Graham hopes to earn starting nod at Wisconsin
BY WAYNE WITKOWSKI
Staff Writer

Garrett Graham sounded eager about just getting back home to Brick after a productive school year at the University of Wisconsin.

"I was back after our bowl game [the Capital One Bowl on Jan. 2 - where the Badgers defeated Auburn, 24-10] but that was for only a few days. It's been a while since I've been back for any long period of time," said Graham, who will head back on June 11 for summer classes and off-season conditioning.

And he no doubt caught up with mom for Mother's Day. He no doubt is waiting for it to get warm enough to head back to the beach, something that is hundreds of miles from Madison, Wis. in America's heartland.

"It went pretty good," said the talented 6-feet, 4-inch, 240-pound tight end who starred at Brick Memorial before joining the Badgers last fall and red-shirted his freshman season. "I got a good amount of reps. I'm happy with everything. I'm looking forward to the season."

For the first time in his football career, Graham experienced spring workouts last month and felt he did well, catching a 25-yard pass late in the first half of the spring game that marks the end of workouts late last month. He's in a rotation for the tight end and somewhat related H-back spots, where players alternate. Graham currently is just off the two-deep chart, which can change once pre-season practices begin in August.

But Graham feels he has a lot going for him, even though head coach Barry Alvarez, who recruited Graham, stepped down in January. After all, the new head coach is Bret Bielema, the defensive coordinator the last two seasons after a stint at the University of Iowa, where he played in the early 1990s.

"He seems like a really good coach," said Graham. "The transition is easy for the players. He's a players' coach. He seems like a good guy."

Graham says the positions are "pretty much open." He says only one other player in the tight end and H-back spots runs a faster 40 than his 4.64 time clocked in spring drills, but that tight end is a converted wide receiver who does not block as naturally as Graham does. And the only player taller than him at those spots is a 6-7 converted quarterback.

Graham says the execution at those two spots is not much different from each other.

"The H-back is more of a natural position for me. He runs on the backside of plays. The tight end is more blocking."

And that's been Graham's area of focus, even though he showed great strength in off-season workouts when he was able to hang clean 300 pounds, bench 365 and squat 430.

"I thought I'd do better on the bench," said Graham.

"One thing I need to work on [more] is blocking," said Graham, who blocked very well at times in high school, where his well-rounded talents that included even place kicking and punting as well as playing on defense, helped Brick Memorial to the 2003 NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV football playoff championship. "I've done a lot of reps blocking. The coach has emphasized blocking and technique. My blocking definitely has improved."

But on the other hand, Graham said he was spotted as a recruit more for his pass catching skills than his blocking.

"I was not recruited as a blocker but as a receiver," said Graham. "Catching the ball is what got me on the field. It's my bread and butter. I'm a natural catching the ball."

Although Graham said not playing in the bowl game "was frustrating, it was a good time and good experience. I'm glad we were the underdogs for that game. Winning a bowl game definitely motivates you to practice, run and get better for next season."

And with a head coach who moves up from his assistant position, Graham feels there is no doubt the Badgers will continue some of the style that made Alvarez so successful.

"I don't think things will be that much different as a team," he said. "We still have the same offensive coordinator and he [Bielema] still will coach the defense."

As for sitting out last season, Graham does not see that affecting him for this season.

"I pretty much adjusted to the college game well last year when I was red-shirted," he said. "It's a lot quicker and faster game but I feel I made a good transition."

Graham hopes to be on the field for the Sept. 2 opener at Bowling Green. But the big test comes three weeks later in a Big 10 showdown at Michigan. Graham hopes he'll earn some playing time by then.