Polzin: Ricardo Hallman's dominant stretch began at his lowest moment with Wisconsin (2024)

Was that Jamar Fletcher sprinting down the field Saturday afternoon with all that green space between him and the end zone after baiting a quarterback into an interception? Or was it Scott Starks, another talented No. 2 who played cornerback for the University of Wisconsin football team and knows a thing or two about turning turnovers into memorable touchdowns?

Nope, it was Ricardo Hallman, enjoying every one of those 11 seconds from the time his feet hit the ground after picking off Rutgers quarterback Gavin Wimsatt to the moment he reached the south end zone at Camp Randall Stadium.

“I knew I didn’t want to get caught,” Hallman said about the score that helped lift the Badgers to a 24-13 win over the Scarlet Knights. “I knew the guys would clown me all day in the locker room if I got caught by the quarterback, so I knew I had to score.”

Hallman did, with 4 seconds remaining in the second quarter, a touchdown that gave Wisconsin a 17-0 lead heading into halftime instead of entering the locker room clinging to a one-score lead.

But back to that No. 2 jersey Hallman was wearing because there’s a story behind it. Hallman arrived at Wisconsin in 2021 and reallywas hoping for a single-digit jersey number. He initiallywas assigned No. 10 before a change was made and he was given a number that comes with many achievements attached to it courtesy of Fletcher, Starks and others.

I was impressed to know that Hallman was well aware of history. Turns out, he’d done his homework after the switch from 10 to 2.

“I know what the standard for No. 2 is,” Hallman said, “and I know I have to ultimately live up to that standard.”

Hallman has a long way to go in that regard, but he’s on a remarkable run after intercepting four passes in a span of three games. Considering where the third-year sophom*ore was a year ago at this time, this is a nice little redemption story brewing at 1440 Monroe St.

But before we look back on a low point in his career, let me first share a pretty cool tidbit I uncovered Saturday during a delightful interview with Hallman.

It was putting Hallman on the spot a little bit, but I asked him if he knew who Troy Vincent was and if he was aware the man who’s arguably the best cornerback in program history was in the house Saturday. Yes, and yes. Imagine how cool it must feel to have the fourth-longest interception return in program history with Vincent, who was recognized for being a member of this year’s College Football Hall of Fame class, among the 74,885 in attendance.

“I know he was a frickin’ legend here,” Hallman said.

Hallman later rattled off Fletcher’s credentials (Thorpe Award winner, first-round pick, etc.) and said he’s actually built a friendship with Starks. Hallman went to a donor luncheon as a true freshman two years ago and learned that his scholarship was funded by Starks, who played six seasons in the NFL after being a four-year starter at UW from 2001 to 2004.

Hallman and Starks didn’t meet that day, but the two started talking earlier this year. Starks had followed Hallman on social media, and Hallman took the opportunity to reach out via direct message to tell Starks he was a big fan and appreciated the trail he helped blaze at Wisconsin.

“He said, 'You know, I had some moments during my first year playing. Just get past it. You know how good you are. Keep working, you’re going to be good,'" Hallman said.

Indeed, Starks had some dark moments as a true freshman while getting picked on as an undersized corner. One came during a late October game at Camp Randall, when more than 200 of Michigan State’s 326 yardspassing in a 42-28 win over the Badgers came with Starks in coverage. Charles Rogers had five catches for 206 yards and two touchdowns, beating Starks for gains of 63 and 87 yards.

He was flagged for pass interference to extend a Spartans drive in the fourth quarter, was beaten in man coverage for a go-ahead score a little while later, made a mistake in coverage during a Michigan State touchdown in overtime and got lost in a one-on-one situation on the winning score in the second overtime.

Hallman only played three defensive snaps in the Badgers’ remaining five games of the regular season after Alexander Smith returned from an injury and replaced him in the lineup. The Badgers rallied around Hallman, who said he also relied heavily on his faith to get through a difficult stretch in his career. He said he never considered transferring after the arrival of a new coaching staff because he loves this place too much.

Teammates were impressed by Hallman’s resiliency. Smith said what stood out most was “his will to push and not give up on himself and the team and everybody around him. He just kept working. He put his head down and went to work and knew what he had to get better at — and did it.”

Hallman watched the entire Michigan State game again in the offseason. “I wanted to make a point of this won’t happen again, I’m going to be better this year, I won’t let this happen to me again and I won’t be the reason this team loses,” he said.

He went out and had a great spring, finishing strong with a bundle of interceptions. Anybody who showed up for “The Launch,” Luke Fickell’s version of the spring game, may have been concerned that Tanner Mordecai threw so many interceptions on that cold and snowy day. But there was a silver lining: Hallman was boosting with confidence after finishing with three picks that day.

“A lot of players can be athletic freaks but don’t have the instincts, the savviness, to be really good,” Mordecai said Saturday, “and he has it all.”

Hallman’s phone blew up after his big game against Rutgers, and I wondered aloud afterward just how many messages he had waiting for him. He scrolled … and scrolled … and scrolled … and scrolled and hadn’t reached the bottom of his unopened texts. And that didn’t even count his social media apps.

He figured one of them might be from Starks, who regularlyhas chimed in after recent games. Something like this from Starks would have been appropriate Saturday: Hey Ricardo, great job doing the No. 2 proud.