An Interview With Former Badgers Football Player Louis Nzegwu

Carolina Panthers defensive end Louis Nzegwu (50) hits Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Dennis Dixon (3). John Geliebter-USA TODAY Sports

We’re heading into that tricky part of the offseason for fans and players alike. Both remember what happened, either a few months ago or off in the distant past, and are impatiently waiting for more.

I remember quite a lot of moments from plenty of Wisconsin Badgers football games — Ron Dayne‘s rumble through Iowa defenders, Lee Evans‘ blazing catch against Ohio State, John Stocco‘s quarterback draw, David Gilreath‘s kickoff return, Scott Starks against Purdue, Duckworth’s catch, Melvin Gordon‘s run in the snow — and Louis Nzegwu‘s Rose Bowl scoop-and-score is right up there with all of them.

Players like Louis Nzegwu are one of a handful of athletes with the will to keep donning the pads, spending more time on the field and realizing more chances to showcase their talents for all to see.

Louis Nzegwu, who played from 2007-2011 and started 27 games on the Badgers defensive line, kindly agreed to an interview that delved into his time in Madison, his professional career and much more.

Jon Rzepecki: What originally brought you to Wisconsin, and what was the recruiting process like for you as a top 100 prospect?

Louis Nzegwu: I grew up in Wisconsin and I liked the coaches, plus my family was planning to move to the Madison area so it was perfect.

The recruiting process was really short for me but quite interesting at the same time. I allowed the process to only last about two or three months compared to nearly a year with others.

Louis Nzegwu at an Omaha Mammoths FXFL game. (Courtesy L. Nzegwu)

I always got a bunch of letters but didn’t talk to coaches until spring of my junior year. I talked to quite a few and thought it was always cool when coaches made high school visits.

Right before the summer I mapped out four schools that I was equally interested … the camps were an intriguing part of the recruiting process. I played running back in high school but didn’t play much of any other position.

Schools wanted me to try other roles because of my size and frame (6-foot-4, 250 pounds) So every camp I went to I was doing something different, but it was fun nonetheless.

I only made it to two camps with Wisconsin being the last one and I committed a week later. I say the one thing I remember the most about the process was going to Nebraska’s spring game.

Yes … Nebraska. When I went there they had a crowd of 79,000+ and I couldn’t believe it. People were taking pictures all over the place, one of which became a recruiting profile picture on a website hours later. It’s quite comical because I realized it wasn’t that special at all after attended Wisconsin’s.

Quality over quantity, you know?

Next: A Starter's Path