Wisconsin Football Countdown: No. 70, Dennis Lick and Kevin Zeitler
By Jim Oxley
As the countdown to the first Wisconsin football game of the season continues, Badger of Honor is taking a look at Badgers by the numbers, checking in on a different Badger or Badgers players who wore the number corresponding with the remaining days until the Badgers head to Texas to take on the Alabama Crimson Tide Saturday, Sept. 5.
Next up in our countdown, signifying 70 days until college football is back, is two Badgers who wore No. 70 at Wisconsin: Dennis Lick and Kevin Zeitler.
Wisconsin Badgers
Dennis Lick
Lick played at UW from 1972 to 1975 and became one of the best linemen in the country. He helped pave the way for Billy Marek to become one of the top rushers in school history.
Lick was a two-time All Big-Ten selection, and was a consensus All-American in 1975.
He became the Wisconsin Badgers’ ninth ever first round draft pick, going eighth overall to the Chicago Bears in the 1976 NFL Draft. The Chicago native played six seasons of NFL football for his hometown Bears from 1976 to 1981.
Kevin Zeitler
Zeitler spent 2008 to 2011 at UW creating holes in the defense for guys like P.J. Hill, John Clay, Montee Ball and James White.
The Waukesha native was a key lineman on the 2011 squad that was one of the most prolific in school history, featuring quarterback Russell Wilson and the one-two punch of Ball and White out of the backfield.
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He was an American Football Coaches Association and Pro Football Weekly first team All-American and a Yahoo! Sports and Phil Steele second team All-American in 2011. In 2011 he was also a consensus first team All-Big Ten selection.
He turned his collegiate successes into a first round draft selection, No. 27 overall to the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2012 NFL Draft.
He has since played 40 NFL games — starting 39 — and has solidified his spot as one of the Bengals best offensive linemen.
Who wore No. 70 first?
• Tackle Walter Boma first put on No. 70 for the Badgers back in 1927.
Who wears No. 70 now?
• Offensive lineman Dan Voltz currently wears No. 70 for the Badgers. A redshirt junior, Voltz was a second team All-Big Ten selection last season by the media and an honorable mention selection by the coaches. Heading into the 2015 season, Voltz is on the Rimington Award watch list.
Stay tuned to Badger of Honor as we continue our daily countdown in preparation of the season opener against Alabama.
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