[media-credit name=’BRYAN FAUST/Herald photo’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]The Germanic roots evoke a sense of ruggedness and workmanship to all those who hear his name spoken. They befittingly translate to "Place Maker," which is exactly what senior safety Joe Stellmacher has done this season; he has made the secondary his place, and not that of the opposing team's wide receivers.
For Stellmacher, the journey to where he is now — starting for one of the best football teams in the nation — has been a long road.
"Ever since I was a little boy, probably seven or eight, all I've wanted to do was play football for the Badgers. It all started [at] the first game I ever went to with my dad."
But now, Stellmacher has made his place. Heading into Wisconsin's season finale against Buffalo Saturday, the safety is tied for the team lead in tackles this year with 76, and his solid play and remarkable work ethic over the years have definitely earned him high marks with the UW coaches.
"He's one of the most smart, unselfish, team-oriented football players you'll ever be around," defensive backs coach Kerry Cooks said. "But he's not just a good football player, he's trustworthy, a good student and a guy you wouldn't mind bringing your kids around."
While Stellmacher has a relatively quiet demeanor, he brings his lunchbox with him to work every day.
"He's a student of the game," Cooks said. "He might not be the most athletically gifted player on the field. He might not have the fastest 40 or highest vertical, but he makes up for it through hard work and by playing smart football."
Even when Wisconsin's defense left Iowa's Tony Moeaki wide open for a touchdown last Saturday, Cooks said Stellmacher was still playing smart football.
"Joe recognized it immediately and tried to get the other player over to correct the problem," Cooks said. "Even though he didn't call timeout, he visibly thought about calling timeout; most players wouldn't even think twice about it.
"It goes to show what type of player he is and how thorough his knowledge of the game is."
Stellmacher later made up for the botched play by laying a big lick on Moeaki, ending a Hawkeyes drive at a crucial point in the tight game.
"As a safety, it's not very often you get a chance like that to hit someone so, to say the least, I was pretty excited," Stellmacher said.
Coached by his father in high school, Stellmacher learned early on what it took to excel in football.
"I'm able to keep up with the faster guys out there, because I have the ability to anticipate, and the only place you can get that is through hard work off the field," Stellmacher said.
And Stellmacher has continued to study the game at Wisconsin.
"He's in here three or four extra times a week studying tapes and the defensive schemes so he'll be able to perform on game day," Cooks said.
While Stellmacher is certainly a student of the game, he's made his place in the classroom as well.
For the Academic All-Big Ten selection and kinesiology major, juggling both football and school has been tough, but he knows his chance to relax will come after putting in his hard work.
"It's all about time management," Stellmacher said. "I learned that from my father in high school — you've got to be able to effectively manage your time over the course of the day and not let it go to waste.
"I'll have time in the offseason to get off my feet, watch TV or go fishing and play golf, but right now, I have one thing on my mind."
And that one thing is winning each and every weekend, staying true to the "1-0" philosophy.
Stellmacher's career has spanned both the end of the Barry Alvarez era and the dawn of the Bret Bielema era, but he insists there have not been many significant changes between the two administrations in terms of the age-old mantra.
"Most of the schemes are the same or similar," Stellmacher said. "The only real difference is the personality of the new coaches, [and] they are definitely rubbing off onto us."
As Stellmacher prepares to don the cardinal and white pads and helmet for the last time in front of Camp Randall Saturday, there's no doubting he has made his place, as the name on his jersey would imply.