[media-credit name=’Ben Smidt’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]”Jim Leonhard is here! Come on up, get his autograph,” shouted friend and teammate RJ Morse from a friend’s balcony.

One by one, people came up in hopes of catching a glimpse of the Badger legend.

That was two years ago, after Wisconsin demolished Minnesota and brought the axe back to Madison. Leonhard, a walk-on sophomore at the time, had many reasons to celebrate.

He had two interceptions in the game, giving him a school record 10 for the season and a tie for the third-highest single season interception total in Big Ten history.

He also returned two punts for 24 yards, surpassing Nick Davis’ school record for punt return yards in a season with 438 yards.

After the game, there was a celebration on the field and in the stands. Everyone stayed for the Fifth Quarter. Maybe it was because it was 70 degrees that Saturday in November, maybe it was because we got the axe back, or maybe it was because the football players joined the fans in the stands.

Nothing was more entertaining that day than watching Leonhard do “the chicken dance” with fellow teammates in the stands.

Through the years, the Badger faithful have come to know and love Leonhard. He has provided us with entertainment on and off the field.

The fans rely on his titanic efforts every game. On game day, Camp Randall is filled with hopeful voices shouting, “Kick the ball to Leonhard!” And the yells of Badger fans are warranted, for through the years Leonhard has never let us down.

Cardinal and white No. 18 jerseys have become as popular as the green and yellow No. 4 jersey of Brett Favre.

Each time Leonhard makes a defensive play, the student section respectfully bows to honor him. This Saturday will be the last opportunity for thousands of fans to bow to Leonhard at Camp Randall stadium.

Four years have come and gone. We will all remember many great things about Leonhard, the man who brings hope and heart with him every game.

Darrin Charles, senior wide receiver and a friend of Leonhard, remembers his favorite Jim Leonhard memory.

“I remember a punt return he had for a touchdown at Michigan, in the big house,” Charles said. “We had an opportunity to win a couple of times that game, but I remember one crucial moment. We weren’t in the ideal situation you want to be in. There were 110,000 screaming fans. We had their punt team backed up and everyone did a great job. Leonhard was able to take it to the house. I remember Leonhard running into the end zone with his trademark, open arms just soaking in the environment. That’s just him. He enjoys it each game.”

With 18 interceptions and counting, Leonhard has had many reasons to celebrate with open arms over the years. Yet through it all, he has always remained cool, calm and focused. It’s the kind of attitude that role models are made of.

“He has always remained humble,” Charles said. “Especially as far as his roots. I think it has a lot to do with how he was raised and the area where he came from. I think he has taken his success in stride more or less and has really focused on getting better as a player and realizing that there is more to life than success that comes on the field.”

“[Being cool, calm and focused] a lot of that has to do with the coaching staff,” Leonhard said. “They really don’t get any credit, but they give guys a great plan. If you follow their plan, you’ll be successful when you get to this university. I feel like I’m one of those people who have done that. Now I’m getting some of the benefits from it.”

A two-time school captain, an All-American and school record holder are just a few of those benefits. Not to mention a post-grad scholarship, an 8-0 record and a possible trip to the Rose Bowl.

“It feels great [to be 8-0],” Leonhard said. “Especially knowing that we haven’t played as well as we could. Offensive has struggled at times, special teams has struggled and defense too at times. We feel like if we put things to together these last three weeks, who knows what could happen.”

As humble and cool as Leonhard appears, one can’t help but notice the hunger and excitement in his eyes for the upcoming game against Minnesota.

“With all of the upperclassmen we have on this team, it’s going to be a huge game for us,” Leonhard said. “With everything leading to this point, it just keeps getting bigger and bigger. This is going to be a huge game. To end our careers here as seniors, a win would be huge.”

And winning this Saturday is exactly what Leonhard and the Badgers are planning on. Leonhard and his teammates have had two weeks to prepare for this game. They’re rested, prepared and ready for the Gophers.

“A lot of our preparation [for this game] has been during the bye week,” Leonhard said. “We had some guys go down; hopefully we can get them back up to strength. We have been watching some extra film on Minnesota, especially offensively that could cause us problems. We’ve had the extra time, now we just have to go out there and execute our plans.”

A win would give the Badgers a 9-0 record, two games shy of a perfect season. Few teams across the nation achieve such a mark. It’s a lofty goal, but it’s a goal the Badgers have had all season.

“[An 11-0 season] that’s the goal still,” Leonhard said. “We feel like we can win every game. If you ask any team in the country, they feel like they can win every game too. At this point, we feel like it has come down to this and we have three more weeks to prove ourselves and we feel like we can.”

Obviously to win every game is easier said than done. It has been said that the little things make all the difference in a game. As a captain, Leonhard’s words and actions are the little things that can make the difference.

“I try and keep the guys focused,” Leonhard said. “Everyone knows how when things are going good you can start to listen to everyone around you telling you how good you are and not really work as hard. I try to keep people going and keep people excited each week and not to dwell on what happened last week.”

After four years of hard work and dedication, Leonhard has only three regular season games left and a Bowl game. A trip to the Rose Bowl would be a fitting ending to an exceptional career.

“It would mean a lot [to end my career at the Rose Bowl],” Leonhard said. “We talked about, before this year, getting this program back to where it was in the past. We felt like we have had a lot of hard times since we have been here. To get back to the Rose Bowl where we got started would be huge for us.”

Although Leonhard’s football career at Wisconsin is coming to an end, he is about to embark on a new journey in life.

Leonhard was recently named one of 15 winners of a National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame postgraduate scholarship. He is just the third Badger in school history to receive this prominent award, worth $18,000.

“It felt really good to win that,” Leonhard said. “With all the people here who have helped me out since I’ve been here, the coaching staff, all of the over staff that doesn’t get any credit, it means a lot to show that they have helped me out. It means a lot with all the hard work I’ve put forth.”

Of course, the talents of Leonhard have been recognized across the nation. He will soon have the option to enter the NFL draft and delay his post-graduate plans.

“As far as football goes, after this year, we’ll see what happens,” Leonhard said. “The only way I can control that right now is how I play. So, we’ll see what happens at the end of this year. As far as the post-grad scholarship, I got to take care of my undergrad stuff here, but I will definitely take advantage of that.”

Leonhard’s future remains uncertain, but one thing is for sure: Leonhard has had an impact on every player who will wear a Wisconsin uniform. The Tony, Wis., native has set the standard for a Wisconsin safety.

Some day a young strong safety will run a punt return for a touchdown and, just as every running back is compared to Ron Dayne, the Badger faithful will wonder if they’re watching the next Jimmy Leonhard.