Wisconsin
Who Makes Wisconsin’s Mt. Rushmore of wide receivers?
After a two-week break, we chug on with our positional Wisconsin Badgers Mr. Rushmores.
Today features a vitally important but recently star-deprived position: wide receiver. I suspect that this will create some robust discussions like running back, fullback, and quarterback did, so let’s get cracking.
Al Toon
I submit that there hasn’t been a Badger pass catcher in the history of the program as talented as 1995 UW Athletics Hall of Famer, Al Toon.
The two-time All-Big Ten first-team wide receiver was the complete package: size, speed, hands, and intangibles (not a bad arm, either), and left Madison for the Jets with then school records in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns.
The fact that concussions robbed him of realizing his full NFL potential after being taken No. 10 overall and making three Pro Bowls is sad, but the fact remains that Toon’s contributions to the Wisconsin program (including wide receiver Nick Toon) are unmatched by any other Badger wideout.
Pat Richter
I’m going to address the elephant in the room right away: Richter was technically a tight end, but the reality is that he played wide receiver for Wisconsin (and was formally called a wideout later during his NFL career). I even saved him for this Mt. Rushmore rather than putting him on my TE one.
Although I submit that Richter’s finest moment came in early 1990 as Athletic Director when he made a very special hire, he was also one hell of a wide receiver for the Badgers.
A three-sport (!) varsity guy for Wisconsin and 1991 school Hall of Famer, Richter did his finest work as a football wide receiver, where he was a two-time first-team All-American and went for 11 catches and 163 yards in a 1962 Rose Bowl loss to USC.
He then parlayed his Badger career into an eight-year NFL stint after being selected in the first round by Washington in 1963.
Richter has been a legendary figure in Madison for over 60 years and led the athletic department’s 1990s renaissance until he retired as AD in 2006. Just an absolute stud.
Lee Evans
This 2016 UW Athletics Hall of Fame member just did it all for Wisconsin.
His 3,468 yards and 27 touchdowns both still stand as school records, and he was part of one of the most iconic moments in program history in a 2003 upset of No. 1 Ohio State.
Evans still holds both of the top two single-season receiving yardage marks in program history. Not even a torn ACL in 2002 could derail his rising star, and Evans parlayed his Badger success into a solid eight-year NFL career where he retired with 6,008 yards and 43 touchdowns.
Fun fact: Evans once had 5 touchdowns in a single game vs Michigan State. For reference, six receiving touchdowns led the Badgers in 2023.
Brandon Williams
Here’s where things get really hard. Jared Abbredaris has a very good argument for this spot, but in the end, Williams just barely gets the nod for his pure production and consistency with a bit less talent around him than Abbredaris had.
Williams’ touchdown numbers (10) weren’t splashy, but he was an unrivaled chain mover and always seemed to make key grabs.
202 catches for almost 3,000 career yards over four seasons are just a testament to his value and consistency. He currently sits No. 3 all-time in receiving yards and is tied for No. 1 in catches in school history.
Just Missed: Abbredaris. He deserves his own tier and if this were a 5 man mountain, he’d be on it. This is the first Mt. Rushmore snub that I actually feel badly about.
Honorable Mentions: Chris Chambers, Tony Simmons, Lee DeRamus, Alex Erickson.
About 1,000 animal welfare activists who tried to gain entry on Saturday to a beagle breeding and research facility in Wisconsin were turned back by police who fired rubber bullets and pepper spray into the crowd and arrested the group’s leader.
It was the second attempt in as many months by protesters to take beagles from the Ridglan Farms facility in Blue Mounds, a small town about 25 miles (about 40 kilometres) southwest of Wisconsin’s capital, Madison.
Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett said in a video statement that 300 to 400 protesters were “violently trying to break into the property” and assault officers. He said protesters have ignored designated areas for peaceful protest and blocked roads to prevent emergency vehicles from entering.
“This is not a peaceful protest,” Barrett said.
The sheriff’s department said a “significant” number of people were arrested out of about 1,000 protesters at the site but did not give an exact total as they were still being processed as of the afternoon.
Protesters tried to overcome barricades that included a manure-filled trench, hay bales and a barbed-wire fence. Some protesters did get through the fence but were unable to enter the facility, where an estimated 2,000 beagles are kept, the Wisconsin State Journal reported.
Wisconsin guard Andrew Rohde reflects on early March Madness exit
Wisconsin guard Andrew Rohde said the Badgers ‘thought we could do so many things’ in the NCAA Tournament before it ended abrupty with an upset loss.
Wisconsin men’s basketball has added a sharpshooting wing via the transfer portal.
Miami (Ohio) transfer Eian Elmer has signed with the Badgers, the team announced April 18. The 6-foot-7 wing will join UW with one year of eligibility remaining.
Elmer averaged a career-high 12.7 points and 5.9 rebounds while shooting 49.8% from the field and 42.9% from 3-point range in 2025-26. His production helped the RedHawks go 32-2 and earn an at-large NCAA Tournament bid.
“We are really excited to add another excellent addition to our spring signees,” UW coach Greg Gard said in a release. “Eian brings a wealth of experience and scoring punch as a 6-7 wing. … A terrific shooter, his skillset and production fit excellently into our plan as we build out next year’s team. Throughout our evaluation process, our staff loved his size, power and skill and truly believe he will thrive in our system.”
Elmer is Wisconsin’s third transfer portal addition since the end of the 2025-26 season, joining former George Washington guard Trey Autry and former Hofstra forward Victory Onuetu. UW also added Australian guard Owen Foxwell.
The additions of Autry, Onuetu and now Elmer leave Gard’s staff with three more roster spots to fill ahead of the 2026-27 season.
The Badgers are looking to replace much of their production from a 2025-26 team that went 24-11. Nolan Winter is expected to be the team’s only returning starter after John Blackwell and Aleksas Bieliauskas entered the transfer portal and Nick Boyd and Andrew Rohde exhausted their eligibility.
MILWAUKEE – Friday’s severe storms have passed. And with that, the threat of any severe weather has also passed for the immediate future as no storms or rain are expected for several days.
However, plenty of damage remains across southeastern Wisconsin as of Saturday morning, in addition to the ongoing flooding threat.
Several area rivers are at flood stage, and there are multiple river flood warnings in effect.
FOX6 Weekend WakeUp on Saturday begins at 6 a.m.
On the scene in the morning
What we know:
Farmstead damage in Franklin
FOX6’s Hayley Spitler is in Franklin on Saturday morning, April 18, getting a daylight look at the damage from last night’s storms.
Storm damage in Caledonia
Friday’s storms left quite the mark across southern and southeastern Wisconsin, including at L and L Farms and Greenhouse in Caledonia.
FOX6 Weather Extras
Local perspective:
Meanwhile, FOX6Now.com offers a variety of extremely useful weather tools to help you navigate the stormy season. They include the following:
FOX6 Storm Center app
FOX LOCAL Mobile app
FOX Weather app
Maps and radar
We have a host of maps and radars on the FOX6 Weather page that are updating regularly — to provide you the most accurate assessment of the weather. From a county-by-county view to the Midwest regional radar and a national view — it’s all there.
SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News
School and business closings
When the weather gets a little dicey, schools and businesses may shut down. Monitor the latest list of closings, cancellations, and delays reported in southeast Wisconsin.
FOX6 Weather Experts in social media
The Source: Information in this post was compiled by the FOX6 Weather Experts.
-
Austin, TX4 minutes agoHow Texas’ road, bridge conditions compare to other states
-
Alabama10 minutes agoAlabama edge to pattern his game after 2-time Super Bowl Champ
-
Alaska16 minutes agoAlaska Senate committee advances draft capital budget, boosting funds for school maintenance
-
Arizona22 minutes agoPerson accused of making terroristic threats to medical facility in northern Arizona
-
Arkansas28 minutes agoCentral Arkansas council hands out 300 free produce bags at Saline County fresh market
-
California34 minutes agoCalifornia regulators kill charity fireworks for America’s 250th, sparking outrage
-
Colorado40 minutes agoOutgoing Colorado Buffaloes Sebastian Rancik, Bangot Dak Make Transfer Portal Moves
-
Connecticut46 minutes agoOne arrested after a multi-car crash in Naugatuck Saturday