MADISON, Wis. — An early-October text message The Athletic sent to Chez Mellusi went unreturned for 156 days — past the end of the season he didn’t finish and past the pro day he didn’t attend. All that was known during that time came from a program statement noting Mellusi, Wisconsin’s starting running back, had stepped away from the team after four games so he could work to get his body healthy. Mellusi, meanwhile, remained silent.
Then came an unexpected text reply from Mellusi this month. He knew it had been a while. But he couldn’t stop thinking about the way his Badgers and college football playing career finished. He estimated that at least 100 people had walked up to him in his hometown of Naples, Fla., since he returned, asking what he injured and how he was progressing. Mellusi didn’t know how to answer them. So, now that it wouldn’t be a distraction to his former teammates, he is speaking publicly about what happened for the first time “to shed some light on this past season and the decision I made,” he said.
Mellusi carried 56 times for 232 yards with three touchdowns during four games last season as a sixth-year senior, which included starts against South Dakota, Alabama and USC. During that USC game, a 38-21 loss on Sept. 28, Mellusi produced just 10 carries for a season-low 32 yards. When the team reconvened for practice early the next week, Mellusi, 23, recalled being asked by running backs coach Devon Spalding to stay after a meeting to talk.
According to Mellusi, Spalding told him that he would be the fourth-string running back that week — behind Tawee Walker, Darrion Dupree and Cade Yacamelli — leading up to a home game against Purdue.
“I thought he was joking,” Mellusi said. “Like, I thought he was kidding. I didn’t really understand it at first, and then I realized that he was being serious.”
Mellusi said he practiced that day but met with Spalding again afterward for further discussion. He said Spalding told him he didn’t believe Mellusi was playing his best football and that Spalding wanted to use some younger players. Mellusi said he then spoke with Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell.
“I had a very long conversation with coach Fickell,” Mellusi said. “I was kind of just sitting there. I could’ve gone to any school in the country, and you guys told me to come back here, and I wanted to come back here because I love this place, and I love Madison.
He went on to tell me about how my body is not the same and how I’ve been complaining about how my body hurts. There is some truth to that because obviously I had my fair share of injuries. But I was never, ever hurt. I was never on the injury report for anything that wasn’t major during this past season. So the whole scenario of me being hurt and rehabbing was not true. They moved me to fourth string. I wasn’t really open and OK with just sitting on the bench for my last six games, seven games there.”
why I had to make the decision of what was best for me.”
Fickell said early in the week of the Purdue game that he wanted to shorten the running back rotation to allow players to gain a better rhythm. Walker, who carried 12 times for 55 yards and two touchdowns against USC, was elevated into the starting role. Dupree then became the backup. Walker finished the season with 864 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns, while Dupree ran for 317 yards and one touchdown with 12 catches for 119 yards. Walker transferred to Cincinnati this offseason, and Dupree is expected to contend for Wisconsin’s starting job as a sophomore.
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