Linebacker Jeff Pietrowski's journey to Wisconsin, which was unexpected, began in January
MADISON – Jeff Pietrowski endured a trying 2022 season at Michigan State, thanks to a leg injury that cost him the final nine games.
Nevertheless, Pietrowski wasn’t planning to leave East Lansing after the Spartans slumped to 3-6 in the Big Ten and 5-7 overall under third-year coach Mel Tucker.
So how did the defensive end/outside linebacker wind up in Madison preparing to play for Luke Fickell?
Pietrowski was among five defensive linemen who chose to leave, in part because defensive line coach Marco Coleman left to work at Georgia Tech, his alma mater.
He entered the transfer portal on Jan. 6 and announced three days later he had committed to UW.
Michigan State’s loss should be UW’s gain as the 6-foot-2, 244-pound Pietrowski is expected to be a key contributor at outside linebacker this season. He has been a constant on the No. 2 defense in camp.
Here are some things to know about Pietrowski, a redshirt junior from Ohio:
Jeff Pietrowski first gained valuable experience on special teams and then flourished on defense
Pietrowski played in all seven games as a freshman in 2020, though mostly on special teams. He was on the field for just 48 defensive snaps that season, but the number ballooned to 483 in 2021. Pietrowski started three of 13 games in 2021 and recorded 5 ½ sacks, seven tackles for loss and 33 total tackles.
Remember that he posted those numbers despite being a reserve in 77% of the Spartans’ games.
Pietrowski opened last season as a starter and appeared in three games. He suffered a season-ending leg injury in Week 3 at Washington and finished with six tackles.
Working at outside linebacker last spring, Pietrowski appeared capable of holding the point of attack against the run and showed the ability to get into the backfield.
Luke Fickell worked hard to sign Pietrowski for Cincinnati's freshman class in 2020
Fickell and Cincinnati’s staff recruited Pietrowski coming out of St. Edward High School. Pietrowski was named the Ohio Prep Sportswriters (OPSWA) Division 1 Defensive Player of the Year as a senior at St. Edward. He was also named the Cleveland.com Defensive Player of the Year. He helped St. Edward win the Division 1 state title as a junior and the regional finals as a senior in 2019. Pietrowski recorded 14 ½ sacks and 27 hurries as a senior.
January 2023: Badgers add a center from Cincinnati and a DE/LB from Michigan State
What does Pietrowski do to get away from football?
Asked what he does to decompress away from the field, Pietrowski noted he prefers to hang with his teammates. When he has time he calls friends and family back home.
He did see the movie "Oppenheimer" recently.
"That was pretty good," he said. "I’ll go fishing when you’ve got a little more time."
Pietrowski is part Polish and part Irish and he said he would enjoy touring Ellis Island one day to see where millions of immigrants entered the country from 1892 through 1954.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Michigan State’s loss of Jeff Pietrowski should be Wisconsin's gain
