UW football:
Sheehy lets his play do all the talking.
MADISON – No one who knows Wisconsin senior Conor Sheehy would ever use the word loquacious to describe the versatile defensive lineman from Marquette High School.
“He won’t speak much, UW coach Paul Chryst noted. “But when he does, it is heard.”
Marquette coach Jeff Mazurczak can relate.
“He is a man of very few words,” Mazurczak said. “Not because he can’t string together a bunch of them. He is a good student as well.
“He is not by any means a sports reporter’s dream interview.”
What is tougher than blocking the 6-foot-4, 293pounder? Getting him to talk about his work ethic and/or contributions to UW’s defense.
“He’s got an approach, a toughness to him,” Chryst said, referring to Sheehy’s dedication to working on his technique. “He is unselfish.
“When you look at him and the way he approaches it – whether you are a coach or a player – that is the way to approach it. It is pretty neat.”
Mazurczak added: “Conor always struck me as someone that would have been a perfect fit for the military. He is a person who takes instruction and goes about his business very quietly. He is driven to have the best technique.
“He is a guy who, once you get to know him and play alongside him, you’re going to think this is a guy I want to follow. This is the kind of player that I want on my side . ... "
Sheehy’s response to the compliments? Pfft.
“There’s tons of guys on the team who are just like that so I don’t think it is anything special,” he said.
“All the guys on the Dline are doing that stuff. That is what helps us become a team. Guys on this team are prepared to go above and beyond.”
Sheehy last season led UW’s linemen in tackles for a loss (four) and total tackles (27).
His value beyond the raw numbers began when he opened the season at end, but then he moved inside to nose tackle for five games after starter Olive Sagapolu suffered an arm injury against Ohio State.
That versatility began in high school, where he played up and down the line.
“We moved him around because he is so versatile and so teams would have a harder time to game plan for him,” Mazurczak said. “Because obviously wherever you put him, you were going to have to consider doubling him.
“There were times we used him at nose tackle because we knew in the middle of the defense he was going to draw a doubleteam from the center and a guard. And lo and behold he would split that double more times than not.”
You want toughness? The ability to fight through pain?
Sheehy missed one game last season – the Big Ten title game – because of a broken wrist. He apparently played through the pain for two games before having to sit out.
“That is just him,” Mazurczak said. “He will play with a bloody stump at the end of his arm.”
Senior Jack Cichy, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in camp, can appreciate that toughness. Cichy tried to play through a torn pectoral in the second half at Iowa last season but was eventually pulled from the field. He missed the remainder of the season.
“Conor is old-school tough,” Cichy said during the Big Ten preseason meetings. “You know what you are getting with Conor.
“Conor is one of the most physical and relentless guys out there. And he really doesn’t feel pain. His hands are so mangled from cuts. When he is out there on the field he doesn’t care (about) pain.”
Sheehy cares about winning and sharing any accolades with his fellow linemen – including Sagapolu and senior ends Chikwe Obasih and Alec James.
“My high school coaches did a great job of teaching me the importance of being a team player,” he said, "and no matter where you are to do your best to try to help the team win.”
Sheehy embraced that lesson.
“He is a quiet leader,” Mazurczak said. “He was a captain for us and the biggest reason was that he led by example. He is not your cheerleader, rah-rah kind of captain.
“He is a guy who going to outwork any guy next to him and he is going to expect that you keep up with him. He doesn’t do things for (individual) accolades or because he wants to see his name in the paper.”