Wisconsin fans, college football fans and NFL fans alike are all familiar with the name Troy Vincent.
The cornerback was a First Team All-American at Wisconsin in 1991, a two-time All-Big Ten selection, the 1991 Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Year and is Wisconsin’s all-time leader in punt return yards and passes defended.
Vincent then went on to play in the NFL for 15 years, eight of which with the Philadelphia Eagles. Those Philadelphia years included five Pro Bowls and one First-Team All-Pro selection. Finally, he now holds a significant position in the NFL league office.
But there are a few things about Vincent and his journey to Wisconsin that you probably don’t know.
First, the Trenton, New Jersey native was better at basketball in high school than he was football. He was told by his coach, though, that his best journey to being a professional athlete would be at the cornerback position on the gridiron.
So Vincent is getting recruited by the likes of Syracuse and Penn State—both local schools in Power Five conferences.
The one thing that pushed him to Wisconsin? It was the furthest he could possibly go from home.
“Mom, grandparents knew that being close to home wouldn’t be in the best interest of myself and staying focused,” Vincent said on the Ray Didinger and Glen Macnow show on Philadelphia’s 94WIP. “So Wisconsin just happened to be the farthest school geographically that recruited me. If it was Utah, I would’ve went to Utah. If it was Wyoming, I would’ve went to Wyoming.”
The interview as a whole was fascinating. While much of it talked about his time with the Philadelphia Eagles (understandably, given it was a Philadelphia sports radio station), he also touched on what kept him with the Badgers despite their poor play on the field.
“So I jumped in a Dodge Caravan. My mother, my aunt drove me 16 hours. Bradley Hall, opened the back door, gave me a hug and said ‘don’t come home until you finish school,'” Vincent said. “Coach Barry Alvarez comes in from Notre Dame. He calls me up the first day he’s in and says ‘I think you have an opportunity to play at the next level, I just need you to follow our plan.’ And I was sitting across from him like, if you think I’m leaving, don’t even think about that. My mom would kill me…That wasn’t even an option.”
Here’s a link to the full episode (the interview starts around the 1:35 mark):
Really good listen for Badger fans, or just football fans in generalhttps://t.co/C6bL7NZLy0
— Ben Kenney (@benzkenney) June 13, 2021
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