:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/51987847/usa_today_9688595.0.jpeg)
First and foremost, B5Q wishes everyone a very Happy (and safe) Thanksgiving.
Personally, it’s one of my favorite times of the year. Families come together (yes, like punters, #InLawsArePeopleToo), eat some amazing food, and get to spend the quality time that maybe you don’t get to with busy schedules and life getting in the way.
With Thanksgiving now upon us, B5Q had the opportunity to speak with some players from the No. 5 Wisconsin Badgers this week and ask them what they’re thankful this year.
Redshirt senior running back Dare Ogunbowale: “The team. This is a very great team, fun team to be a part of, great locker room. We’ve grown very close, I mean whether in the offseason, things like that. I would say that that’s the biggest thing I’m thankful for is these guys. Being a captain, being able to represent, and kind of just having relationships with all of them.”
Senior cornerback Sojourn Shelton: “My family, man. My family -- they’ve meant a lot to me. They made a lot of sacrifices for me as a kid. That’s all you can ask for is just for your family to put you in a position to be successful. Everybody down to my mom, my dad, on both sides — my uncles, my aunties, my grandmas, my grandparents, my granddad — they’ve all done the best that they can to put me in the position that I’m in now so I’m just thankful for them. Know that without them this is not possible.”
Redshirt sophomore center Michael Deiter: “I’m thankful for everything. I mean I could sit here and list off so many things. There’s nothing I’m not thankful for. I mean I could talk about family, the position I’m in right now, health, all that stuff. There’s an endless list of stuff to be thankful for, so everything.”
Senior wide receiver Robert Wheelwright: “I am thankful for my family and my supporting friends. I’m thankful for just having the opportunity to play here and being around these guys.”
Redshirt senior safety Leo Musso: “My family and just kind of the life that I’ve been blessed with. Coming into my last year, you just kind of take everything for what it is and realize that I’m truly living the dream that I’ve always wanted to live, so it’s been a great life.”
Redshirt freshman quarterback Alex Hornibrook: “I think I’m thankful for my family and the support that they have for me. From here at Wisconsin, our team — that we have a group of selfless guys that don’t really care about their own personal achievements as much as just working hard and helping out this team.”
Redshirt senior quarterback Bart Houston: “Thankful for the opportunity just to be out here. Coming from Calirfornia meeting a lot of new people, both on and off the field, even in my major. I have so many more new connections, that if I would have stayed out there or gone somewhere else, it just never would have happened.
“Just having the opportunity to play on a big stage in front of 80,000 at Camp Randall, it’s awesome. Especially the night games, but every game is such an experience that I’m going to miss someday — uh, next year. Used to take it for granted, now it’s like, ‘Man, this is sweet.’”
Redshirt senior outside linebacker Vince Biegel: “It’s interesting that you asked me what I’m thankful for, because at the Biegel household, one of our traditions is we go around the table at Thanksgiving, and we say one thing that we’re grateful for. If I had to say one thing that I’m grateful for this season, it would probably say the adversity that I had to come through this season.
“The reason why I say that is because — I would definitely not want to wish injury upon anybody else — but I’m thankful for that injury because I grew as a person and I grew as a man. It made me a stronger person, so I’m grateful for that, and I know that in the long run, maybe not in the short term, but in the long run, it’ll make me a stronger person. That’s something I’m thankful for, my positive attitude that I had from taking that negative and turning it into a positive.”