Entering his fourth and senior season for the Badgers, Hunter Wohler lives in a paradox.
"It feels like I just got here and now I got one year left and I'm sitting at the front of the room," Wisconsin Badgers safety Hunter Wohler said.
Now entering his final campaign at Wisconsin, The Muskego native is a captain, and learning tough love.
"At the end of the day, if you can't be honest with your teammates, and if you can't tell them, it's not good enough," Wohler said. "If you can't do that, we're not gonna grow. And we're not going to get any better."
"Leadership isn't always easy," Wisconsin head football coach Luke Fickell said. "You know, you gotta do some things with leadership that aren't always popular. You gotta be honest. And at times that means people aren't going to like you. And I think that as long as you can back it up, and as long as you're the guy that people look to, I think that that's what we need. I've kind of asked him and kind of pushed him to be one of those guys because he's got everything that we're looking for."
And so far, so good at spring practice.
"There's a different feel this spring than I think I've felt in the past," Wohler said. "So I'm excited. I can't wait. You know, obviously it's going to be a challenge this year with the schedule that we have and the teams we play. It's a lot of talent. It's a great opportunity though. And I can't wait to get to it."
Wohler is blunt about why he didn't enter the recent draft, with unfinished business in Madison.
"Win championships," Wohler said. "I mean that's, at the end of the day? I came here for a reason. And the reality of the situation is we haven't been as good as you know, I knew growing up. And as I would have liked to be here. We've been pretty mediocre. So now it's just, I wanna end on a high note."
Wohler hopes to hear his name called on the draft stage, in Green Bay.
"Hopefully I can give myself an opportunity this year," Wohler said. "Put myself in a good spot to be in those guys shoes. Obviously cheering for, watching for the guys that came out of here. Keeping an eye on all the safeties coming out this year."
Wohler will continue to lead on and off the field, using words, when necessary.
