Solochek: While the Polar Bear may have enjoyed the northern climate of Germany, there are those who are more akin to pasta, wine and the Italian way of living.

At least that could have been the motivation for former Wisconsin quarterback John Stocco to make the move to Milan to play for the Italian Football League’s (not Serie A, but rather the American-style football league) Milan Rhinos.

Coming off of his final game in the Capital One Bowl, where he led the Badgers to an upset of the Arkansas Razorbacks, Stocco declared for the NFL Draft. After failing to catch on with a pro club, Stocco hightailed it to Europe and caught on with the Milan Rhinos.

While in Milan, Stocco played in the league with teams such as the Bologna Doves and the Bolzano Giants. In his year at quarterback, Stocco led his team to just a 4-6 record, including losses to Catania Elephants and the Parma Panthers. Sadly, those stats do not match the one loss season he led the Badgers to in his senior year and his 29-7 overall record as a Badger.

Even though Stocco is not on the roster of the Milan Rhinos, according to their website, he is surely looking for work in the United States. But, even if he does not catch on somewhere, at least he will get the chance to enjoy some of the fine cuisines of Italy.

Braun: Who says a polar bear can’t get on an airplane?

Well, I mean for all practical purposes, it can’t. But former University of Wisconsin center Brian Butch isn’t your typical cold-dwelling land mammal.

The former McDonald’s All-American might be still be eating Big Macs, but I can assure you those burgers are filled with European spices. Now with the Giants Noerdlingen of Germany’s Bundesliga, Butch might be the best Badger playing abroad.

Sitting at 14th place in the Bundesliga, the Giants were hoping to get a boost from Butch, whose 7-foot frame would be a big addition to any European roster. What did he do in his first game? Well, his four points might be a bit under his career average, but he also grabbed nine rebounds in 24 minutes to help the Giants win.

Now stepping in to a more familiar starting role to plug the middle, Butch has become a consistent contributor to Noerdlingen. Though the Giants lost their last game, Butch had 14 points, including three 3-point shots, making his case to stay in the starting lineup.

Germany might not be as cold as Wisconsin, but that hasn’t bothered the polar bear. He tried for the NBA, and it didn’t go his way, but like any devoted athlete, Butch has done whatever he could to play the sport he loves.

So maybe Butch couldn’t study abroad when he attended UW. But with the way he’s playing overseas right now, it looks like he’ll be making up for some missed opportunities.