For University of Wisconsin Badgers senior linebacker Ryan Flasch, it took a redshirt year at the University of Nevada of Las Vegas to convince the Germantown, Wis. native where he truly belonged: at UW-Madison. After sitting out his transfer season as a sophomore, Flasch sustained a leg injury in fall camp and missed the entire 2006 campaign.

In 2007, Flasch registered seven total tackles on special teams, where he saw most of his time. This season, Flasch has again taken on a special teams role, playing in every game this year, and he has eight total tackles in his senior season. This Saturday marks Senior Day at Camp Randall Stadium, where 16 players will run out in front of the Badger faithful for the last time.

Flasch sat down with The Capital Times to talk about transferring, special teams and what Senior Day means to him.

Being from Germantown, Wis., was Wisconsin always the destination for you?

Well I grew up here in Wisconsin obviously and my dad took me to all the Badger games, watched everyone running around with the axe after games, watched Ron Dayne break his record, was always in the stadium for that kind of stuff. You really can't get better than the University of Wisconsin, much less when it is your home state. It gives you all that much more reason to go play for them."

What happened that brought you from UNLV back to UW?

Wisconsin actually recruited me out of high school. At the time I thought -- being a senior in high school -- Las Vegas, the west coast. The year I was being recruited, they actually beat Wisconsin, so I was on a recruiting trip for Wisconsin and watched UNLV beat them.

At the time I thought it would be a great situation -- till everybody left and the new coaches took over. The school wasn't what I thought it would be. Wisconsin still gave me the opportunity to come back home so I took it.

Many people don't realize the importance of special teams, do they?

Only three linebackers can play at a time and we have three great linebackers. So if you aren't one of those three you have to find a place to help the team. I still think I can play and special teams is a chance for me to help the team and contribute to winning.

Do you have a lot of family and friends at home games?

Actually this last game against Minnesota my best friend growing up, Kevin Mannion -- he is a linebacker for the Gophers. It was kind of funny, us two playing together in high school and then being able to play each other in our last Big Ten game.

What does Senior Day mean to you?

The biggest thing for me is it is the end of football. I love football, have been playing it since I was a little kid. It means a lot to go out and end it in a good way. The biggest thing when you take the pads off for the last time -- hopefully that won't be Saturday -- your whole life has been football up until now. So that is the biggest thing, just knowing that football is coming to an end.