Simply put, Jeff Mack runs the Badger defense. One of the oldest members of the team, Mack vocally commands his teammates in the huddle, pushing them to their competitive limit and injecting them with a swagger of confidence.
That swagger and play was on display early last season as the Badgers reeled off a 5-0 start before falling to Penn State in their conference opener. Mack went down with a stinger against the Nittany Lions, and the Madison native missed much of the conference season having to rehab the nagging injury.
With Mack on the sideline, the Badgers looked out-of-rhythm, not only amongst the linebackers, but across the defense front. Assignments were missed, and the cohesiveness seen early on vanished as the Badgers were 1-6 in the games Mack missed during the 2002 season.
“You could tell a difference in our football team when Mack wasn’t there,” coach Barry Alvarez said of his senior team captain. “When he is in the lineup, we become a much more physical group and a group that plays with much more confidence because of his awareness.”
Mack returned for the Badger’s regular-season finale against Minnesota, registering seven tackles and followed that with a standout performance in the Alamo Bowl. Mack’s nine tackles, along with his big-game leadership, were a major factor in holding Colorado to only 200 yards of total offense. Mack was named the defensive MVP of the game and earned a spot on Sports Illustrated’s All-Bowl Team.
“We call him ‘The Grandfather,'” fellow linebacker Alex Lewis said. “[Mack] oversees everything. He’s the oldest on the team, and experience helps. He tells us what we’re doing wrong and what we need to do to get better.”
Lewis filled in for Mack in the middle after the Penn State game and used his speed to cut down on defenders. Lewis transferred from SUNY-Morrisville after his sophomore season, where he took the honors of Conference Defensive Player of the Year and went on to lead the team in TFL and finished third in tackles.
Lewis’ speed translated almost too well last weekend, as Lewis raced all over the field in Morgantown, decimating the Mountaineer offense. Lewis’ highlight play happened late in the first quarter as West Virginia quarterback Rasheed Marshall rolled out of the pocket to deliver a 20-yard pass down the field. Unprotected, Lewis delivered a clean hit just as Marshall let go of the ball.
“It was a good hit, but I was glad he got up,” a modest Lewis said after the game.
Not only a solid linebacker, but also a special-teams dynamo, Lewis was consistently the first man down the field during kick-off coverage on Saturday. He also blocked a West Virginia punt in the first quarter, which was gathered and returned for the Badgers’ first touchdown of the game.
“That’s Alex,” Mack said of his teammate. “He just makes big plays. He’s a playmaker.”
Despite the accolades, Alvarez, along with Lewis, had some criticisms.
“I can improve,” Lewis said. “I don’t know what the future holds. I just try to play each day, day-to-day and just worry about the next game.”
Alvarez talked about a few tackles Lewis missed and some plays the speedster just plain overran, but the big plays Lewis delivered proved crucial to the outcome of the game.
“[Alvarez] prepared us very well,” Lewis said. “We worked on a lot, and all this stuff we applied to the game today.”
With Mack and Lewis, the Badgers have as quick of a duo of linebackers as the team has ever had. With both players’ performances last season, both players earned a spot on the preseason Dick Butkus watch list, which honors the best collegiate linebackers in the country.
Saturday, the duo will make its 2003 debut at home. For Mack, along with the rest of the defense, it’s a chance to bring that swagger back to Camp Randall.
“We love to play in front our fans on the new turf, new field,” Mack said. “We just can’t wait to get out there in front of the Wisconsin fans and give them a good show.”
