[media-credit name=’MICHAEL POPPY/Herald photo’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]Last Saturday was an example of the same concept, different player. The next guy in, Culmer St. Jean, took the field on Illinois’ opening possession in place of injured starter and middle linebacker Elijah Hodge.

A credit to his play — he recorded a career-high five tackles and played a solid game while teammates around him struggled — St. Jean had just three things to say after playing his first football game for Wisconsin.

"It was fun, fast, and it was a great opportunity," St. Jean said. "I really was just blessed to be out there."

After making the switch from outside linebacker to middle linebacker this past spring, St. Jean finally broke into the starting lineup this past Saturday. While that switch was different from what he knew, St. Jean took it in stride, and actually hasn't found it too difficult.

"There's less space, more big guys," St. Jean said. "But above all, you have more opportunities to make plays. Really, it's a little easier."

Second on the depth chart to Elijah Hodge, St. Jean has been patiently waiting his turn to get into the game. He was finally given the opportunity to see significant playing time after Hodge was held out of the game with a leg injury. Even with the unexpected opportunity, St. Jean did not change his normal routine.

"I approached practice the same way, watched film the same way; I sat down with coach [Doeren]," St. Jean said. "I looked at things I didn't know at the moment, and I made corrections that needed to be made. Nothing really changed."

However, the Badgers' starting outside linebacker Jonathan Casillas noted that not just any player is capable of making such a drastic change.

"To be in the middle you have to have a lot of versatility," Casillas said. "[But] the transition wasn't that bad for him, he's doing a great job at it."

Co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Dave Doeren saw this versatility and used it to make the best of St. Jean's abilities.

"He's picking up everything really fast, and we knew he would," Doeren said. "He's learning everything, learning to hit better. He's a guy that absolutely has a great future ahead of him."

As a redshirt freshman, St. Jean has a lot of room for growth. He has also has a lot more to learn. Elijah Hodge has acted as his mentor during the transition.

"I watch Hodge every chance I get," St. Jean said. "If I made, or if he makes, a mistake, we'll sit there and coach each other on the sidelines. We grade each other pretty hard and make sure that we don't make mistakes."

In order for the Badgers to succeed, so must St. Jean. And while he has just started playing in the field, few doubt his ability to make a difference in the middle.

"He's a very dependable tackler, like all of our guys should be, but of course there's areas to improve," Doeren said. "The thing we're stressing now is when you make a play you have to finish it, and he's been doing that."

Along with finishing plays, though, St. Jean has to continue to do what he set out to do, and that is being a team leader. With little experience, he must bring the recently struggling Badger defense back to a national powerhouse, and he has no doubt about his ability to do just that.

"I definitely feel like I was the leader out on the field," he said. "I know I have to keep doing what I'm doing, and I'm sure we'll be fine."

As the Badgers move on to face more difficult settings and higher ranked opponents, St. Jean is not only looking to compete, but become a consistent contributor on the team. Moreover, every week is another chance for him to show the fans and coaches that he can hold down the fort as a starting middle linebacker.

"It's just another game week," he said. "I was focusing just like every other game we play. Every week you have an opportunity to play. We'll never count ourselves out. We're ready for Penn State right now, and that's all we're focused on."