It's Presidents Day, and that means celebrating the greatest of those who our country chose as leaders at one point in time. In fact, four of them are forever memorialized on Mt. Rushmore.
That got us to thinking, if there was a Mount Rushmore of Wisconsin Badger athletics, who would be on it and why? Well, today we begin our series of Mt. Rushmore's with a look at the four greatest people involved in the Badgers football program.
It will all lead up to the unveiling of the four most important people in all of Badger athletics history. So enjoy our first look at our Mt. Rushmore series.
Mt. Rushmore of Wisconsin Badgers Football (from left to right):
1. Ron Dayne:
Is there a more famous Badger football player from the last 20 years or so? Doubtful, considering the record breaking performances that got the Badgers back-to-back Rose Bowl victories in 1999 and 2000. Of course, there's also the 6,397 yards rushing—you know, the all-time NCAA rushing record.
Dayne was also recently inducted in to the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame as well. When you've only got two Heisman Trophy winners and one of them is the all-time rushing record holder it's a no-brainer that he belongs as one of the central figures in Badger lore.
2. Pat Richter
Wisconsin football history is a very interesting one, one that most people don't recognize beyond 1990 and the hire of Barry Alvarez that put UW back on the football map. However, there are a lot of people responsible for some very good times in Badger lore before Alvarez and his touch on the game.
In fact, without Pat Richter there is no Barry Alvarez. Richter was brought in to be the athletic director of a program down on its luck in just about every area that mattered. The football team was a mess, the basketball team was a joke and the department was hemorrhaging money like crazy. He changed all of that with a series of hires, starting with the hire of Barry Alvarez in 1990.
As they say, the rest is history. For Richter, his tenure as athletic director is what most in this generation will remember, but he deserves to be on Mt. Rushmore of Badger football for his prowess on the field alone. Richter was one of the greatest ends in Badger history and was a star in his day, leading Wisconsin to the 1963 Rose Bowl.
Yes, UW lost that game, but many consider that game one of the best Rose Bowl's of all-time.
Richter's career one of the best in Badger history—he was a two-time All-American (1961-62) and was also an All-Big Ten selection in both basketball and baseball (yes, you are reading that right). Richter led the Big Ten in receiving and led the country in receiving yards his junior season. His talent's got him drafted in the 1st round by the Washington Redskins.
Wisconsin football isn't what it is today without what Richter contributed as a player and administrator.
3. Barry Alvarez
There were good coaches before Alvarez, but when you're talking Wisconsin football, the gold standard is Barry Alvarez. He led the program to three Big Ten and Rose Bowl championships. Additionally, he led the team to six seasons of nine or more wins, topping the entire program total of four in the 100-plus year history of UW football.
UW also managed to do something rare during Alvarez's tenure—they owned Ohio State under Jim Tressel. He went 3-1 against the Buckeyes head coach, and was the only Big Ten head coach to win back-to-back games against Tressel.
Alvarez made a dormant program relevant, something it remains to this day thanks to his foresight to hire his replacement in Bret Bielema. Bielema brought unprecedented success to the program, joining Michigan and Ohio State as the only B1G teams to make three (or more) straight Rose Bowl appearances in conference history.
Alvarez continues to have a massive say on the football team and program to this day in his role as athletic director. There's no question Alvarez is an important member of the Wisconsin football Mt. Rushmore.
4. Alan Ameche
Before there was Ron Dayne, the pinnacle of running backs at Wisconsin was none other than the only other Heisman Trophy winner in program history—Alan Ameche. He gained 3,212 yards during his four-year career, which was the NCAA rushing record at the time.
He banked off the Badgers first ever bowl game, the 1953 Rose Bowl, and won the 1954 Heisman Trophy thanks to his abilities as a two-way player, averaging 55 minutes played a game. During his career, the Badgers won 26 games from 1951-54.
Ameche went on to a six-year career as a fullback (not the way we think of that position today) with the Baltimore Colts in the NFL, amassing over 4,000 yards and 44 touchdowns in his career.
He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1975.
Who would make your Mt. Rushmore of Wisconsin football? Send us your suggestions via Twitter: @MTBadgers or via Facebook.
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