'Ugly Stuff': Wisconsin QB Graham Mertz Reveals His Mindset Going Into The Season
Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz is ready for a fresh start in 2022.
After back-to-back disappointing seasons leading the offense in Madison, fans have wondered if Mertz will ever be able to play up to his potential.
Well, the physically gifted quarterback is certainly saying and doing the right things ahead of week one, and that includes being a bit selfish.
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Graham Mertz discusses mindset ahead of 2022 season. (Photo by Jordon Kelly/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
"At some point in your life, you got to be selfish and be like, 'Alright, what do I need to do better personally to help this team win? How do I genuinely go through ups, downs, good stuff, ugly stuff?' You learn so much through that process that that's where you have that kind of baseline that you got that genuine confidence and play how I want to play," Mertz said in the first episode of "The Camp" released Tuesday.
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How will Wisconsin QB Graham Mertz do in 2022? (Photo by Jordon Kelly/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The junior quarterback further added when talking about preparing for the new season, "I'm a firm believer in how you do anything is how you do everything, and obviously, I had to learn that. Once you take that approach to everything, it makes everything a lot fun, a lot more enjoyable. Even when it's not enjoyable, you know it's going to get better."
As I've said many times before as a huge Wisconsin fan, it's now or never for Mertz. It's year three for him as the starter in Madison, and if he can't get things figured out now, it might just not be meant to be.
Fortunately, he's not running from the mistakes of his past. It's clear when you listen to him talk that he knows the past two seasons weren't acceptable.
Yes, he showed some great flashes, but overall, nobody thinks he played at the level he's capable of.
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Wisconsin releases episode one of "The Camp." (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)
That's one of the most frustrating things with Mertz. When he shows flashes of his potential, you can tell that he's capable of huge things. However, then he'll have a string of mind-boggling plays.
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Wisconsin QB Graham Mertz is ready for the season to start. (Photo by Dan Sanger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Well, the Badgers are heavy favorites to win the B1G West, and our hopes ride on Mertz's shoulders. Let's hope he gets the job done. He certainly sounds like he's ready to embrace the challenge!