Montee Ball looking for the Heisman

University of Wisconsin senior running back Montee Ball is one of five players clustered near the top of a wide-open Heisman Trophy race entering the college football season, according to the largest poll of Heisman voters.
StiffArmTrophy.com had 51 Heisman voters list their top 15 Heisman candidates entering the season.
Ball, the only returning Heisman finalist, is one of four players who were named on 50 of the 51 ballots. The others are South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore, Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones and Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson.
USC quarterback Matt Barkley, considered by many people as the top Heisman candidate, came next after being named on 49 ballots.
One indication of the struggle Ball faces to make it back to New York as a finalist this year: seven of the top 10 vote-getters are quarterbacks. Oregon running back De'Anthony Thomas ranks seventh, with 36 votes, to join Ball and Lattimore in the top 10.
In 2011, Robert Griffin III started the season ranked No. 11 on this watch list and in 2010, Cam Newton didn't appear in the preseason poll. Those two quarterbacks are the last two Heisman winners.
Let's hope Ball can win it. 

Montee Ball named Badger athlete of the year

No. 1: Montee Ball, junior running back, football

It’s easy to forget that Montee Ball wasn’t the Badgers’ featured back at the beginning of the 2011 season. Heck, more fans probably saw him as a true No. 2 than a true No. 1. To be fair, the lightning-quick James White—reigning Big Ten freshman of the year—was a pretty good bet in August.

But nobody had seen what Ball did in the offseason. Nobody had seen the transformation, the weight lost and the muscle built and the mindset hardened. By the time the Rose Bowl ended late Jan. 2, though, 14 opponents—the whole nation, really—had gotten a pretty good look.

The Wentzville, Mo. native scored touchdowns like his offensive linemen eat dinner: two, three and four helpings at a time.

He scored multiple touchdowns in every game but the Rose Bowl. He finished with 33 on the ground and 39 in total. Since scoring the game-winning touchdown against Iowa Oct. 23, 2010 (19 games), Ball has amassed 2,700 rushing yards and 54 total touchdowns. Yes, that’s 142.1 yards and 2.8 trips to the end zone per contest.

He went from being a third-string option to a Heisman finalist. He went from being a talented guy in a talented backfield to the best in the nation. He went from unknown to  having a legitimate NFL future.

But that will have to wait. He’s coming back for his senior year.  Lets hope next year he can win the heisman trophy.  GO BUCKY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Montee Ball a Heisman Finalist

On the night of his 21st birthday, Montee Ball received a gift he’ll never forget.

Monday evening, Wisconsin’s junior running back was named one of five finalists for the 77th Heisman Trophy, awarded annually to the top player in college football. The winner will be revealed Saturday night in New York City.

Along with Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III, Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, Louisiana State defensive back Tyrann Mathieu and Alabama running back Trent Richardson, Ball’s name was called by former Ohio State running back and Heisman winner Eddie George on ESPN’s SportsCenter. The 5-foot-11, 210-pound junior running back is Wisconsin’s first Heisman finalist since running back Ron Dayne won the trophy in 1999. Running back Alan Ameche also won the award in 1954, and Ball is now the ninth Heisman finalist in UW history.

It sure would be nice to have another Heisman winner at Wisconsin.  GO BUCKY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ron Dayne gets ripped off

Ron Dayne's bracelet commemorating his status as a Heisman Trophy winner was one of several items stolen late Saturday night from a home on the southeast side in which the former University of Wisconsin football standout is living.
The burglary netted $40,000 in possessions, including computer equipment, video systems and liquor, according to a report by WISC-TV, which first reported the incident.
Charles Slaughter, who owns the home in the 4200 block of Owl Creek Drive, told police and the TV station that Dayne is his roommate. On the website for Slaughter's business, Slaughter Motorsports, Dayne is advertised as a sponsor.
Dayne's bracelet bears "33," a tribute to the jersey number he wore as a member of the Badgers.
"Ron's bracelet that he got for the Heisman, that's definitely a one of a kind," Slaughter told Channel3000.com.
Police are investigating the incident. Lets hope the police can recover some of the items. GO BUCKY!!!!!!!!!!