Less than two months after setting foot on Wisconsin's campus, Russell Wilson can call himself a team captain.
Wilson was one of four Badgers seniors elected co-captains Sunday night. The others are fullback Bradie Ewing, defensive tackle Patrick Butrym and safety Aaron Henry.
One of the big unknowns when Wilson showed up at Wisconsin this summer was how his new team, unaccustomed to high-profile transfers, would receive him. Wilson didn't come to Madison to pay his dues. He came to lead the offense in another push for a Big Ten championship.
He has drawn rave reviews for his performances in practice this month, but the strongest endorsement came Sunday. Few quarterbacks succeed if they don't have the locker room on their side, and Wilson clearly has taken the right steps to connect with his teammates.
"He has so much confidence," running back Montee Ball said. "He's so urgent with everything because this is his last year, so he's going to make sure he gets the job done. It's his one shot."
There are no surprises with the other co-captain choices. Butrym and Henry emerged as leaders on defense immediately after the Rose Bowl, while several folks told me this spring that Ewing had emerged as a more active leader.