Travis Frederick extolled the virtues of growing up in Small Town, USA (captured in song by country singer Justin Moore). Frederick, now a starter with "America's Team" and the highest paid center in the NFL, is from Sharon, Wisconsin, a village of 1,580 in Walworth County. He went to Big Foot High School (enrollment: 528).
Wisconsin center Tyler Biadasz can relate to the demographics and Moore's lyrics, if not the full Frederick narrative. Biadasz was a product of a Division 5 program, Amherst High School (enrollment: 303). The village of Amherst (pop: 1,049) bills itself as a "small town atmosphere with big city possibilities."
Biadasz thought it was "pretty cool" to know everyone in his graduating class of 65.
"You could build somewhat of a relationship with everybody," he said.
Biadasz actually lives just outside of Amherst in the town of Stockton (2,955); not far from the "big city" of Plover, a Stevens Point suburb and the home of former UW hockey player Joe Pavelski, an NHL all-star. Biadasz doesn't live on a farm. But his grandpa works one right next door.
Photo: Wisconsin Badgers
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