[media-credit name=’JEFF SCHORFHEIDE/Herald photo’ align=’alignright’ width=’336′][/media-credit]In his first year as a college player, true freshman cornerback Aaron Henry has turned some heads with his play. His two and a half sacks against Iowa two weeks ago may have been his coming out party, but his interception against Washington State's fake punt earlier in the season was equally impressive — it was his first ever college football game.

"I've been playing football my whole life," Henry said, downplaying his interception. "That stuff is second nature to me. If you see a ball in the air, you're taught to go and attack it."

The speedy freshman raced 26 yards down the sideline after the pick before getting shoved out of bounds. The play effectively put the game in the books, as it set up the last Badger touchdown in a 42-21 win over the Cougars.

"My hat goes off to the coaching staff for giving me the opportunity," Henry said. "I'm just trying to go out there and play my part."

"He works hard, and he asks a lot of questions," starting cornerback Allen Langford said. "He goes out there and performs well because he knows what he's doing."

Because of reoccurring injuries to cornerback Jack Ikegwuonu, Henry has been a large contributor to the Badgers' 5-0 record. After Ikegwuonu left early in the first quarter against Michigan State due to illness, Henry saw action nearly the entire game.

"What Aaron has done has been tremendous as a freshman," Langford said. "He's been asked to step in there a lot of times and fill in for a lot of guys, and what's most important when you're a freshman is that when you come in, you don't play as a freshman."

"Aaron has become the best corner we have beyond Allen and Ike," defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz said. "If one of those guys gets hurt, he's the first guy to go in."

Aside from filling in for the injured starters, Henry has also been an effective and frequently used weapon at nickleback. On third downs and blitz packages, Henry has shined the brightest as the third quick coverage man in many defensive schemes. He adds speed and a dangerous cornerback blitz attack for the Wisconsin defense.

In the 17-13 victory over Iowa two weeks ago, Henry showed that he can change games as a play maker. During a third down play on Iowa's first drive, the freshman bolted toward Iowa quarterback Jake Christensen and dropped him for a sack. Henry’s play successfully ended Iowa's first drive and sent a message to the Iowa offense that they had better keep an eye on where he lined up.

The Iowa offense didn't get the memo in time. It was the first sack of Henry's career, including high school, and he finished the game with two and a half sacks.

"Either I would have sacked him or somebody else would have sacked him," Henry said. "I was coming off the edge free. Fortunately for me, I was able to get to him before anybody else did."

Henry was a stellar football, basketball, and track and field athlete in Immokalee, Fla., where he passed on scholarships to Nebraska, South Florida and Iowa to play for Wisconsin. Henry’s choice to leave Florida and come to UW has greatly contributed to the Badgers' success.

"I could have stayed in Florida and been content, but I wanted to try something different," Henry said. "I heard it's freezing up here compared to Florida weather, but I wanted to do something that, in my family, nobody has ever really done."

As for what he can improve on, Henry says it's the tackling.

"I'm not the best tackler in the world," Henry said. "I'm not a great tackler or a big hitter. I want to improve on the basics and my fundamentals of tackling."

Being the biggest hitter isn’t important, Henry says, as long as he plays smart and doesn’t give up big plays on defense.

"Wrapping up and keeping my head up, whether it is a big hit, or a tackle for a loss, or making a tackle, I just want to be sound on it," Henry said. "I want to make sure [the offensive player] doesn't go for another, 30, 40, 50 yards."

So far, Henry's positives have outweighed his self-proclaimed weaknesses in tackling. Against Michigan State, the Badger defense allowed 251 rushing yards but still won the game. Illinois, the Badgers’ next opponent, is ranked 6th in the country at rushing with an average of 256 yards per game on the ground. Henry and the other defenders, will have to improve their tackling and toughness to stop the Illinois rush attack.

"Coming into the Big Ten, you have to be physical," Hankwitz said. "It's a step up from high school. He's not afraid to tackle, but he can get more physical. He'll get better as he gets more experience."