Wisconsin Football Countdown: No. 58, Joe Panos and Ricky Wagner
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 58 days until college football is back, is a pair of former No. 58s on the Badgers offensive line — Joe Panos and Ricky Wagner.
Wisconsin Badgers
Joe Panos
Panos was an offensive lineman at UW from 1990 to 1993 after heading to the school out of his hometown of Brookfield, Wisconsin.
Panos was the Badgers starter at center in 1991, and moved to right tackle for the 1992 and 1993 seasons.
He helped Wisconsin become Rose Bowl Champions at the end of his senior season in 1993.
Also in 1993, in addition to serving as a team captain, Panos was a first-team All-Big Ten selection, a second-team AP All-American, and the team’s Wayne Souza Coaches Appreciation award winner.
Following college, Panos was a third round selection (No. 77 overall) by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1994 NFL Draft. He played for seven years in the NFL, from 1994-1997 with the Eagles, and for the Buffalo Bills from 1998-2000.
In 2005, Panos was voted onto the All-Alvarez team, joining Chris McIntosh at the tackle position.
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Ricky Wagner
About two decades after Panos left UW, Ricky Wagner committed to the Badgers out of his hometown of West Allis, Wisconsin. He was at Wisconsin from 2008-2012.
After a redshirt season in ’08 and playing in a backup role in ’09, Wagner debuted as the starting right tackle in 2010. He moved to left tackle in 2011 and held down the spot until he left UW.
In all three seasons he started, the Badgers were Big Ten Champions, and Wisconsin went to three straight Rose Bowls.
He was a two-time honorable mention All-Big Ten selection in 2010 and 2011, and a first team All-Big Ten selection and a CBSSports.com second team All-American in 2012.
Wagner was a fifth round draft pick (No. 168 overall) by the Baltimore Ravens in the 2013 NFL Draft. He has since played in 31 NFL games, starting 17.
Who wore No. 58 first?
• End Donald Cameron first wore No. 58 in 1927.
Who wears No. 58 now?
• Joe Panos’ son, George Panos, currently wears no. 58 for the Badgers. The younger Panos is a redshirt freshman offensive lineman out of Hartland, Wisconsin, who played high school ball at Arrowhead.
Stay tuned to Badger of Honor as we continue our daily countdown in preparation of the season opener against Alabama.
Next: Wisconsin Football Experience