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Los Angeles - This time last year, Bret Bielema cried at the podium before his final Rose Bowl interview session.
OK, I admit it. I was the troublemaker who asked the J.J. Watt question that made the big ol' Wisconsin coach turn all gooey.
Hey, I'd cry, too, if I were about to lose my best defensive player to the NFL.?Like Bielema, you've probably noticed the havoc Watt is creating for a playoff team in Houston.
Imagine what he might have done this season for a UW defense that could've used a stop or two against the States, Michigan and Ohio. Imagine what he might do Monday if turned loose like a half-crazy retriever on a pond full of Ducks.
"I wish J.J. were here," Bielema said Saturday with nary a trace of nostalgia in his voice. "I'd feel a lot better."
But, of course, Watt did absolutely the right thing.
For the record, Bielema did not go into Tammy Faye Bakker mode this time when I asked about two current underclassmen with career decisions to make after the Rose Bowl. He was positively analytical, at least as analytical as Bielema gets, on the possibility of losing Heisman Trophy finalist Montee Ball and center Peter Konz to the draft.
"I had a great NFL career," Bielema said. "Six days. It was awesome. I think these guys' (careers) should be a little bit longer than that."
There is a very good chance Ball will break Barry Sanders' NCAA single-season record of 39 touchdowns. That would be a monumental way to go out.
There is a 100% chance Konz will play in the Rose Bowl despite the ankle injury that cost him the last eight-plus quarters of the regular season. "You're darned right I am," he said. "I mean, who can say they can play twice?"
Konz shouldn't concern himself about going for the Rose Bowl trifecta. He is as talented as all the great UW offensive linemen who were high-round draft picks. Go now, young Peter, at least before you get hurt again.
Ball says he'll likely leave if he's expecting to be drafted in the first or second round, but that's hard to see judging by the way the NFL operates. If I'm Ball, I'd turn pro immediately from the lower rounds because he's just not going to receive the Konz treatment during this draft or the next.
For proof, look at how your defending Super Bowl champions do business.
The Packers value big men who can move and will pay dearly for them. How many times has Ted Thompson said something to the effect that God only made a few of those people? He said it after he made B.J. Raji a first-round millionaire. And I know for a fact the Packers love Konz as the Texans loved Watt, and he was No. 11 overall.
Offensive linemen like Konz are generally a good investment as a high-round pick. They typically have long careers.
Running backs, not so much. Three or four seasons, if they're lucky. The NFL, and especially the Packers, treat them as disposable goods and interchangeable parts. Why spend high-round dollars if they're not going to last?
Ryan Grant was a non-drafted free agent and a Giants castoff. James Starks was a sixth-rounder. Brandon Saine was not drafted. How is that working out for a team that has won 20 of its last 21 games?
When the Bears did not have Matt Forte or Marion Barber last week, they plugged in two non-drafted free agents who rushed for a combined 199 yards. Where is the incentive to change that sound business practice?
Unlike P.J. Hill, Michael Bennett, John Clay and assorted other UW tailbacks who were beating on the Camp Randall door to leave early, Ball doesn't seem to be in a rush to get out of Wisconsin. That's good. He's a terrific person with a supportive family who moved to Madison. I'd love to see him run for one more season with the Badgers.
However, Ball likely will have 300 carries this season after the Rose Bowl. If he comes back, the new offensive coordinator is going to give him 300 more in his senior season. That's a lot of body wear and tear in starting a pro career when NFL personnel evaluators are predisposed to be wary of any back used that much in college. It's like buying a car with 100,000 miles.
What's good for UW sometimes runs counter to what's good for the individual. In these cases, I'm all for the individuals. For Konz, it's a no-brainer. For Ball, it comes down to being paid for his innate skills before he takes too much of a beating in college.
Have a great Rose Bowl, guys. Then have a great life.?
Send email to mhunt@journalsentinel.com
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