Luke Fickell is in a make or break year at Wisconsin, so he's pulling out all the stops to gain any edge he can this year. While Badger football is still in the early stages of the offseason, they got plenty of motivation to succeed in 2025 from a former Super Bowl winning coach at Saturday's practice.
Badgers get visit from former NFL coach Jon Gruden
Former NFL head coach Jon Gruden, along with UW alumnus and current podcaster Big Cat, were in attendance for the Badgers' weekend practice.
“Everybody has dreams… I’m into nightmares.”@BarstoolGruden is in the building today! pic.twitter.com/NqnDGxNU0s
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) April 12, 2025
Gruden, a former coach and broadcaster and winner of Super Bowl XXXVII, was in town this weekend to take in Badger football practice and to deliver a fiery message to the players. He spoke on things like communication, teamwork and effort. But his message was clear: ramp up the intensity and work better together as a team.
"There's a lot of people in football right now that aren't invested in the team," said Gruden. "If you pound a rock by yourself, that rock won't crack. If you pound a rock with him, that rock won't crack. And that rock is Michigan, that rock is Alabama. We all gotta pound the rock! Invest in your team."
Wisconsin is unfamiliar territory now as a team looking to back into the mix at the top of the Big Ten after a disastrous 2024 season. the 2025 schedule is daunting, though, and the Badgers will need ever possible advantage they can get. Maybe a speech from Gruden is what they need to put the pedal to the metal in 2025 and prove all the doubters wrong.