“It’s crazy just how fast it went. It seems like a few days ago I was playing at (Manitowoc) Lincoln. Now my collegiate career is over, and it really flew by.”
The words of Davis Heinzen, who spent this fall playing on the offensive line for what he calls his dream team, the Wisconsin Badgers.
Heinzen, a Manitowoc native, caught the eyes of recruiters early on as he rewrote the tight end receiving records while playing for Manitowoc Lincoln. He caught 72 passes for 1,012 yards and 12 touchdowns for the Ships. The offers came rolling in and, in the end, he chose to play for the Chippewas of Central Michigan University.
He redshirted his freshman year in 2021, but after that, you couldn’t keep him off the field.
Heinzen played in 40 career games and started a school record 36 consecutive games on the offensive line from 2022 to 2024. He was also a three-time Academic All-Mid-American Conference selection.
Things were going well for Davis as he had graduated with an Engineering degree, but he had one year of eligibility remaining. There was huge interest in Heinzen’s services, including from Wisconsin, so he said he made one of the most difficult decisions of his life and entered the transfer portal.
The Badgers did call, and when they did, Davis said it didn’t take him long to say yes and he headed to Madison to play for the team he grew up cheering for as a boy in Manitowoc.
After two victories to open the season, things went downhill in a hurry.
The Badgers lost six straight, and some games were non-competitive. Injuries were a big part of that as, at one time, 17 players were out due to injuries or season-ending surgery, including starting center Jake Renfro. Heinzen started the season at Left Tackle, then moved to center to fill in for Renfro, who was lost for the season.
He said that it took him a while to adjust and get comfortable being the quarterback of the offensive line.
Their fortunes started to turn for the better as well, as the Badgers split their last four games, knocking off then nationally ranked Washington and Illinois at home.
The game with the Fighting Illini was played on November 22nd, Senior Night.
Appearing on WOMT Sports Talk Monday night, Heinzen said it’s a night he’ll never forget as “Fans stormed the field and everything was happening so fast. It’s the highlight of my Badger career.”
Davis says he was blessed to have his parents, Jeff and Tina, at all 12 games this season.
“It’s cool as they got the chance to walk with me on the field,” he recalled. “I feel so blessed to have had them in the stands supporting me every step of the way, encouraging me in the good times and bad. It really means a lot.”
Manitowoc County has had its share of talented linemen succeed not only in college but also in the National Football League.
Don Davey played for Manitowoc Lincoln in the 1980s, then played at Wisconsin and enjoyed a nice career in the NFL with the Packers and Jacksonville Jaguars.
Doug Free is a Lincoln graduate who played at Northern Illinois and for 10 years in the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys.
Luke Goedeke, a Valders graduate, played at UW-Stevens Point and Central Michigan and is the starting right tackle for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Heinzen spoke about being a part of that special fraternity, recalling “Walking through the JFK and seeing their pictures and uniforms on the wall during high school really motivated me to go and chase my dreams as well, including playing in the National Football League. “
As with all successful people, it began with a dream mixed with a lot of hard work and the desire to make it come true.
Davis’s best piece of advice to young people is simple.
“You must be consistent in your habits and put the work in,” he said. “There will be people that tell you that you can’t do it. Ignore the noise and surround yourself with good and like-minded people. I’ve also made a lot of lifelong relationships playing football and that’s more important than playing the game itself.”
After enjoying the holidays, Davis leaves for Michigan on January 3rd to begin training in earnest on January 5th to continue living out his dream, playing in the National Football League.