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Former Badger charged for threatening calls

The former University of Wisconsin football player who threatened to kill Athletic Director Barry Alvarez appeared in court Thursday and was ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation.

Leonard Taylor, 32, of Indianapolis, was formally charged with felony stalking and unlawful use of a phone, which is a misdemeanor, a court official said.

According to the complaint, he has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia but has been off his medications for several months.

Last week, Taylor allegedly made at least 29 aggressive phone calls to Alvarez’s office, threatening to kill Alvarez and his family.

“And I’m going to kill you first…” Taylor said to Alvarez in a voicemail. “I’ve got 24 goddamn hours. … I’m coming for your goddamn ass.”

Taylor is now in prison with a cash bail set at $5,000.

Stipulations of the bail include that Taylor not make any contact with three Athletic Department employees including Alvarez, as well as professional tennis player Maria Sharapova, the Wisconsin State Journal reported.

According to the complaint, Taylor made several odd and contradictory remarks about Sharapova, expressing his desire to both kill her and marry her.

Taylor was a defensive back for the Badgers from 1995 to early 1999, while Alvarez was the team’s head coach. His last football game as a Badger was their victory in the 1999 Rose Bowl.

Also on Thursday, the UW Athletic Department and Alvarez himself filed a request for a restraining order against Taylor, UW spokesperson Amy Toburen said.

Taylor has been calling the Athletic Department leaving strange messages since at least October 2007, the complaint said.

In September, the voicemails began to get more bizarre, and an Athletic Department employee tipped off a UW Police Department detective, who called Taylor.

At that time, Taylor said he understood the calls were unwanted and agreed to stop.

Taylor is scheduled to appear in court on Dec. 12 for the restraining orders and again on Dec. 18 for a hearing.