7 Best Wisconsin Badgers Football Players

The Badgers’ football odds for national title success have waned in recent years after posting four single-digit win seasons from 2020-2023, but this program has had a lot of success, including four straight double-digit win seasons from 2013-2017. 

Now, at the BetMGM online sportsbook, the Badgers will hope to move their college football odds more in their favour and get back to double-digit win success. 

Still, despite that high level of success, the Badgers have had many memorable players come through Madison, and below, I’ll rank the top seven in program history.

7 Best Wisconsin Badgers Football Players

1. Ron Dayne

Dayne played for the Badgers from 1996 to 1999; to this day, he holds program records in rushing yards (7,125) and all-purpose yards (7,429). He also ranks second in rushing touchdowns (71), fourth in total offence (7,125), and second in touchdowns responsible for (71). 

Dayne also held the single-game rushing yards record in school history from 1996 to 2014 with 339 yards in 1996 against Hawaii. 

In 1999, Dayne won the Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award, Chic Harley Award, Doak Walker Award, and Jim Brown Award, was the AP College Football Player of the Year, the SN Player of the Year, was a unanimous All-American, the Big Ten Most Valuable Player, Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, first-team All Big-Ten, and more. 

College Football Legends: Ron Dayne

Wisconsin
7,125 Rush Yards
71 TDs
Heisman Trophy
Maxwell Award
Doak Walker Award
AP Player of the Year
College Football Hall of Fame pic.twitter.com/94fvjDOJZx

— The Get Back Coach (@TheGBCoach) June 19, 2023

Yes, that was all in 1999, where he had 337 carries for 2,034 yards and 20 touchdowns. 

His No. 33 is retired by the program and is in the College Football Hall of Fame. 

2. Alan Ameche

A fullback for the Badgers in the 1950s, Ameche is one of just six, including Dayne mentioned above, to have his number retired by the school. He wore No. 35. 

His best season came in 1954 when he won the Heisman Trophy, UPI Player of the Year. He was a unanimous All-American and won the Chicago Tribune Silver Football.

In addition, he was a first-team All-American in 1953 and a three-time first-team All-Big Ten recipient from 1952 to 1954. 

Over his career with the Badgers, Ameche had 3,212 yards, a record at the time, and 25 touchdowns while averaging about 4.8 yards per carry. 

He played in the Badgers’ first bowl game, the Rose Bowl, in 1953 and had 28 carries for 133 yards. 

3. Joe Thomas

Thomas not only had a Pro Football Hall of Fame-worthy career, but from 2003 to 2006, he had a College Football Hall of Fame career with Wisconsin. 

While there, Thomas won the Outland Trophy, was a unanimous All-American, second-team All-American, and was a two-time first-team All-American. 

As a freshman for Wisconsin, Thomas played primarily as a blocking tight end before taking over as the starting left tackle the next season and played all 12 games. 

In 2005, he continued to play, starting all 13 games. He was a key component in Brian Calhoun rushing for over 1,500 yards that season. 

He followed that up by playing all 13 games in 2006.

While I’m talking about college here, I also want to point out that Thomas’ track record of playing stuck in the NFL as he holds the NFL record for most consecutive snaps played with 10,363. 

4. Melvin Gordon

The winner of the Doak Walker Award in 2014, Gordon was also a unanimous All-American, the Big Ten Most Valuable Player, Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, Big Ten Running Back of the Year, and first-team All-Big Ten that same season. 

That year, he played 14 games, rushed 343 times, picked up an eye-popping 2,587 rushing yards, 29 touchdowns, and caught 19 passes for 153 yards and three scores. 

As for all-time stats, Gordon ranks fourth in rushing yards (4,915), fourth in rushing touchdowns (45), sixth in all-purpose yards (5,317), and eighth in touchdowns responsible for. 

Gordon played for years for Wisconsin but had just 82 carries as a freshman and sophomore. As a result, 87% of his carries came during the 2013 and 2014 seasons.

His 2014 season ranks him first in single-season rushing yards, second in rushing touchdowns, and first in all-purpose yards. 

Gordon also broke Dayne’s single-game rushing record with 408 yards in 2014 against Nebraska. 

5. Pat Richter

Playing both tight end and wide receiver, Richter is another player in the College Football Hall of Fame, and his number was retired by the Badgers (No. 88). 

Playing in the 1960s, Richter was a consensus All-Ameican (1962), first-team All-America (1961), two-time first-team All-Big Ten (1961 and 1962), and second-team All-Big Ten (1960). 

He ranks 10th all-time in receiving touchdowns (15), a record he held until AlToon broke it in 1984. 

Richter also ranks third for most receptions in a game with 11 in 1962 against USC in the Rose Bowl. That was another record he held until 1995. 

6. Lee Evans

For most NFL fans, Evans is remembered as the guy who didn’t hold onto the ball in the AFC championship against the New England Patriots, which would’ve sent the Baltimore Ravens to the Super Bowl, but he had a stellar college career with the Badgers. 

Today, Evans ranks third in receptions (175), first in receiving yards (3,468), and first in receiving touchdowns (27). 

He was first-team All-American in 2011 and was a two-time first-team All-Big Ten member in 2001 and 2003. 

7. J.J. Watt

Watt won the Lott Trophy in 2010 and was also named first-team All-American and All-Big Ten that season. 

Watt started his college career as a freshman tight end at Central Michigan in 2007 before transferring and next suiting up for Wisconsin in 2009 as a defensive end. 

In two seasons for the Badgers, he played 26 games, had 106 total tackles, 36.5 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, and one interception. 

He went on to be one of the most dominant defensive players in the NFL.