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It was 19-0 at halftime seven weeks ago, as Wisconsin had a commanding lead over the Michigan Wolverines. John Clay had just broken free for a 46-yard run and one play later finished the drive off with a touchdown, providing the Badgers with their only trip to the end zone in the half. The second half proved to be a different story, as Michigan rallied back to score 27 points and defeat the Badgers in a heartbreaker. Because of some subsequent mental mistakes, Clay had only one touch after halftime, forcing him to watch the game unfold from the sideline. Clay became a complete non-factor and mere spectator when the game mattered most. That was then. This is now.

John Clay came to the University of Wisconsin as one of the most prized recruits in his class. The running back from Racine was targeted by a number of top programs but decided to continue his career in his home state. Expectations were high for Clay, but like most recruits, he needed time to develop, and the coaches decided it would be best for him to redshirt last season.

“There was a lot of pressure on him early, but he was able to come in, get his feet wet and learn how to handle college athletics,” said running backs coach John Settle.

Looking back on it, Clay had similar feelings towards his redshirt year in the program.

“Redshirting helped a lot, and it gave me the chance to get my body right for college football,” Clay said.

With his redshirt season behind him, Clay looked to work his way onto the field but came to realize how hard it was to become a complete running back.

“[Pass protection] was challenging at first, and I had to learn the defenses and watch a lot of film,” Clay explained.

With the redshirt off, this season was a different story. Clay began to see some playing time as the season began. He split carries with P.J. Hill, but mistakes like the ones made on the field in Ann Arbor limited his role in the offense. The coaches, however, knew the rookie runner had a lot of talent and ability.

“I like his size, I like his speed, I like his athleticism,” Settle said. “He has the ability to run over people and make people miss.”

Settle watched his young back progress and took note of his hard work.

“The things that happened early on were all growing pains,” Settle explained. “The understanding of the schemes and pass protection took some time, but to his credit he has studied hard so we could leave him in on all three downs.”

Fast forward to the present, where the Badgers are coming off a pair of conference wins, largely in part to the contributions of Clay. Clay has racked up 753 yards on the season to go along with five touchdowns and a 5.5 yards per carry average. He is getting better each week, and Settle has taken notice.

“He has really progressed and matured as the season has gone on,” Settle said. “When he got the opportunity to play, he was ready for it.”

Rather than sitting on the bench while his teammates finish games in the third and fourth quarters, Clay is getting a chance to make his mark with significant playing time.

“I proved that I’m ready for any situation they want to put me in,” Clay said. “Picking up blocks, and seeing the blitz, they have the confidence in me to do that, and I have the confidence in myself.”

In last Saturday’s battle with Minnesota, Clay was not flawless. A fumble early on frustrated the redshirt freshman.

“That was my fault, so I had to come back and make sure I made up for that,” Clay said.

He also sustained an injury to his shoulder but refused to let his mistake or his injury keep him off the field.

“I tweaked my shoulder, but I couldn’t let that hold me down,” he said.

Settle took notice of Clay’s mistake and the injury and was impressed by his resolve.

“It really speaks to his toughness and his focus,” Settle said.

Unlike the situation in Michigan, Clay was given the opportunity to redeem himself, and in the fourth quarter with the game on the line, Clay delivered with a punishing touchdown run, dragging a Minnesota defender with him.

“There could have been two guys in that hole, and they weren’t going to stop him on that run,” Settle laughed.

Clay has come a long way, and his struggles early on are things of the past. As opposed to watching games end on the sideline, Clay is contributing by helping to finish them.