In the last football practice before spring break, the Wisconsin football team got an extra treat. After only practicing in shorts for the first two workouts, the Badgers were in full pads and eager to do some hitting.
?One rule I don?t agree with the NCAA, among many, the first two days you can only be in helmets, and those kids are so excited to get out there,? UW head coach Bret Bielema said. ?A lot of times you just wish you could protect their shoulders. It was good to get out there today. You can just set up things so much better.?
While the team was enjoying being in pads for the first time since the Outback Bowl on New Year?s Day, Bielema also had to deal with a few off-the-field issues.
After playing mostly on special teams and as an extra defensive back for the last two seasons, junior Kim Royston informed Bielema that he is thinking about transferring to a different school. In limited action, Royston has made a total of 22 tackles, one forced fumble and one interception.
?As of the morning, I had a discussion with him and his father, and he is talking about transferring,? Bielema said. ?I haven?t had a final conversation with him yet, but that?s where he is leaning.
?He?s had some trouble since he?s been here. He wants to be a [starter], and he?s not in that position at this point. That?s a decision that he?s got but is something that he will work through in the next 48 hours.?
While Bielema will try to make Royston understand the situation, he said he will not go out of his way to convince the defensive back to stay.
?It comes to a point that if you don?t want to be here, then we don?t want you in the program,? Bielema said. ?You’ve got to do what?s best for every kid individually.?
And while Bielema will not try to force Royston to stay, he has said that any player that has transferred since he has been a coach has regretted it later.
?Any time a kid has left our program and transferred to another school, it has never been anything they thought it was going to be,? Bielema said. ?They always end up, whether it?s a year later or five years later, coming back and saying, ‘I wish I would?ve stayed where I was at.’?
Bielema will also lose another player for spring ball when defensive end Mike Newkirk has surgery on his left shoulder this week.
?Mike will go through surgery on Friday of this week,? Bielema said. ?It?s not as detailed as Garrett (Graham)’s or Travis (Beckum)’s. We expect anywhere from six to eight [weeks of] recovery. The reason we are doing it now instead of waiting until after spring ball is because we start our summer conditioning program the second week of June. He should be full-go for that.?
