The Badgers were a top school for fullbacks across multiple decades.
We’ve been over several other positions with these, but now we’ve arrived at the toughest to pick and probably the most Badgery of them all: Fullback.
This is a bit poignant since the current Wisconsin Badgers team doesn’t feature a fullback, but that’s a story for another day. So, let’s turn to my list of the best four who’ve ever put on a Badger uniform. (Note: Alan Ameche was considered a running back, not a fullback, for purposes of this exercise.)
As I’ve noted previously, there’s more than a bit of a recency bias in these (read: if you were good 50+ years ago you have an uphill battle), so please absorb it through that lens (and by all means let me know who I’ve missed).
Cecil Martin
This one is probably the easiest. The consummate Badger, 1998 team captain Cecil Martin not only opened more holes than we can count for Ron Dayne and won a Rose Bowl doing so, but he was also a four year starter at a premium position (at the time) and scored eight touchdowns.
Tough, strong, and athletic, Martin was an absolute bulldozer who parlayed his days in Madison into a solid NFL career for the Eagles after being taken in the sixth round. Yeah, Martin is in so get the chisel ready.
Matt Bernstein
His ”Hebrew Hammer” moniker is definitely worth some points here, as is rushing for 123 yards as a fill-in running back while fasting for Yom Kippur to beat Penn State.
But, this selection is mostly about him being a talented and steady Badger who delivered 53 touchdown-resulting blocks, an outstanding teammate, and dude who simply loves Madison. He also scored five times and caught 22 passes.
Trivia: He has 90 kick return yards and is a member of the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.
Alec Ingold
A smart, punishing blocker for four seasons in Madison, Ingold also had soft hands and nimble feet, which helped him to seven career Badger touchdowns and a nearly-19 yards per catch average.
Although he went undrafted, Ingold has carved out a meaningful role with the Raiders and Dolphins, and is signed in Miami through 2026, an unusual amount of job security for an NFL fullback in 2024.
Derek Watt
While he was the least heralded of the Watt brothers who played in Madison, Derek was a tough, talented fullback with a knack for big blocks.
He was the primary fullback for two of the top three Wisconsin football rushing seasons in school history in 2013 and 2014, and caught 15 passes for 139 yards as a senior in 2015.
A sixth-round pick for the Chargers in 2016, Watt played seven years in the NFL, including three alongside his brother T.J. in Pittsburgh.
Special Mention: Mark Montgomery, Chad Kuhns, Austin Ramesh, Dave Mohapp.
Honorable Mention: Chris Pressley, Mason Stokke, John Chenal, Bradie Ewing.