“By the numbers” is an article series starting today, June 1, where we look back through Wisconsin football history and find the best player to wear each jersey number.
Today’s spotlight for jersey No. 1 is 2002-2005 wide receiver Brandon Williams.
Williams came to Madison as a two-star prospect out of Hazelwood East High School in St Louis, Missouri.
Despite his two-star rating Williams burst onto the scene as a freshman–breaking the freshman reception record with 52, finishing the season with 663 yards and three touchdowns and being named by Sporting News as a second-team freshman All-American and a first-team freshman All-Big Ten.
Williams continued to play in a total of 52 games for the Badgers during which he caught 202 passes for 2924 yards and ten touchdowns.
His most notable performance came as a senior when he turned 59 receptions into 1095 yards, six touchdowns and a second-team All-Big Ten selection.
The Missouri native then became the third round selection of the San Francisco 49ers in the 2006 NFL Draft and went on to play three years in the league for the 49ers, Rams and Steelers.
Wisconsin wide receiver success stories aren’t seen nearly as much as those on the offensive line and at running back, with that of Williams being one of the most notable in school history.
Tomorrow we move forward to jersey No. 2, a player which was one of the easiest selections for this article series.