Polzin: Joe Rudolph vs. Michael Deiter a true heavyweight matchup

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Editor’s note: BadgerExtra columnist Jim Polzin is picking the best University of Wisconsin football players at each jersey number, updating a project he helped complete in 2008. Today he looks closer at numbers 60 through 69.
I’ll begin today by writing about someone I never met but deeply respect.
Tom Butler was 84 when he died of a heart attack in June 2008, a few months before we really started diving into this original project. The longtime Wisconsin State Journal reporter and columnist would have been an ideal member of the voting panel we selected, but Butler did get a mention in my piece introducing the all-time roster because I’d found a quote from him that resonated with me.
“Let’s face it,” Butler once wrote, “all-time teams are designed to create controversy.”
That wasn’t my plan then, and it isn’t now, but I get what Butler was saying. And it was hard to get that line out of my head while doing this particular installment of the roster update.
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Welcome to the club
Let’s start with any easy one. Tyler Biadasz, a unanimous first-team All-American and the Rimington Trophy winner as the nation’s best center in 2019, takes over for Mike Lorenz at No. 61.
Lorenz was a starter as a junior and a part-time starter as a senior. Barry Alvarez once called him one of the biggest overachievers he ever coached. Any mention of Lorenz makes me think of another former State Journal employee, the late Tom Mulhern, who wrote a fantastic feature story on how Lorenz became an Academic All-Big Ten honors at UW despite being diagnosed with dyslexia as a child. It’s one of my all-time favorite stories from Mully, and that’s saying something because the man produced a ton of great pieces.
Another obvious change was at No. 68, where Gabe Carimi moves into the spot previously held by Terry Stieve.
It’s hard to replace Stieve, a first-team All-Big Ten pick and team captain in 1975 while being part of a group referred to as “Marek’s Marauders,” but Carimi is one of the most decorated offensive linemen to pass through UW.
Carimi made 49 career starts, was a two-time first-team All-Big Ten selection and a unanimous All-American and Outland Trophy winner in 2010.
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What to do at No. 65? Jamie Vanderveldt, a first-team All-Big Ten pick at left guard while blocking for Ron Dayne in 1996, proudly wore that jersey. He’s up against Ryan Ramcyzk, an All-American in his only season for the Badgers.
Ramczyk’s path to greatness with the Badgers — he had contemplated giving up football to become a welder and landed at UW-Stevens Point before transferring to the FBS level — is still one of the wildest success stories.
But this is a little bit like the Russell Wilson argument: Ramcyzk played only one season at UW, albeit a tremendous one. Vanderveldt started 30 games in his career.
I said from the beginning that NFL success would be considered, and that’s why I lean toward Ramczyk. He was a first-round pick — in fact, no Badgers have been selected in the first round since Ramczyk was taken 32nd overall in 2017 — and earned All-Pro honors in 2019 before signing a five-year, $96 million extension in 2021.
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And finally, a virtual tie at No. 63.
On one side: Joe Rudolph, a two-time first-team All-Big Ten performer.
On the other: Michael Deiter, a two-time first-team All-Big Ten performer.
The case for Rudolph: A member of Alvarez’s first recruiting class and one of the program’s building blocks.
The case for Deiter: He had 54 career starts spread over three positions: 24 at left guard, 16 at center, 14 at left tackle. Plus, he earned first-team honors at left tackle one season and left guard the next. Bonus points to Deiter for scoring a touchdown on a 4-yard run.
I’m going with Deiter and fully expect some pushback.
Stop to consider
Figuring out what to do at No. 66 required a semifinal between Peter Konz and Beau Benzschawel. I went with Benzschawel, who had 49 career starts and was a two-time All-American. Konz had one season as an All-American before leaving early for the NFL, so I can see an argument for either in this situation.
But Mike Thompson, a standout defensive tackle for the Badgers on the 1993 team that broke through, keeps the spot. Thompson, who is second at UW in tackles for loss (57) and third in sacks (28), was a first-team All-Big Ten pick as a senior in 1994.
How it looks now
An updated list of the top players to wear each jersey, from 60 through 69, with the best choice from the past 15 years in parentheses.
60 — Darryl Sims (Logan Bruss)
61 — Tyler Biadasz (Biadasz)
62 — Paul Gruber (Walker Williams)
63 — Michael Deiter (Deiter)
64 — Ken Currier (Robert Burge)
65 — Ryan Ramczyk (Ramzcyk)
66 — Mike Thompson (Beau Benzschawel)
67 — Dan Buenning (Josh Oglesby)
68 — Gabe Carimi (Carimi)
69 — Derek Engler (Aaron Vopal)
Rest of the list
Nos. 0-9
Nos. 10-19
Nos. 20-29
Nos. 30-39
Nos. 40-49
Nos. 50-59
Nos. 70-79 (Tuesday)
Nos. 80-89 (Wednesday)
Nos. 90-99 (Thursday)