TROY VINCENT, Sr.
University of Wisconsin
Defensive Back, 1988-91
 
Troy Vincent learned how to win in life by losing on the football field.
That may sound like an oxymoron, but to understand how Wisconsin became the power program that it is today, one must return three decades when Vincent and his cohorts began ushering in a culture change that resulted in Madison, Wis., becoming a gridiron hotbed. The wins for the Badgers came later, not long after Vincent left his mark. And now he can call himself one of 12 former Wisconsin players to make the College Football Hall of Fame.
 
"Immediately I just go back to the recruiter, Bob Babich at Wisconsin; he was my recruiter under the Don Morton Era till Coach (Barry) Alvarez came in," Vincent said of his reaction to learning he had made the Hall. "And I started thinking about Coach Alvarez and the teachings, and you just start thinking about who impacted my life at that particular time: My teammates.
 
"We weren't a very good football team. And when I read the press release afterward, it's like, 'This kid won nine football games in four years, OK?' It was a special time in my life because I learned how to win in losing, if that makes any sense. Coach Paul Jette, if not for him I'm not sure where I would be as a college football player. He was my position coach during that era that just turned my performance around. That's what I thought about; through that time it's just been all of the individuals that have touched my life during that time period."
 
Vincent became the first player under Alvarez, who was inducted into the Hall for his coaching accomplishments in 2010, to earn First Team All-America honors, in 1991. He was the Big Ten's Co-Defensive Player of the Year, too. He amassed 192 tackles, 31 passes defended and four interceptions across four college seasons, and he tallied 773 punt return yards and three touchdowns on special teams.
 
The defensive back bridged the Morton era to the Alvarez era. And when Vincent sees all that Wisconsin football accomplished in wake of his career — a Rose Bowl win in 1993 served as a breakthrough point — he feels a great deal of pride.
 
"When we think of Badger Culture today in the modern era, it underscores the values of leadership, character, tenacity, teamwork," Vincent said. "And that reputation precedes any athlete post their playing experience at the University of Wisconsin. Doesn't matter. When you leave from there and you happen to play pro, whether it's basketball, football, hockey, baseball, track, that reputation of leadership, they're coachable, they're high-character kids, tenacity, they're tough, resilient, they're team players, that precedes all of us. And that's what I learned.
 
"Many would say: 'He was a much better pro than he was college (player).' No, I was a dynamic college player. We didn't score many points, we weren't the Wisconsin of today, but man, I'm a better father because of the Wisconsin culture. I'm a better leader today because of Coach Alvarez."
 
Vincent recalled Alvarez ability to get his teammates to change their mindset, saying he would tell them: "'I want you all to look on the board. This is how we dress today for practice. Everyone looks alike. Everyone dresses alike.'" Vincent said. "It was the first time I ever heard the word primadonna. 'We have no primadonnas here. We will not accept primadonnas. Primadonnas will not be tolerated.' [Alvarez told us.] OK, Coach. What does primadonna mean? And that was team."
 
Vincent dominated on the NFL stage, making five Pro Bowls and winning the 2002 Walter Payton Man of the Year award during a 15-year career that spanned four teams. His influence on the game continues through his current role as the executive vice president of football operations for the NFL, after serving as president of the players association.
 
He and his wife, Tommi, have five children, and the family started Love Thy Neighbor, a foundation that is dedicated to positive change in young people's lives. Vincent says football has given him more than he could ever give back. He is most proud of his family, and the role and platform that athletics has given them. He recalls laughing to himself at the Ohio State banquet of his son Taron, who played on the Buckeye defensive line from 2018-22, as it reminded him of how far his family had come.
 
"They're talking about the class of 2018 under Coach (Urban) Meyer and they said, 'Hey, if you're in this room as a parent your son was 55-7,'" Vincent said. "I said, 'Hello, I was 9-35.' So, throughout this time I've just been thankful for the university in particular. That wasn't the Wisconsin that we see today. It was the years after I left they start rolling people up."
 
UP CLOSE:

• Named a First Team All-American, Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Year and Jim Thorpe Award runner-up in 1991.
• Amassed 192 tackles, 31 passes defended and four interceptions during his time in Madison.
• Recorded 66 punt returns for 773 yards and three touchdowns and returned 22 kickoffs for 485 yards.
• Played for head coaches Don Morton and Hall of Fame Coach Barry Alvarez.
• Becomes the 11th Wisconsin player to enter the College Football Hall of Fame.