Wisconsin safety Titus Toler 'blessed to have a second chance' after injury
Injuries can derail a player's career in the blink of an eye.
For Wisconsin safety Titus Toler, that was definitely the case, as he had to retire from the game he loved ahead of the 2021 season with an undisclosed injury.
A former four-star recruit, Toler was one of Wisconsin's top defensive recruits in the 2019 recruiting class after flipping his commitment from Colorado late in the cycle.
The California native was quick to impress his teammates and the coaching staff, recording an interception against Illinois as a redshirt freshman in the COVID-shortened 2020 season.
Toler would be limited to only two games that season because of injury, and months later, his career was over.
Titus Toler talks with teammate Isaac Smith on the sidelines during the Illinois game back in 2020.
Mark Hoffman via Imagn Content Services, LLC
After some time away to clear his head, the 5-foot-11 safety would stay involved with the program over the next year, helping out on the sidelines and in the locker room when he could. Toler credited the players and coaches for helping him through a hard time, saying, "it's a brotherhood here, man. These guys took me under their wing. Even though I wasn't technically feeling like I was part of the team, I was always part of the team to them. That's what makes it special for me."
One of the main reasons that Toler stayed around was "school work," though he would say, "I wanted to be around these guys," too.
The road back was not always easy for Toler, but he tried to not look too far forward, saying, "I had a calendar. I was just scratching off each day to be sure I did everything I could to, you know, to get to where I was going."
Toler is back healthy and feeling "blessed to have a second chance," heading into fall camp this year.
One person who is incredibly excited that the redshirt junior is back on the roster is his position coach Jim Leonhard. The long-time defensive coordinator noted that he is "very excited to get him back. Obviously, it's been a unique journey for him. With what he has gone through."
Leonhard believes that the past two years provide Toler with a "different perspective," noting that "when the game kind of gets taken away from you for a while, you're fighting adversity, it changes you in a big way."
Overall, coach Leonhard is "excited for his maturity and where he [Toler] is at. Some of the things he's going to be able to teach this team on how to overcome adversity."
Leonhard's excitement level is not simply limited to who Toler is as a person, Toler's ability as a football player is also a big plus following an injury to Travian Blaylock. "He did some things early on in his career that you were really excited about, and it's going to be fun to watch him running around with a big smile on his face."
Related links:
- Six current or former walk-ons who should help the Badgers this year
- Wisconsin Football Media Day: Paul Chryst press conference recap
- Bob Bostad talks about the offensive line at Wisconsin Football Media Day
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