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Source: The Wisconsin State JournalOct.存倉 19--CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- When the two Ohio guys got together last week -- both of them football players, both of them linebackers -- there must have been some lively give and take between Chris Borland and Chris Spielman.Borland, from Kettering, Ohio, is the inside linebacker for the University of Wisconsin football team who is putting together a monster senior season.Spielman, 48, from Massillon, Ohio, was a two-time All-American linebacker at Ohio State, a former Lombardi Award winner who went on to a Pro Bowl career with the Detroit Lions and now works as an analyst for ESPN.Borland's memories of Spielman as a player are from his time with the Lions."I was a Packers fan, so I grew up watching (Brett) Favre carve him up a little bit," Borland said. "We joked about that."But most of the limited time the two spent together was Borland being a sponge and soaking up any tidbits he could from Spielman."He's an absolute inspiration for a linebacker," Borland said.Spielman worked plenty of UW games before the 35-6 victory over Northwestern and had great respect for Borland. But Spielman came away even more impressed after watching what he believes is one of the nation's best college linebackers performing at the top of his game."You can take all of the measurables you want, the one thing he's always done, he makes plays," Spielman said in a phone interview this week. "There are a lot of guys that are 6-4, 240, 4.5 (second) 40 guys, but you look at their production, it's not where his is."He's got the most important quality that overcomes any of the measurables where he might be lacking -- that's the ability to make plays. He's got a great burst, he has instincts, he's got all of the tools necessary to be successful."The 25th-ranked Badgers (4-2, 2-1 in the Big Ten Conference), face Illinois (3-2, 0-1) tonight at Memorial Stadium, with Borland coming off a highly productive two-game stretch. He matched a career high with 16 tackles against Ohio State. He set the mark on UW's most recent trip to Champaign, a 28-17 win in 2011.On top of that, UW coach Gary Andersen announced Thursday there's a chance Borland will attempt long field goals for this game -- anything in the range of 45 yards. Borland has never attempted a field goal in a game, though he was 3-for-3 on extra-point attempts against Hawaii as a freshman in 2009."Nothing with Chris surprises me anymore," sophomore quarterback Joel Stave said earlier in the week.Stave was referencing a video that was released following a segment Borland taped on the field last week with senior outside linebacker Ethan Armstrong and Spielman. From 30 yards away, Borland called his shot, "crossbar," then threw a football that nailed the crossbar on the first take."It's not an easy thing to do," Stave said. "I think pretty much all of the quarterbacks have done that at some point in their careers. Coming off the field after summer workouts, we'll all line up on the 40 or something and chuck it at the crossbar. We'll get it every once in a while."Borland's skills with a ball, whether kicking or throwing, are legendary. He's said to be able to throw a pass 40 yards -- with his off hand. A former soccer player, he has been known to aim the Jugs machine at his feet, then tip the high-speed footballs with a foot up to his hands.But it's his linebacker skills that have earned the notice of NFL teams. Borland is listed at 5-foot-11 but said early in his college career he's actually 5-10. At one point, the 2014 draft appeared to be another referendum on height, just like it was for former Badgers quarterback Russell Wilson in 2012.But Borland is playing so well right now, Spielman said his lack of ideal height should not be an issue."I know the scouts like him, I've talked to a couple NFL guys," Spielman said. "The thing he does, he's got a burst. He can get off blocks, he has instincts and he produces."Now, I don't know how that will translate into what round he will get drafted in, but it translates into being a good football player that certainly, if he stays healthy, I think will have a good career in the NFL."It begins with tackling, something of a lost art in college football. During last week's broadcast, Spielman noted Borland's proper tackling form, keeping his head up."See what you hit an儲存 hit what you see," Spielman said during the broadcast."I just don't think it's emphasized at practice, and (players) are not held accountable," Spielman said during the interview. "I've talked to many coaches about that, I think they're trying to get back to that."The reason for that, one, is everybody is so into scheme now ... and nobody wants to get anybody hurt at practice (by tackling). You don't have to take guys down, you can still emphasize it and hold people accountable to the fundamentals at practice."Borland didn't become a linebacker until he arrived at UW, so he credits his former position coaches with teaching him how to tackle."They all stressed the fundamentals of tackling," Borland said. "We've felt the benefits of that. I think we have a lot of sure tacklers on our defense. It's important. Not only is it the right way to make plays, you also keep yourself healthy and force takeaways, too."When Borland gets knocked to the ground, he always bounces up quickly. Spielman referenced the play against Ohio State, where Borland missed his first shot at speedy quarterback Braxton Miller, then scrambled to his feet and still made the tackle after a short gain.Spielman said perhaps the best NFL comparison for Borland is Zach Thomas, who was listed at 5-foot-11 and played 12 seasons for the Miami Dolphins, making the Pro Bowl eight times, with more than 1,700 tackles."From what I've seen, the best way to describe Chris is he's a natural playing the position," Spielman said. "I don't want to say it's effortless, but he sees it, he feels it. I call him a more athletic Zach Thomas."One reason height is not as crucial as it used to be for inside linebackers is because the game is changing. Linebackers are being asked to play in space more in pass coverage, as opposed to taking on blocks from linemen in a confined space."Maybe when I was coming out that was an issue," said Spielman, who was listed at 6 feet. "I know it was an issue for me. But nowadays, when you have guys (under 6 feet) who have played that position at a high level, like Zach, or London Fletcher or Sam Mills or Mike Singletary ... as long as you're producing, I don't think that's the major issue anymore."Borland has produced, with 364 career tackles -- including 44 1/2 tackles for loss. He has 15 career sacks, 18 pass breakups, three interceptions and six fumble recoveries. He needs just one forced fumble to tie the FBS record of 14, which is shared by five players.The issue for him in the NFL will be the same thing as for most linebackers: trying to hold up in pass coverage against lightning-quick running backs such as the New Orleans Saints' Darren Sproles."You can get the best linebacker ever to walk the face of the earth, he's not going to match up with Darren Sproles," Spielman said."The biggest challenge (Borland) will have is the demands put on him in man coverage. Because those guys are so fast and so quick, it's tough to deal with."Borland may not run a great 40 time at the scouting combine in February, but he compensates with his quickness and athleticism."I think he's very quick," Spielman said. "Quickness is more important than 40-yard speed. As long as he plays quick, and what he does have is a burst, he can change directions fast."Maybe the best quality Borland has is his mind. He enhances the physical skills he has with great instincts, honed from hours of watching video."People ask me what quality as a linebacker I valued most," Spielman said. "One was my vision, you can see things developing. Things happen fast when you're standing four yards across from the ball and people are going different directions. You have to be able to see it. He sees it."In the end, playing linebacker is not all that complicated, Spielman said."Linebacker comes down to two things, see the ball and get the ball," Spielman said. "If you get there faster than anybody else, you'll be a player.""They all stressed the fundamentals of tackling. We've felt the benefits of that. I think we have a lot of sure tacklers on our defense." -- Senior inside linebacker Chris Borland on how coaches have helped the defenseCopyright: ___ (c)2013 The Wisconsin State Journal (Madison, Wis.) 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