Rejuvenated Dietzen likes move to tackle

MADISON – The images of offensive lineman Jon Dietzen struggling to his feet and then waddling back to the Wisconsin huddle throughout the 2017 season have not dissipated.

The 6-foot-6, 323-pound Dietzen played in 13 of UW’s 14 games, with 12 starts at left guard, despite having a torn labrum in each hip.

“It sucked, but when you have four guys that have been absolutely busting their butts to do well for you,” Dietzen said, referring to the other linemen, “it’s not that hard to look at them and know you can do a little bit more than you think you can.”

His fellow linemen took note. “It hurts more to watch than it does to be hurt and play,” fifthyear senior Michael Deiter said. “So I understand why he does it.

“We have to kick him out of practice. You can visibly see he is hurting. That is an awesome characteristic but you still have to manage guys like that because they’ll just run themselves into the ground because they want to work.”

Center Tyler Biadasz added:

“He was a trouper. He battled a lot and he played his butt off.”

Dietzen, who appears to be leading Cole Van Lanen in the battle to start at left tackle, was asked what areas of his game were affected by the pain.

“Any time I was getting in a stance or bending my knees, folding at the hip, I would feel pinching in my joints,” Dietzen said. “As a lineman, you’re always in that stance. But you just have to live with that.

“It affected my power, speed and mobility. That’s why I’m really looking forward to this season to make sure I can show I’m a little bit stronger and faster than I’ve shown on film.”

Dietzen underwent surgery after the Orange Bowl and was held out all spring.

He was cleared for summer workouts and felt rejuvenated.

“I could actually go out and move,” the redshirt junior said.

Dietzen missed his first practice of camp Tuesday because of a right-leg injury, though he isn’t expected to be out long.

That was the first blemish this month for Dietzen, who was excited about the move to tackle from guard.

That move became necessary because the staff planned to move Deiter, who started every game at left tackle last season, back to left guard.

“Right away I was interested in it,” said Dietzen, who had been slowed by persistent ankle injuries said. “It’s kind of a new challenge. It kind of keeps you champing at the bit.

“Now I get home and I want to watch that tackle film probably more than I would have wanted to watch guard stuff that I’ve seen hundreds and hundreds of times.”

Offensive coordinator/line coach Joe Rudolph also stoked Dietzen’s competitive fire – perhaps intentionally – by noting some observers might question whether Dietzen could make a successful transition to tackle.

“As long as I can hear someone try to tell me that I can’t really do something,” Dietzen said, “I’m probably going to do my best to do it.”

Dietzen wisely has used Deiter as a sounding board in his quest to learn the position.

Deiter entered last season with 16 starts at center and 11 at left guard. He noted that the most demanding part of moving to tackle was learning to play in space against smaller and quicker defenders.

Lined up at guard, Dietzen often battled players the size of UW nose tackle Olive Sagapolu, 6-2 and 342.

Now at tackle, he faces players like Andrew Van Ginkel (6-4 and 236) or Zack Baun (6-3 and 230) flying off the edge during practice.

Dietzen has won some one-on-one battles but there have been times he has been slow to react and has been beaten cleanly.

“It’s a little bit different going from blocking guys like Olive to Van Ginkel, especially in the pass rush,” Dietzen said. “It is a completely different world.

“Everything is a lot quicker but it is fun.”

He is leaning on Deiter every day. “He might give me a hint because he knows that he has had to go through the same thought process at tackle,” Dietzen said. “He has been a huge help.”

Dietzen already has joked with Deiter that the staff wanted to upgrade the position this season.

“Yeah, we had a little discussion,” he said, laughing. “So we’re going to see who did the better job at tackle.”