Sports

Is It Dusty In Here, Or Am I Just Crying From This Emotional Wisconsin Football Piece?

(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

David Hookstead Sports And Entertainment Editor
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Wisconsin linebacker Jack Cichy wrote a piece for The Players Tribune, and it’s a real tearjerker.

The superstar athlete, who missed last season, wrote in part when announcing his decision to go pro:

For me especially, that last part — making Wisconsin proud — is something that means the world to me.

Ever since I set foot on campus, doing right by this school, and the wonderful people of this state, has been something I’ve taken very seriously.

I love Wisconsin.

And, in one way, that’s what makes what I’m about to tell you all so tough.

Even just typing this out now is … hard, so I’m just going to come out and say it.

I’ve decided not to apply for a sixth year of eligibility and to instead declare for the NFL draft.

At the end of the day, whatever comes next for me, I mainly just want to make Wisconsin proud. I want to be the next guy people point to as someone who came to Madison as an unknown, worked his tail off and then became a mainstay in the NFL. I want to be like Jim Leonhard and J.J. and so many other guys who came here with a far-fetched dream and then … achieved greatness.

I want to uphold that legacy.

But mainly … I just want to make all of Wisconsin proud.

I’m a Badger for life.

Don’t mind me. I’m just over here sobbing. From one Wisconsin man to another, I know how difficult this decision was for him to leave campus knowing he could have stayed a little longer.

Wisconsin Badgers are just cut from a different kind of cloth, especially those who grew up in Wisconsin. We share a bond forged in our dark winters that will never be understood by those who didn’t grow up where we did. We love football, Badgers basketball, Miller Lite and always winning at life.

I loved Cichy as a Badger. The kid played with nothing but pure heart and grit. Watching him put on a Wisconsin uniform was an honor. I wished it’d worked out better for him this past year, but that’s football. It doesn’t always go the way you hoped. Luckily, I think he’s going to make a great pro. People doubted him in college, and were routinely proven wrong. I expect the same to happen at the same level.

Don’t ever doubt a Wisconsin man. You just look foolish, and best of luck to Cichy at the next level. I know he’ll represent us all well.

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