'He is a hater.' Inside linebackers Maema Njongmeta and Jake Chaney talk some trash as reporters ask about Wisconsin's defense so far this spring
MADISON – Mike Tressell, Wisconsin’s defensive coordinator/inside linebackers coach, met with reporters Friday inside the McClain Center.
Four inside linebackers – Maema Njongmeta, Jordan Turner, Jake Chaney and Tatum Grass – also provided updates on spring ball and the development of the defense.
Although Tressel and the players talked football, the most entertaining part of the session was watching and listening to Njongmeta and Chaney talk trash from opposite sides of the practice field.
“Chaney is my guy,” Njongmeta, a redshirt junior, said. “But he was 17 when he first came here. Still a kid. Didn’t have his driver’s license. I give him (expletive) for it all the time.”
Care to comment, Mr. Chaney?
“Oh man,” Chaney, a junior said. “Who told you that? COVID hit. I was supposed to get my license. Didn’t get it. Bad decision. He makes fun of me all the time. But I have a license now. I can drive legally.”
Njongmeta wouldn’t let up.
“He can’t drive,” Njongmeta said. “Ask him to show you. He has a permit.”
Rebuttal, Mr. Chaney?
“Do I need to post something?” he asked. “Don’t believe anything Maema says. I’ll see him after this.”
Looking over at Njongmeta, Chaney wondered why his teammate was wearing a suit with a turtleneck sweater for media interviews.
Njongmeta had already explained to reporters that he had to give a class presentation as part of his Master’s program in Finance.
“I don’t believe it,” Chaney said.
Rebuttal, Mr. Njongmeta?
“He is a hater,” Njongmeta said. “Ask if those glasses are real. They’re not. They’re not real.”
Q&A with Tressell and Grass
Mike, the players have been asked about adjusting to new coaches. How are along are you in terms of having an idea of what the players on defense can do?
Tressel: “It is coming along fast now. During offseason workouts it was starting to come along, but that’s not football. Then your first two practices you can’t put the shoulder pads on. And then yesterday was the first time we could put the pads on. So, you’re staring to identify (players) a little bit more. One of our spring objectives is to identify who are playmakers are and make sure we get our best 11 on the field. Part of that was clearly stated: Identify their strengths and play to their strengths. You learn that a lot better working hand in hand with them than watching it on film."
Mike, do you know what you have in the cornerback group yet? Alexander Smith is the lone returning cornerback with significant experience, though you did add a veteran transfer in Jason Maitre.
Tressel: "The only thing I can tell you that I know so far is that we have a lot of competition, which means they are pushing each other. That is really good to see."
Tatum, you've worked under four position coaches: Bob Bostad, Bill Sheridan, Mark D'Onofrio and now Tressel. You joke about the changes but is it somewhat difficult to get comfortable your coaches amid so much change?
Grass: “Obviously, you want to have a good relationship with your position coach. That’s a process. It doesn’t happen right away. I think that is the main thing. You want to be able to build that relationship quickly.”
Michael Caputo leaving UW staff to coach safeties for Buffalo of the Mid-American Conference
Former UW safety Michael Caputo, who was retained by Luke Fickell as a quality control staffer working with the defense, is leaving to coach safeties at the University of Buffalo.
Caputo redshirted at UW in 2011 and then started a total of 40 games over the next four seasons. He worked for LSU defensive coordinator Dave Aranda as a graduate assistant in 2017 and 2018. Aranda was UW’s defensive coordinator from 2013 through 2015.
Caputo coached safeties at Utah State in 2019 and then moved to Baylor in 2020 as a quality control coach under Aranda, who was in his first season as the Bears head coach. Caputo returned to UW before the 2022 season and was eventually retained by Fickell.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Maema Njongmeta, Jake Chaney talk trash at Wisconsin spring practice
