BY MIKE LUCAS
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer

MADISON, Wis. — As soon as Joe Tippmann came under the coaching wing of Jason Fabini — at what was an impressionable stage of Tippmann's football development — there was the immediate realization on his part that he was in good hands. Big hands. Powerful hands. Offensive lineman's hands.

Fabini was a four-year fixture on the O-line at the University of Cincinnati and a fourth-round draft pick of the New York Jets in 1998. He played 11 seasons in the NFL with the Jets, Dallas and Washington. While starting 129 of 152 games, he lined up at both tackle and guard.

In 2004, Fabini helped open holes for Jets running back Curtis Martin, who led the league in rushing that season and wound up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. So did starting center Kevin Mawae, the anchor of a unit including Fabini, Kareem McKenzie, Pete Kendall and Brandon Moore.

After Fabini retired from the sport, he got involved in coaching as an assistant at his high school alma mater, Bishop Dwenger in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Given his extensive playing background, he was ideally suited to groom young, aspiring offensive linemen. Someone like Tippmann, a good listener.

"I was really good friends with one of his sons and I'd go over there and listen to him talk about his experiences in the NFL," Tippmann said. "He showed us old film and you could tell he was definitely proud of it. Having a career like that in the NFL as an offensive lineman is an awesome feat in itself."

Fabini saw something in Tippman at an early age and pushed him to realize his vast potential.

"Jason was very helpful, and I don't think I'd be where I am today without him — he was always on me," said the 6-foot-6, 320-pound Tippmann, who will be making his first career start at center for the No. 12 Badgers in Saturday's season opener against Penn State at Camp Randall Stadium.

"He coached me starting in the sixth grade and he was always a great mentor showing me the game and helping me find my love for the game. He told me how it was going to be (college football) and how I just need to go there and be a learner and absorb as much as I could the first year."

That's exactly how it played out for Tippman, who redshirted as a true freshman in 2019. But nothing followed any form of orderly process during a COVID-shortened 2020 season. Tippmann's was shorter than most. He appeared in only two games as a backup guard because of a shoulder injury.

During spring practice, he was limited to providing shotgun snaps for quarterbacks in non-contact drills.

"I think the biggest adjustment was just getting the trust from all the other guys — for them to trust that I know what I'm doing and I'm in the right spot for the job," Tippmann said of his road to recovery and acceptance. "It took consistency and having a certain attitude in the huddle every day."

At the start of training camp in August, he said, "My expectations were to be able to make an impact wherever I could. I was excited to get out there and play again because I hadn't played at all during the spring. My expectations were to get my feet under me and see what I could do."

It didn't take long for others to see some positive things. Or as Tippmann put it, "About three or four days into camp, everything started really clicking for me. It had been so long since I actually had pads on, and I had gotten hits on people. But it all started to come together the more reps that I took."

It happened fast for Tippman. Even though he was transitioning to center, a new position.

"I had never played it all," he admitted. "There are a lot of difference to just being that close to the defensive linemen. You're the closest one and everything just happens sooner at the center spot. That was a little bit of an adjustment. And I'd say that I'm still adjusting there."

Wisconsin offensive line coach Joe Rudolph recruits high school players with an eye on cross-training them. Versatility has long been a trademark of the UW brand. But when asked about his initial confidence level in Tippmann making the move to center, he conceded, "I just wasn't sure."

Fair enough. Rudolph needed to see more from Tippmann. And hear more.

"I know his teammates trusted his voice," he said. "He has a calmness to his communication."

Pointed out Tippmann, "All the guys I've been playing with on the O-line are great friends of mine and I just feel like communication comes easy with them."

In this context, Tippmann was known for his leadership qualities at Bishop Dwenger.

"The number one thing about being a leader is just leading by example," Tippmann said. "You can't expect people to follow you if you're not doing it yourself. My dad (John) has always pushed me to be the best that I can while always staying very humble and honest."

He has gotten the same reinforcement from his mom, Kimberly. The whole family has been supportive. Tippmann has six brothers and a sister. He also has a large number of first and second cousins in Fort Wayne. He played with many of them. There were multiple Tippmanns on the roster.

When he chose Wisconsin over other Big Ten programs, he had one objective in mind.

"I wanted to be part of that O-line legacy and tradition," he said.

From the first time that Tippmann showed up at the UW summer camp, Rudolph has witnessed the growth. From Rudolph's perspective, "As he started to realize — 'I really enjoy this game' — I thought some of his physical skills started to emerge. He's got incredible strength and power."

Tippmann's roommate, quarterback Graham Mertz, can vouch for that characterization.

"He's a mauler," he said. "Physical as heck. One word to describe him: mauler."

Rudolph continued, "From a physicality and strength standpoint, he has kind of stood out. There are a lot of things that you've got to feel secure about a center doing. And I've got great confidence in him and Kayden. Those guys really help each other. They complement each other well."

Kayden is Kayden Lyles, a fifth-year senior. In 2020, Lyles started the first four games at center before suffering a season-ending leg injury against Indiana in early December. The year before, he started four games at guard. In 2018, he started seven times on the defensive line.

As such, Lyles has been a model of versatility. Inspiration, too, from Tippmann's standpoint. And he said as much, "I respect the hell out of him. The competition throughout camp has been awesome. He has helped me and whenever I get the chance, I've tried to help him."

Rudolph plans on playing both Tippmann and Lyles against Penn State. He also plans on utilizing four guards: Josh Seltzner, Jack Nelson, Cormac Sampson and Michael Furtney. Rudolph will weigh and monitor the flow of the game, series by series, and substitute accordingly.

"All of those guys have earned the right to be on the field and to play," Rudolph said. "They're all accountable. You can win with all of them. You just want to make sure that the group that you have together communicates well together. I believe that they all do."

The Nittany Lions will offer a stern challenge on the line of scrimmage.

"They're very large and very explosive on the inside," Rudolph said. "The two defensive tackles are both 300-plus. They've got a ton of talent. They can run and get after the passer. It will be a little bit different from going up against our defense where you're not sure who the fourth rusher is."

(Wisconsin operates out of a 3-4 scheme and Penn State out of a 4-3.)

"Every once in awhile, they'll drop an end. But, for the most part, they're going to fly up the field and get after the quarterback. That's a constant thing. And that will be the biggest challenge. Those ends get up the field and create a ton of havoc and the inside guys are good. They're physical."

In this respect, Tippmann and Lyles have both benefited from practicing daily against UW nose guards Keeanu Benton and Bryson Williams. Noted Tippmann, "Keeanu is an awesome player and we've talked about it — how he has been making me better and he says that I've been making him better."

For Tippmann, there's simply nothing better than getting back on the field. It's driving him.

"I love playing center and I feel like I'm connected throughout all the positions being right in the middle there," he said, flashing back to his first college exposure at Michigan last November where he first got injured. "I got a taste of what it's like to be in a game and that hunger has not gone away."

There will be a Tippmann or two (dozen) watching Saturday. And a few Fabinis.