Packers draft Jared Abbrederis, becomes first Badgers draft pick for GM Ted Thompson

Won 2013 Burlsworth Trophy as nation's top player who began his career as a walk-on ... finished career tied for school record for receptions (202) and ranked No. 2 all-time at Wisconsin in receiving yards (3,140) and touchdown receptions (23) ... ranks eighth all-time among Big Ten players with 3,140 career receiving yards ... registered fourth 1,000-yard season in UW history in 2013 with 1,081 receiving yards ... also set school record for kickoff return average (25.8) and ranks No. 5 all-time in punt return average (10.7) ... finished career ranked No. 7 all-time at UW with 4,818 all-purpose yards (291 rushing, 3,140 receiving, 587 punt return, 800 kickoff return).

The draft pick was a compensatory pick. The Packers lost Erik Walden to get that pick.

He has a history of head injuries, wrote Tyler Dunne. "It was the understanding of two scouts that Abbrederis suffered "three or four" concussions during his four-year career for the Badgers. "I've heard it's three or four," a personnel director for an NFL team said. Abbrederis insisted he has had only one concussion: September 2012 against Oregon State. "And it wasn't even a bad one," said Abbrederis, who sat out the next game."

"Whenever faced with adversity — a broken femur, assimilation to college, a Hail Mary whiff — Abbrederis says he turned to God. He's counting on this journey of faith leading to a long NFL career." That's also in a profile from Dunne. "He traces this all to that sophomore year at Wautoma. Abbrederis was the quarterback, running the read option down the line. As soon as the defensive tackle crashed down on the fullback, he pulled the ball out and raced upfield toward the free linebacker. Abbrederis cut, planted all his weight on that right leg and then a defender from the backside sandwiched him in two.

"For the first time, football was taken away from Abbrederis. He spent one month in a wheelchair, multiple weeks on crutches, rehabbed and was at the state track championship six months later. Abbrederis took fourth and fifth in hurdles."

In 2013 Abbrederis played in all 13 games with 11 starts at Wisconsin ... led team and ranked fourth in the Big Ten with 1,081 receiving yards on 78 receptions, including seven touchdown catches ... hauled in a career-high 12 catches for 135 yards vs. Penn State on Nov. 30, the second-highest reception total ever by a UW player ... had 10 catches for a career-high 207 yards and a touchdown -- just the fifth 200-yard receiving game in school history -- at Ohio State on Sept. 28 ... WIAA Scholar Athlete ... major is Human Development and Family Studies ... last name pronounced "ab-bruh-DAIR-is".