Today’s “by the numbers” focuses on former Badger wide receiver Jared Abbrederis, the best Wisconsin Badger to wear jersey No. 4…
Today’s “by the numbers” focuses on former Badger wide receiver Jared Abbrederis, the best Wisconsin Badger to wear jersey No. 4.
Abbrederis came to Madison out of Wautoma High School in Wautoma, Wisconsin–a place where he played seemingly every position except for wide receiver.
The Wisconsin native started his high school career as a quarterback and received all-conference honors three of his four years as a starter. His junior and senior seasons, additionally, he played defensive back and received additional all-conference honors for his work in the defensive backfield.
His high school career finished with 3014 passing yards, one second-team all-conference honor as a quarterback, two first-team all-conference honors as both a quarterback and defensive back and the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association first-team all-state quarterback and conference offensive player of the year as a senior.
His high school production landed him in Madison in 2009 as a walk-on spread quarterback, but then-head coach Brett Bielema quickly realized his receiving potential and switched him to the position before his redshirt freshman season began in 2010.
Though his freshman production wasn’t much to be in awe about–the Wisconsin native finished the season with 13 games played, 20 receptions, 289 yards and three touchdowns–it was impressive production for a walk-on that hadn’t yet played the position.
It was then going into his sophomore season that Abbrederis made a massive jump–playing in 14 games and catching 55 passes for 933 yards and eight touchdowns.
Not much more needs to be said about Abbrederis’ junior seasons but his stats were as follows: 13 games, 49 catches, 837 yards and five touchdowns as a junior and 13 games, 78 catches, 1081 yards and seven touchdowns as a senior.
The former Badger finished his Wisconsin career with a school-record 202 receptions, the Burlsworth Trophy for the best student-athlete to begin their career as a walk-on and a then-Rose Bowl record 348 all-purpose yards (a record broken by current NFL running back Christian McCaffrey a few years later).
His college production was enough to get him drafted in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers.
His professional career, though, was not nearly as productive as his time in Madison.
The former Badger played four years in the league–three for the Packers and one for the Detroit Lions–during which he recorded a total of 21 games played, 13 catches, 163 yards and zero touchdowns.
Nevertheless, his story going from a walk-on quarterback to becoming the school’s all-time leader in receptions is an inspiring one and makes him the best Wisconsin Badger to ever wear jersey No. 4.
Tune in tomorrow for jersey No. 5–the first quarterback on the list and one who lead the Badgers to arguably their best stretch of success of any four-year period (no, it isn’t yet four-star recruit Graham Mertz, as only time will tell what his legacy in Madison will be).
