Is Wisconsin Running Back U? Having the leader in career rushing yards (Ron Dayne), career TDs (Montee Ball) and another Heisman winner (Alan Ameche) supports the argument. SN picked its top 10 Badgers of all time.
1. Ron Dayne, RB
Dayne won the Heisman Trophy in 1999 and holds the NCAA record for career rushing yards (6,397). He's so much more than numbers, however. Dayne might be the most imposing running back in college football history. The 259-pound monster made a statement as a freshman with 50 carries against Minnesota and proceeded to help put Wisconsin football on the national map with back-to-back Rose Bowl wins. He rushed for 246 yards and four TDs against UCLA in 1999 then had 200 more yards against Stanford in 2000.
2. Alan Ameche, FB/LB
Before the "Great Dayne," Wisconsin had "The Iron Horse." Ameche, who played both fullback and linebacker and won the Heisman Trophy in 1954, set a then-NCAA record with 3,212 rushing yards from 1951-54. He added 25 rushing TDs and led the Badgers to their first Rose Bowl in 1953, where he rushed for 133 yards in a 7-0 loss to USC. Ameche is still best known for the game-winning TD in Baltimore's 23-17 win against New York in the 1958 NFL championship game.
3. Joe Thomas, OT
Thomas set a high standard for Wisconsin offensive linemen. A dominant 6-6, 312-pound tackle, Thomas quietly dominated the Big Ten from 2003-06. He earned All-American honors in 2005-06, and he won the school's first Outland Trophy in 2006. Thomas also led Wisconsin to a school-record 12 wins as a senior. Others have followed Thomas' example. Five Wisconsin offensive linemen (Kraig Urbik, John Moffitt, Gabe Carimi, Kevin Zeitler, Peter Konz) have been named first-team All-Americans since Thomas departed for the NFL, where he's made the Pro Bowl in seven straight seasons.
4. Tim Krumrie, NT
How dominant was Krumrie at nose tackle? From 1979-82; he had 444 tackles, which still ranks third in school history. He started 46 consecutive games and developed a reputation as a big-game player after leading Wisconsin's 21-14 upset against No. 1 Michigan in 1981 and taking MVP honors in the 1982 Independence Bowl win against Kansas State. Krumrie also wrestled as a heavyweight at Wisconsin. He played with the Cincinnati Bengals from 1983-94.
5. Lee Evans, WR
It's not a stretch to say Evans is the best deep threat in the history of the Big Ten. He set school records in receiving yards (3,468) and TDs (27) in an electric career from 1999-2003. Evans set a Big Ten single-season record with 1,545 receiving yards with nine TDs in 2001. After tearing his ACL in 2002, Evans returned with 1,239 yards and 13 TDs in 2003, none bigger than a 79-yard streak for a TD in the fourth quarter that sealed a 17-10 win against No. 3 Ohio State.
6. Pat Richter, WR
After Evans, it's tough to pick a second receiver for the list. Al Toon, Nick Toon and Jared Abbrederis all are legit candidates Richter, however, compiled 1,873 receiving yards and 15 TDs from 1960-62. He set a Rose Bowl record with 11 catches for 163 yards in the 1963 Rose Bowl, a 42-37 loss to USC. He is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and played eight seasons in the NFL. Richter returned to Wisconsin as athletic director from 1989-2004, where he helped build the program into a contender again.
7. Montee Ball, RB
From a statistical standpoint, Ball is one of the best running backs in college football history. The 2012 Doak Walker Award winner rushed for a NCAA record 77 TDs from 2009-12, including 33 TDs in 2011 and 22 TDs in 2012. He helped Wisconsin win back-to-back Big Ten championship games those years with monster efforts against Michigan State in 2011 (137 yards, 3 TDs) and Nebraska in 2012 (202 yards, 3 TDs). Ball had 26 games with at least 100 yards rushing. Yeah, Ball's offensive line was good, but the numbers can't be ignored.
8. Jim Leonhard, DB/PR
Leonhard is one of Wisconsin's most revered players after going from a walk-on to a star defensive back. Leonhard had a nation-best 11 interceptions in 2002 and followed up with seven interceptions in 2003. Leonhard also doubled as a dangerous punt returner; he totaled 1,347 return yards and three TDs. Leonhard's story repeated itself in the NFL; he went undrafted in 2005 but is preparing for his 10th season in the league.
9. Jamar Fletcher, CB
Fletcher's three-interception game against Oregon in the second week of the 2000 season set the tone for a breakout season in which Fletcher earned consensus All-American honors and won the Thorpe Award. Fletcher finished his career with a school-record 21 interceptions and five "pick sixes" — including a 46-yard game-clincher in the 1999 Rose Bowl against UCLA.
10. J.J. Watt, DE
Watt's stardom elevated in the NFL, but he earned that shot with an outstanding blue-collar college career. He played tight end at Central Michigan before transferring to Wisconsin, where he started at defensive end from 2009-10. Watt bloomed into a disruptive force with 36.5 tackles, 11.5 sacks and four fumble recoveries. Watt won the Lott Trophy in 2010 and was a finalist for the Hendricks Award. That gives him the slight edge over Erasmus James for the final spot on this list.
