Terrance Jamison has spent plenty of time with prospective recruits during his time as a student assistant for the University of Wisconsin football team.

His message to them is simple: Take football out of the equation and try to find the right academic fit.

Jamison can give a testimonial on the subject if necessary. He came to UW in 2005 as a promising recruit out of Riverdale, Ill. But he played in just four games as a reserve defensive lineman and on special teams before his career ended prematurely due to chronic knee issues.

So why will there be a smile on Jamison’s face when he’s honored along with the 18 players and three student managers Saturday before the Badgers host Michigan on Senior Day at Camp Randall Stadium? Because he’s proud of what he’s accomplished during his five seasons at UW.

“That’s the game of football,” said Jamison, who had premature arthritis in his right knee that required micro-fracture surgery. “Injuries happen, and you hope that it doesn’t happen to you. But when it does, it’s all about how you respond. Are you just going to sit and dwell on it? Or are you going to take advantage of the opportunities in front of you?”

Jamison chose the latter option and is glad he did. He admits his grades slipped initially following his decision to stop playing prior to the 2007 season as he struggled to adjust to life without football. But he became a better student and is on pace to graduate in December with a degree in agriculture business.

Becoming a student assistant on coach Bret Bielema’s staff meant Jamison, who was UW’s Scout Team Player of the Year in 2005 and appeared to have a bright future with the Badgers, would have constant reminders of what might have been. But it would have been more painful to walk away from football completely.

“Personally, I think being around it helped ease it,” Jamison said. “I just have that passion for it.”

Jamison has spent this season assisting defensive line coach Charlie Partridge. Jamison helps out with drills in practice, watches film with the younger players and does anything else Partridge asks of him.

“He’s hard not to like,” Partridge said of Jamison, whose older brother Tim was a standout defensive lineman at Michigan. “He’s an enjoyable person to be around. He’s done a great job for me. He’s really helped me a lot this year.”

Jamison wants to be a coach at the college level and, ultimately, an athletic director. He calls it “the coach Alvarez route.” Not only has UW athletic director and former coach Barry Alvarez spoken at length to Jamison about his job, he made available a member of his senior staff, Sean Frazier, who has become a mentor to Jamison.

Jamison has applied to graduate school at UW with designs on getting a master’s degree in educational leadership.

“The support here has been great, from the top all the way to the coaches,” Jamison said. “I just feel like I’m blessed to be here. I feel like the University of Wisconsin was the right choice.”

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