Returner Dunn learns from Leonhard
MADISON – Jack Dunn isn’t ashamed to acknowledge he has allowed his imagination to roam free in recent days.
“I’ve got some daydreaming going on over the past week,” the redshirt sophomore wide receiver said this week as Wisconsin continued preparing for the opener Friday night against visiting Western Kentucky. “Hopefully what I’ve got going
on in my head is what plays out on Friday.”
Dunn, a walk-on from Madison Edgewood High School, was referring to his job as UW’s No. 1 punt-returner.
Spoiler alert: Dunn isn’t visualizing muffing his first chance. Rather, he sees nothing but green carpet ahead.
“I was watching some old Jim Leonhard highlights,” Dunn said, referring to UW’s current defensive coordinator. “Hopefully I’ll get to do some of the stuff he did back in the day."
Leonhard, who played at UW from 2001-’04, remains No. 1 in program history in punt returns (105), punt-return yards (1,347) and No. 2 in average per return (12.8 yards) and TDs (three).
Leonhard was a natural from the day he joined the program as a walk-on. He displayed a knack for catching the ball cleanly, quickly determining the path of least resistance and then accelerating into the open field.
“There is always a design to the return, whether it is middle, left or right,” Leonhard said. “That is just a general starting point and then it is a lot of reaction after that.
“Natural instincts have to take over. There’s 1,000 different variables on every single punt, depending on how the ball hangs, where it drifts.
“What you end up seeing (after) you catch that ball, you are going to react differently.”
Dunn, who along with fellow walk-on Adam Krumholz is expected to get time at wide receiver, had little experience fielding punts when he came to UW. The 5-foot-7, 172-pound Dunn got in as much work handling punts as he could over the last two years.
“Pretty much since I have been here I’ve been out every day after practice catching punts,” Dunn said. “So I think 21⁄2 years of work has paid off and I’ve gotten a lot more comfortable. I know I am way more comfortable now than when I first got here.”
When camp opened Aug. 2, Dunn was guaranteed only a spot in the pool of competitors. He rose to the top.
“I knew I was in the mix so I figured if I played my cards right and did a good job I’d have a chance to return punts once the season rolled around,” he said. “That was a big focus of mine and Friday I get a chance to go out there and show what I can do.”
Leonhard’s advice to Dunn? “The cleaner you are with the catch, the more consistent you are with the catch, you can transition your eyes downfield faster,” he said. “He has done a great job of that in his time here. He focuses on it, puts a lot of time into it.”