Wisconsin Football: Five Badgers named as captains

Five Wisconsin Badger football players have been named captains prior to the 2017 season.

The Wisconsin Badgers football team has announced their five captains that will serve and lead the team entering the 2017 season.

Linebacker Jack Cichy, offensive lineman Michael Deiter, safety D’Cota Dixon, tight end Troy Fumagalli, and defensive end Conor Sheehy were given the honors by the team and coaching staff. All five players participate in a separate football category.

Only Deiter sits as the only junior of the five, while the other four captains will enter their senior year and try to add on to potentially becoming one of the most successful senior classes in Wisconsin football program history. This year’s class enters their senior season with a 32-9 record, and with the team favorited to win the Big Ten West, it boasts a big opportunity to add on to that impressive record.

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Fumagalli and Cichy are just the 16th and 17th players respectively since 1990 to ever become captains after walking on at the University of Wisconsin. Quarterback Joel Stave and running back Dare Ogunbowale are the most recent walk-ons to earn such honors.

All five players have had some sort of preseason recognition nationally already, and are poised to have big, breakout years.

Dixon is fresh off just his first season as a starter and is now on the Nagurski Trophy watch list, as well as being watched with regards to academic accolades as well.

Fumagalli earned perhaps the biggest preseason achievement thus far, being named to the Athlon Sports preseason All-American team. He led the team in receptions last season and was a huge reason in the team’s Cotton Bowl victory over Western Michigan.

The Badgers open the 2017 season September 1 when they host Utah State under the lights at Camp Randall.