skip navigation

Football Alumni Round-up: Week 2

09/16/2021, 3:15pm CDT
By Colton Wilson

Many high school football standouts in Wisconsin go on to big things at the college level and in the pros, and this is our spot to recognize those athletes each week and help you keep up with what is going down on some of your favorite players from the past. If you have alumni news, please send it to Colton Wilson by 10 p.m. on Tuesdays.

NFL

T.J. Watt had a productive past week and a half for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Before the first regular season even started, the former Pewaukee High School and Wisconsin Badger standout signed a four year, $112 million dollar extension with $80 million guaranteed with the Steelers, becoming the highest paid defensive player in the NFL. Watt quickly lived up to that contract, racking up two sacks, five quarterback hits and one forced fumble in the Steelers 23-16 win over the Buffalo Bills.

Two years ago Big Foot alum Travis Frederick retired from the Dallas Cowboys and the NFL at the age of 29. Looking for his replacement, the Cowboys went on to draft another Wisconsin center in Tyler Biadasz. Biadasz, an Amherst grad in his second NFL season, started his first NFL game this past Thursday as the Cowboys lost 31-29 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Brandon Brooks on the other hand has been in the NFL since Biadasz was a freshman in high school. The former Milwaukee Riverside standout is considered one of the better guards in the entire NFL, but missed all of 2020 due to a torn achilles. Making his comeback, Brooks started his 107th game this past Sunday as the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Atlanta Falcons 32-6.

Unlike Brooks, Daviyon Nixon is in just his first season in the NFL after being drafted in the fifth round by the Carolina Panthers this April. In his first ever game, the former Kenosha Indian Trail and Iowa Hawkeyes standout recorded his first career sack as the Panthers beat the New York Jets 19-14.

Division 1

The Wisconsin Badgers bounced back from their opening weekend loss to Penn State by blowing out Eastern Michigan 34-7 last Saturday. The defense was incredible and as always,the ground game was dominant behind an offensive line that had a plethora of alumni see action.

On the line, eight different alumni fought in the trenches: Logan Bruss (Kimberly), Tyler Beach (Port Washington), Josh Seltzner (Columbus), Jack Nelson (Stoughton), Kayden Lyles (Middleton), Cormac Sampson (Eau Claire Memorial), Tanor Bortolini (Kewaunee) and Trey Wedig (Kettle Moraine). The boys up front led the rushing attack to 352 yards on the ground, including Fond du Lac graduate, and true freshman, Braelon Allen recording his first rushing touchdown.

Due to the extra year of eligibility from 2020, Airon Servais did something that not many have never done in college football. The Ashwaubenon grad started his 50th consecutive game for Syracuse in a 17-7 loss to Rutgers. Servais came into this season with the most career snaps of any returning player in all of Power 5 football.

Another offensive lineman from the Badger State made a career milestone start this past weekend, though not quite like Servais'. Alonzo Velazquez, a Janesville Parker grad, started his 25th game for Wyoming this past weekend in a 50-43 win over Northern Illinois.

Alex Rogers is a two time Honorable Mention All-Pioneer League defensive back for the Drake Bulldogs. Through the first two weeks of this season, the Racine Case grad is making a push for higher honors. Rogers has 15 tackles, a tackle for loss, and notched his first career interception in week one.

Division 2

Michael Rowser has been a terror on defense through two weeks for UVA Wise Highland's football team. After recording a sack and two forced fumbles in week 1, the Wauwatosa West grad was at it again in a 45-14 loss to Eastern Tennessee State. Rowser again got to the quarterback, recording his second sack of the year while also forcing his third fumble.

For the second consecutive week, a Badger State alum took home Northern Sun Conference's Defensive Player of the Week honors. Andrew Egnarski was all over the field in Concordia-St. Paul's 24-6 win over Upper Iowa. The Pulaski grad recorded eleven tackles, three and a half sacks and forced and recovered a fumble en route to his conference honors. Teammate and Menomonie grad Rhett Sheehan had an interception.

In other NSIC action, a pair of alumni connected for their first collegiate scores in Sioux Fall's 49-10 win over Minot State. Pewaukee's Josh Swanson saw his first action at quarterback for the Cougars and threw a ten yard touchdown pass to Waukesha North's Sean Zsori; his first college catch and touchdown.

Division 3

Yet again, the WIAC was dominant in non-conference action going 7-1 for the second consecutive week.

UW-Stevens Point improved to 2-0 with a 34-7 win over Simpson College and Kameron Krzyanski made plays all over the field. The Thorp grad had a team high 11 tackles, two and half for loss, and half a sack. His most impressive feat was catching a 65 yard touchdown pass on a fake punt from punter and Waukesha South grad Carter Unger. Krzyanski was named the WIAC Defensive Player of the Week.

Max Meylor led the UW-Whitewater Warhawks to an impressive 31-14 win over Division 3, eighth ranked Salisbury College this past Saturday. The Mount Horeb grad completed 17 of 24 passes for 229 yards and four scores en route to earning WIAC Offensive Player of the Week honors. He completed five of those passes for 129 yards and two scores to Sparta alum Ryan Wisniewski.

UW-Stout knocked off St. Norbert College 34-14 to go 2-0 last weekend. Kicker/punter Jack Meyer was playmaker for the special teams as he took home WIAC Special Teams Player of the Week laurels. Meyer, a Chippewa Falls grad, made field goals of 46 and 52 yards as well as averaging 40 yards per punt.

Concordia Wisconsin downed Judson College 35-20 as a pair of teammates took home Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference honors. Kenosha Tremper's Ryley McCreary busted through the line and blocked a punt in the fourth quarter and returned it for a score to earn NACC Special Teams Player of the Week. Defensively, Manitowoc Lutheran's Evan Lischka thwarted two Judson possessions, intercepting two passes and earning NACC Defensive Player of the Week.

Mason Prunick was explosive at the wide receiver position in Lakeland College's 54-41 win over Anderson College. Prunick, a Sheboygan South grad, hauled in four catches for 133 yards and three scores as he was named the NACC Offensive Player of the Week. Prunick is averaging 30 yards per catch and has four touchdowns through two games for the Muskies.

Tag(s): News Archive  News  Alumni  Colton Wilson