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.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Republicans plan to open a new Hispanic outreach office in Milwaukee next month after GOP leaders let their lease on the old one expire.

The state party said in a news release that the new office will open Aug. 3. The release didn’t offer any details about the location and party spokesperson Matt Fisher didn’t immediately respond to an email.

The Republican National Committee had set up a Hispanic outreach center on Milwaukee’s south side but new tenants took over the building in June 2023 after the RNC declined to renew its lease. The office was one of several former GOP minority outreach centers that closed after the 2022 mid-term elections, raising questions about Donald Trump’s plans to court minority voters.

Wisconsin GOP Chairman Brian Schimming says the party is committed to expanding its presence and support in Milwaukee, a traditional Democratic stronghold. The city just completed hosting the Republican National Convention, which finished Thursday.

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Two people are dead and many sickened from a listeria outbreak linked to deli meats, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday.

Health officials said there are two deaths and 28 reports of illness in 12 states, including Wisconsin, tied to the outbreak. The deaths were reported in New Jersey and Illinois. Illnesses have also been reported in Pennsylvania, Minnesota, New York, Maryland and beyond.

According to the CDC, many people sickened in the outbreak reported eating meats sliced at deli counters. “We do not have information to show that people are getting sick from prepackaged deli meats,” the CDC said in a statement.

Of 28 patients with information available, all have been hospitalized. One person became sick while pregnant and remained pregnant after recovering, the CDC said.

“The true number of sick people in this outbreak is likely higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses,” health officials said in a news release. “This is because some people recover without medical care and are not tested for Listeria. In addition, recent illnesses may not yet be reported, as it usually takes 3 to 4 weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak.”

Samples were collected from sick patients between May 29 and July 5. Patients have ranged in age from age 32 to 94, with a median age of 75.

State and local health officials are interviewing patients about foods they ate in the month before becoming ill.

“People are reporting eating a variety of meats sliced at deli counters. Of the 18 people able to be interviewed, 16 (89%) reported eating meats sliced at a deli, most commonly deli-sliced turkey, liverwurst, and ham,” the CDC said. “Meats were sliced at a variety of supermarket and grocery store delis.”

An analysis showed people sickened in the outbreak were more likely to have eaten deli-sliced turkey and liverwurst.

“This information suggests that meats sliced at the deli are a likely source of this outbreak,” the CDC said, but added the agency doesn’t have enough information to say which deli meats are the source of the outbreak.

In 2022, another listeria outbreak that officials believed was linked to deli meat and cheese sickened at least two people in Illinois and killed a Maryland resident.

The CDC advises people who are pregnant, aged 65 or older, or have a weakened immune system to contact their healthcare provider if they have any ts sliced at the deli unless they are heated before eating.

With reporting by Shannon Antinori of Patch.