Injuries are a part of football, and when someone gets hurt, an opportunity opens for someone else.
Manitowoc Lincoln alum and Wisconsin Badger offensive linemen Davis Heinzen will be the starting center for the rest of the season following Head Coach Luke Fickell’s announcement on Monday that Jake Renfro, who’s been beset by multiple injuries all year, underwent season-ending surgery during their bye last week.
Heinzen tells seehafernews.com, “It’s always tough in football with injuries and the things that you just can’t control. But it’s a great opportunity for me in these final four games. I feel I’m getting better every day, and I am excited to get out there and show what I can do.”
Heinzen, a graduate transfer from Central Michigan, began the year at left tackle, where he admits he struggled, especially in pass protection.
He has started two games at center this season and says you can concentrate basically on blocking one defender and that the blocking schemes are vanilla, or basic, especially in the run game.
But the center is also responsible for making all the checks at the line, meaning he needs to make sure that all his fellow linemen are in the right set (s) to combat what the defense is throwing at them.
The Lincoln grad says he loves that part of the game as well and is grateful that the coaching staff has faith and trust in him to get the job done.
Meanwhile, Heinzen says this is an opportunity for a lot of his teammates to prove they can play at this level.
“This is my last four games of my college career, and I want to get out there and play as hard as I can,” he said. “We want nothing more than to win. This is also a chance for the younger guys to get valuable playing time to learn and conclude the season on a high note. I feel everyone on this team has something to prove in the final month of the season.”
Wisconsin hosts 24th-ranked Washington Saturday afternoon.
Coverage on 1240 WOMT begins at 1:30 p.m.
