By MIKE BEACOM
of The Gazette
Long before he was a member of two Rose Bowl-winning Wisconsin Badger squads, Ross Kolodziej had dreams of donning another Big Ten Conference jersey.
Sharon Kolodziej recalls her son wore an awful lot of Michigan blue and yellow as a youngster.
"His drive was one day he would be a Wolverine," said Sharon.
In the summer of 1995, Ross was given the opportunity to do just that.
Just before his senior year at Stevens Point Area Senior High School, Ross was offered scholarships from several of the universities he had an interest in. And the post office was bringing Ross letters regularly.
"The mail came in from all over the country," said Dennis Kolodziej, his father.
But Ross chose Wisconsin over Michigan and other Division One powerhouse schools like Nebraska. That decision allowed Kolodziej to be part of coach Barry Alvarez's defense during five impressive seasons.
Kolodziej and his teammates ranked No.1 in the nation in scoring defense in 1998 and fifth the following year.
As a red-shirt freshman, Kolodziej had perhaps the best stretch of his career with 22 tackles during the last four games of the regular season. Against Iowa, Kolodziej accounted for seven tackles and 19 yards-for-a-loss.
Two years later, the junior whom Badgers defensive line coach John Palermo once referred to as "one of the most talented kids I've coached," punished Minnesota, recording a career-best nine tackles.
In his senior season at Madison, Kolodziej recorded 34 tackles and tied his previous season-best in sacks with three as Wisconsin went on to win its fourth bowl game during his stay there.
Kolodziej's 45 career starts for the Badgers ranks fifth all-time.
"Considering how much he always wanted to go to Michigan and then to be offered it and turn it down really showed how much staying in his home state meant," said Sharon. "And I don't think he's ever regretted it."
As difficult as it is to picture Kolodziej wearing any other jersey than Wisconsin (this fall the recent National Football League draft pick will try on a New York Giants uniform), it's even more difficult imagining Ross playing on the other side of the ball. But up until his senior season at SPASH, Kolodziej was a part of coach Jerry Fitzgerald's offensive line.
Since he began playing football in the ninth grade (before junior high school, he attended St. Paul Lutheran where the sport wasn't available), Ross always wound up on offense.
But when he and his parents toured football camps during the summer to determine his future, Kolodziej always signed in as a defensive player.
"He really always wanted to play defense," said Sharon. "So when he went to camp, he signed up for it."
When he returned to Fitzgerald, it was obvious to the coach he could utilize Kolodziej's skills more on defense.
"Ross' greatest asset is the athleticism he has for a guy his size," said Fitzgerald. "He has great speed, agility … on defense, he could dominate a whole half of the field."
Kolodziej was nothing short of dominant for SPASH as a senior, recording 91 tackles (12 for losses). Fitzgerald also occasionally used him as a lead blocker for the team's halfback.
Following the Panthers '95 season, Kolodziej had earned a spot on the Associated Press, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Wisconsin Football Coaches Association all-state teams. The Wisconsin Valley Conference also awarded Ross their conference defensive player-of-the-year honor and he was named as a member to Wisconsin's Shrine Game.
Kolodziej had left his mark on the Panthers football program.
In the spring, Kolodziej continued to excel in another sport - track and field. As a member of SPASH's second-place team at state in '96 (the best SPASH had finished in 30 years), Kolodziej finished second at the meet in the shot put and fourth in the discus.
"He was an integral part of our team," said coach DuWayne Behnke. "He was every coach's dream to work with. He not only had the tools, but he did everything he could to maximize his potential."
Kolodziej left SPASH with the indoor (56' 8") and outdoor shot put school records (59' 4"), which both stand today.
In college, Kolodziej continued to participate in track. The last three years, Ross scored team points for Wisconsin in the shot put at the Big Ten outdoor championships. The Badgers claimed conference titles at the meet the last two years, giving Ross a total of four Big Ten championship rings.
Coaches from Ross' days at SPASH still talk about his hard work, ability and praise his work ethic in the weight room.
"He was as disciplined an athlete in the weight room as anyone," said Fitzgerald. "He motivated other kids to lift with him."
Weight training is something Ross learned with the assistance of his father.
Dennis, a respected lifter himself, invested in a weight set when his son felt he was ready to make the commitment to train regularly. Dennis bought the weights, built a squat rack and the two started working out together.
"We became like teammates," said Dennis. "The weights kept piling on and by the end, it was impressive the amount of weight we were lifting."
By his senior year at Madison, the 6' 3", 286 pounder was the Badgers strongest player, benching 425 pounds and squatting 675.
Kolodziej's achievements in track and on the football field, as well as his amazing athleticism (he ran a 4.82 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine) secured him a spot among Portage County's greatest athletes.
Said one panelist, "Because Kolodziej started three years on the defensive line for the Badgers during arguably their most successful period puts him in this group. It's also impressive that he was the first SPASH football player to be drafted by an NFL team in over 30 years."