined in high school, I was keeping it every time. It taught me as an edge defender to be patient and hold your water.’’

The Senior Bowl is Saturday at 1:30 p.m. CT and will be televised by the NFL Network.

Here are some video highlights of Baun from his drill work.