January 17, 2018 at 1:54 p.m.
Land O'Lakes native Ramesh set to begin his path to the 2018 NFL Draft
Land O'Lakes native Ramesh set to begin his path to the 2018 NFL Draft
That's nothing new for Land O' Lakes native and former University of Wisconsin standout Austin Ramesh. He plays a position that requires him to do the dirty work with little recognition.
Ramesh, whose 5,939 career rushing yards at Northland Pines ranks third all-time in WIAA history, carried the ball 34 times for 147 yards and five touchdowns, while catching 13 passes for 130 yards and a score during his career as a fullback with the Badgers, which ended after a win over Miami in the Capital One Orange Bowl Dec. 30.
Now with his collegiate career in the rearview mirror, Ramesh is looking toward the next phase, a shot at the NFL. The pre-draft process has already begun as he has been training with his former high school coach and ex-Rhinelander star Matt Huebner, who had stints in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings, at Tone Zone Fitness in Eagle River.
Ramesh has been training with Huebner in preparation for the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, to be held at the famed Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., Jan. 20.
"I got an email sometime after the Big Ten Championship and I think you only get one invite," Ramesh said. "Obviously, the Senior Bowl is the biggest one and I was hoping to get one from there, but really all the bowl games are great opportunities for everybody and the NFLPA Bowl is a great one to go to."
For the players looking to make an impression on scouts and NFL front office people, the week of practice leading up to the all-star game is more important than the game itself.
That week of practice is a chance for Ramesh to showcase his skills to NFL teams in attendance. Because he is a fullback, he won't get many opportunities with the ball in his hands, so he's going to have to make an impact in other facets of the game.
"I'd say, first and foremost, I pride myself on run and pass blocking. That's the thing I value most when I'm on the field," Ramesh said. "Any chance I get with the ball in my hands, I'd like to make the most of that, too. On special teams, that's a great way to stand out as well."
While in Eagle River, Ramesh has the opportunity to work with someone who's been through the process.
Huebner, who caught 65 passes for 926 yards and six touchdowns in his final two seasons at Division II St. Cloud State, signed with the Packers as an undrafted free agent with the Packers in 2003. He was later released and finished training camp with two different stints with the Vikings
before being one of the final cuts prior to the season.
Not only is Huebner trying to prepare Ramesh physically, but also mentally.
"Football is a lot of emotional and physical toughness. He'll get his shot, whether he gets drafted or not," Huebner said. "He's not in control of that, but wherever he goes, he's got to make the small plays, the effort plays, he's got to stand out, stick out from everybody else because fullbacks aren't very popular these days. So he's got to find his niche on special teams or maybe a little H-back, he's just got to prove to the coaches that they have to make them take Austin off the field. It just comes down to work ethic."
After the NFLPA Bowl, Ramesh is slated to go to Milwaukee to train at Next Level Fitness with some of his former teammates from Wisconsin.
St. Cloud State didn't offer the same resources and facilities as are available at Wisconsin so there are things Huebner, a five-year Arena Football League veteran, wants to stress to Ramesh.
"He just has the opportunity of a lifetime. Being coached by some of the best coaches in the country, coming from a big program like that, he's got the best leadership available around him that I didn't have coming from a Division II school," Huebner said. "He's already at a huge, tremendous advantage coming from Madison."
Only two fullbacks were selected in last year's NFL Draft, but Ramesh could end up being taken in the later rounds, according to some of the feedback he's received thus far.
The next few months are crucial for his draft status, whether he gets invited to the NFL Draft Combine or in showcasing his ability at Wisconsin's Pro Day.
"I've gotten feedback telling me that I could be one of the final round guys getting picked. The next couple months are going to be huge," Ramesh said. "The testing coming up is going to be big, next week in California will be huge and I have to just keep going from there to show NFL teams what I have."
The NFLPA Collegiate Bowl takes place at 3:15 p.m. Saturday on Fox Sports 1.
Nick Sabato may be reached at [email protected] or via Twitter@SabatoNick.
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