SPORTS
For shutdown cornerback Ikegwuonu, gambles pay off
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Also by Eric Weissman:
- Levy tackles struggles, punishes opponents (November 9, 2007)
- Badgers, Hoosiers draw (November 5, 2007)
- UW welcomes IU in home finale (November 2, 2007)
- Ortega team's guiding force (October 31, 2007)
- Wisconsin lets lead slip away (October 25, 2007)
Related Stories:
- Ikegwuonu making most of chances in secondary (October 6, 2005)
- Badgers defense comes up short (October 8, 2007)
- Rowdy Roddy Rogers (November 10, 2006)
- Henry turning heads on D (October 5, 2007)
- Wisconsin drops ball again in Pennsylvania (October 13, 2007)
by Eric Weissman
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Although gambling and football should have little — if anything — to do with one another, a great cornerback and a great gambler have more in common than one might believe.
Both possess a unique swagger, one that exudes a sense of confidence that tiptoes dangerously close to hubris. Both have the uncanny ability to remain calm under circumstances that warrant considerable angst. Both understand the double-edged sword of risk taking, which can result in great gains and even greater losses. No player exhibits these intangibles more than University of Wisconsin junior cornerback Jack Ikegwuonu. Even his catchy moniker, "Black Jack," a nickname that has followed him to Camp Randall from his playing days at Madison Memorial High School, draws strong parallels between the cornerback position and gambling.
On the field, Ikegwuonu is typically matched up one-on-one with the opposing team's top receiver.
"Cornerback is a tough position. It is really hard mentally to play the position because you know that you're not going to make every play and receivers are going to catch some balls," Ikegwuonu said. "When you're playing cornerback and you get beat on a deep ball, everybody knows. But you have to be able to put it behind you and move to the next play."
Over the course of his career at UW, Ikegwuonu has established himself as one of the most feared cornerbacks in the conference.
"I don't even think he knows how much talent or skill he has," freshman cornerback Aaron Henry said. "He plays the game so relaxed and comfortable."
Nobody has come to appreciate Ikegwuonu's unique combination of awareness and athleticism more than defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz.
"He has great speed and size," Hankwitz said. "He has excellent ball skills and he has great coverage ability."
After a 2006 campaign that culminated in an impressive victory over Arkansas in the Capital One Bowl, Ikegwuonu and the rest of the defense were eager to pick up where they had left off. However, amid lofty predictions and high personal expectations, the Badger defense looked a shell of their former selves for much of the 2007 season. The unit struggled mightily, and Ikegwuonu's coverage often resulted in big plays.
"Everybody was talking about how good we did last year and how good our defense was supposed to be," Ikegwuonu said. "It is easy to get complacent when everyone is telling you how good you should be. I think everybody thought that things would just happen and that we didn't have to go out there and make things happen ourselves."
As the Badgers' defensive rankings plummeted, so did Ikegwuonu's confidence. The player who once demoralized opposing receivers was gone along with his usual confident swagger.
"I didn't really know what was happening. It was just a lack of focus," Ikegwuonu said. "You just have to focus on every play and do the little things right, and then you will have success. As soon as I started to really focus and not get complacent and use my technique, I started turning my season around."
Against Michigan, Ikegwuonu reminded everyone why he was heralded as one of the nation's top cornerbacks. As the Wolverines threatened to snap the Badgers' winning streak at home, Ikegwuonu came up with a timely interception that sealed a win over the conference rivals.
"I was just gearing up for the big play after struggling all year. On a big down like that, you know they were going to try to get the ball to Mario (Manningham), and I was ready for that," Ikegwuonu said. "I got a good jam at the line and just trailed him and he broke in the same time I broke in. I looked back and the ball was right there. I just needed something like that for my confidence."
Despite recording only one interception over its course, Ikegwuonu's stellar play in the second half of the season earned him a unanimous first team All-Big Ten selection.
"It says a lot about what everybody else feels about your ability as a player," Ikegwuonu said. "I am definitely grateful and appreciative to all of those who voted me in."
On New Year's Day, the Badgers will battle the high-octane offense of the Tennessee Volunteers in the Outback Bowl. Ikegwuonu will likely cover Tennessee's offensive dynamo Lucas Taylor, who has five touchdowns to complement a 1,000-yard season. Although the Volunteers' offense has the ability to light up the scoreboard at a whim, with Ikegwuonu on the field, all bets are off.
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