Wisconsin Football Countdown: No. 45, Nick Greisen
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 45 days until college football is back, is Nick Greisen.
Greisen spent 1998 to 2001 wreaking havoc from his linebacker position.
Wisconsin Badgers
He has two top-ten single season tackle performances in school history. His 167 tackles in 2001 are fourth best all time at the school, and his 2000 season effort of 146 tackles is 10th best in the record book.
Greisen finished his UW career with 337 total tackles, good enough for 15th best all-time on the Badgers record list. His 33 career tackles for a loss are tied with Tim Jordan and O’Brien Schofield for 14th best all time.
He was a first team All-Big Ten selection in both 200 and 2001, and was a team captain in 2001.
Following college, he was a fifth round selection (No. 152 overall) by the New York Giants in the 2002 NFL Draft.
He played for the giants from 2002 to 2005, spent 2006 with the Jacksonville Jaguars, was a Baltimore Raven in 2007-2008, and finished his NFL career after spending 2009 with the Denver Broncos.
He made 255 tackles, 4.0 sacks, and forced 5 fumbles in his NFL career.
Following the NFL he spent 2010-2011 with the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League.
Who wore No. 45 first?
• Badgers tackle John Gottstein first wore No. 45 for Wisconsin in 1927.
Who wears No. 45 now?
• Incoming freshman inside linebacker Nick Thomas will wear No. 45 this year.
Who wore No. 45 last?
• Recently graduated defensive lineman Warren Herring was the last Badgers player to wear No. 45. Herring played in 44 games over the course of his UW career, totaling 56 tackles and 4.5 career sacks from his nose guard position.
Stay tuned to Badger of Honor as we continue our daily countdown in preparation of the season opener against Alabama.
Next: Wisconsin Football Experience