Davis Heinzen is known as one of the greatest players in the storied history of Manitowoc Lincoln football.
He made his mark at tight end, where he is the program’s all-time leader in catches, receiving yardage and touchdowns.
Heinzen then moved on to Central Michigan University and transitioned to the offensive line and started a school-record 36 consecutive games in the last three years.
Then the opportunity of a lifetime presented itself.
Appearing on WOMT Sports Talk, Heinzen spoke on how he became a Wisconsin Badger.
“I wanted to see what my options were after last season and explore the pros and cons about staying or leaving,” he explained. “Later in the semester, I found out that there was a high demand for offensive tackles in the transfer portal. I eventually got an agent who explored some Power Four schools for me to see where I could potentially end up. I entered the portal with several schools showing interest, including Wisconsin.”
Davis said it didn’t take long for him to sign on the dotted line and, for lack of a better term, “come home.”
He said he immediately bonded with his new teammates.
“I talked to some of the guys on my official visit there (Madison) and it was the closest group of offensive linemen I’ve possibly seen,” he revealed. “It’s (Madison) a great school and there’s a lot to do there.”
Heinzen admits it was tough to leave Mount Pleasant, Michigan, as he and his family developed what they call life-long relationships and friendships there, and adds that he’s so thankful to have played for Manitowoc and the Shipbuilders.
“It meant a lot to be able to play my high school career here,” he reminisced. “Great guys like Doug Free and Don Davey, who played here, went on to the NFL, and now I’ve been blessed to play in Madison. I know how much it means to people in this town.”
Davis heads down to Madison this weekend and begins his official Badger journey with workouts beginning on Monday.
“Having this on my resume for a lifetime is huge for me,” he said. “The connections through the university are immense and will be very beneficial as I move forward in my career.”
Heinzen has plans to play in the NFL, but if not, he has his degree from Central Michigan in mechanical engineering, which he says he’s just as proud to have earned.
The Badgers open the season on August 28th at home against Miami of Ohio.
