Brett Bell knows the question on everyone's mind as Wisconsin prepares to host Michigan for the first time since 2001. The question you want to ask about Saturday being the first time he will face the Wolverines
since the play, that one awful play, the one that robbed the Badgers of a hard-fought win over a heavily favored and hated rival. The play that killed their hopes of making it to a bowl game--the only time in the past decade Wisconsin has been home for the holidays. The one play he may never live down for longtime Badger fans, no matter now many tackles or interceptions he collects.
He gives you a look that suggests, \Go ahead, ask the question.""
There's no avoiding the issue any further.
Does he still think about it?
In a word, no.
""It hasn't bothered me since; it's not bothering me now,"" Wisconsin's fifth-year senior cornerback says.
Bell swears he has given little thought to the end of the 2001 Michigan game, when he was a freshman playing special teams; when he blocked a Wolverines' player all the way down the field, setting up for the punt return like he always did. But amid the euphoria over snuffing out Michigan's potential game-winning drive following a missed Badger field goal, Bell did not get the message that the Wisconsin coaches liked their chances in overtime. The team would be rushing an extra man in an attempt to block the punt in the waning seconds of a 17-17 tie. There would be no one back to field the punt-no reason to risk a potential fumble on a return, after all.
Thus it was the cruelest irony when the punt completed its parabolic flight through the mid-November Madison twilight, bounced a couple times on the green carpet and then struck an oblivious Bell in the leg on the 13-yard-line--truly an unlucky yard line for Bucky if there ever was one. Michigan fell on the fumble, kicked a field goal with 10 ticks on the clock and left the red-clad faithful stunned in disbelief.
For most freshmen, that kind of blunder could easily torpedo a collegiate career. But he is still here four years later, ready to take on Michigan once again, this time a seasoned veteran, a captain, ready to lead his counterparts on defense.
How was he able to put that play behind him?
""It has a lot to do with how I was raised,"" Bell says. ""[Football] is a game. I play it because I love it. I love playing for my teammates. I don't play because it's the most serious thing on earth. I take that approach.""
""It was four years ago,"" he adds. ""You grow up a lot in four years.""
Though he has not been here as long as Bell, Wisconsin defensive coordinator Bret Bielema sees the results of Bell's attitude.
""Anytime you're put in a situation of adversity, if you come through it, that makes you stronger,"" Bielema says. ""Obviously he had a huge amount of adversity right there and [to be] able to resolve himself to where he is today, and I think that's a true testimonial to the kind of kid he is.""
Adversity is a common theme for Bell, who has suffered multiple injuries in his football career, including a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee--the same knee he had operated on in his high school days--in offseason workouts this January. The road back has been a difficult one.
""It's hard coming back from an ACL, because you have it in the very back of your mind,"" Bell says. ""Sometimes, when you run up to make a tackle, you don't want to slam so hard on the ground, or the play before you got hit on the ground, it's harder getting that out of your mind than a big play caught over your head.""
Though Bielema says Bell is 100 percent healthy, Bell admits he suffers from sore knees--although both hurt, not just the right knee.
All of the highs Bell has celebrated and the lows he has endured at Wisconsin have made him a natural captain and team leader. He has a breadth of experience and advice to share with teammates, from sophomore end Jamal Cooper, who now must also come back from an ACL injury (Bell's advice: ""All you can do is smile about it and work hard"") to his youthful coworkers in the defensive backfield-such as Allen Langford, Roderick Rodgers and Jack Ikegwuonu-that have never played in a Big Ten conference game, much less in a Michigan game.
""It's a huge game,"" he says. ""Our first three games were big but being able to keep composure at night at home [is key]. They've had some big crowds for the first couple games, but this game, I don't think they really know what they're getting into.""
Fortunately for Wisconsin, Bell knows the challenges of facing Michigan and the rest of the Big Ten, and he is ready to carry the burden--no questions asked.
