Wisconsin’s Andrew Van Ginkel Flipping Switch as Ferocious Pass Rusher
Story Courtsey of Landof10.com
MADISON, Wis. ― Andrew Van Ginkel's Wisconsin teammates are convinced there are two completely different versions of him.
There is Van Ginkel the football player, who has terrorized opponents at outside linebacker all season. And then there is Van Ginkel the regular Joe, who is the most soft-spoken, mild-mannered guy they've ever met.
"Off the field, you'd think he was this Cali surfer guy," Badgers inside linebacker Ryan Connelly said.
"He's just cool like the other side of the pillow," Wisconsin inside linebacker T.J. Edwards said.
"He's a secret man," added Badgers defensive end Alec James.
That version of Van Ginkel likes golf, video games and playing with his Husky dog, Piper. What he doesn't like is being the center of attention.
"I'm kind of quiet and I stick to myself," Van Ginkel said. "I'm laid back. I just like to be chill."
On the football field, however, Van Ginkel's play is anything but laid back. He has contributed 30 tackles, 8 tackles for loss and 5½ sacks ― tied for 10th in the Big Ten ― and become a force off the edge for the undefeated Badgers.
So, how does he flip the game-day switch?
"I just love this game, man," Van Ginkel said. "I'm going to bring my all each and every game. I just have a passion for the game. Whenever I step on this field, there's an energy to me that I'm just going to go hard. I don't know. It's weird. I just love being out here."
Van Ginkel has recorded at least half a sack in four of the last five games and could be a big factor again when No. 5 Wisconsin (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten) plays at Minnesota (5-6, 2-6) on Saturday in the regular-season finale.
Van Ginkel's path to Wisconsin has been a winding one, but his patience and persistence has paid off. He earned first-team all-state honors during his senior season as a defensive back for Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley in Iowa. In his prep career, he recorded 176 total tackles, 21½ tackles for loss, 10 interceptions and 10 fumble recoveries. Yet he did not receive a single FBS scholarship offer and said he only earned a partial scholarship to FCS school South Dakota, which he accepted.
After taking a redshirt season, he quickly developed into a ferocious defensive end, earning first-team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference with 18½ tackles for loss and 9 sacks. When his coach at South Dakota retired, he sought a transfer. Because he already had used his redshirt season, Van Ginkel opted to play at Iowa Western Community College. He would have lost a year of eligibility by transferring to an FBS program and been forced to sit out under NCAA rules.
The 6-foot-4, 234-pound Van Ginkel said his three finalists coming out of junior college were Nebraska, Iowa and Wisconsin. Wisconsin saw him as an outside linebacker. But Nebraska and Iowa wanted him to play defensive end.
"I didn't know if that really fit me as a player as much because I'd have to bulk up," Van Ginkel said. "I wouldn't have been able to drop into coverage. I think I can do that. I think I have the ability to drop back, hit my landmarks and cover the guys I'm asked to cover. That was a huge part of my decision to come here as well. This defense is very dynamic."
Wisconsin rarely pursues players in the junior college ranks. In fact, Van Ginkel was the first junior college player to sign in Badgers coach Paul Chryst's first three recruiting classes. But coaches saw him as a great fit academically and athletically. Plus, he understood Wisconsin's culture having grown up just one state away.
Van Ginkel arrived in time for spring practice and quickly learned Wisconsin's complicated playbook.
"I think we knew he was going to have a big role," Wisconsin defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard said. "We knew he was going to be productive for us. His athleticism just shot off right away. The first play he was on the field, you see that."
Badgers outside linebacker Garret Dooley recognized during the middle of fall camp that Van Ginkel would be a player ready to step in and contribute to the outside linebacker rotation when he saw Van Ginkel consistently hold his ground against the No. 1 offense. When outside linebacker Zack Baun sustained a season-ending left foot injury in camp, it provided an even greater opportunity for Van Ginkel as the top reserve at that position.
"He's very good with his hands in pass rush, and he's a really fast dude," Dooley said. "I just think that he brings something to the table where he can kind of make O-linemen miss a lot. Especially when we're rotating three guys to try to keep people fresh, it's just something where no matter whichever guy's out there, they're going to be fresh, ready to go and giving 100 percent each play."
Van Ginkel is part of a stellar trio of outside linebackers for Wisconsin, alongside starters Dooley and Leon Jacobs. Together, they have recorded 25½ tackles for loss and 18½ sacks. While Dooley and Jacobs wreak havoc on the field through their brute force, Van Ginkel's athleticism and elusiveness provide what Leonhard calls "a little bit of a change-up."
Edwards compared Van Ginkel to former Badgers outside linebacker Joe Schobert because of the fluid manner in which they play. Teammates also say their personalities are similar. Former Badgers defensive coordinator Dave Aranda used to call Schobert "Sinatra" because of his laid-back nature and his smooth delivery on game day. Schobert earned Big Ten linebacker of the year honors in 2015 before becoming a fourth-round NFL draft pick of the Cleveland Browns.
Van Ginkel, who has one more season remaining at Wisconsin, only can hope to have a similar impact. But so far, his style of play has energized the Badgers. And for a "chill" guy from small-town northwest Iowa who once held no FBS scholarship offers, it's been a season to remember.
"I could only dream of this stuff," Van Ginkel said. "I can't believe it came true, honestly. It's crazy. I can't take it for granted either because everybody doesn't get this opportunity. I've just got to make the most out of it."