BY MIKE LUCAS
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer
MADISON, Wis. — The reminders are on Chris Orr's wall. Pictures of his mom, dad, grandmother and three brothers. Whenever the Wisconsin linebacker hits a snag in his rehab from knee surgery, whenever he feels the need for a pick-me-up, he gets inspiration from his family, even though they're miles away.
"I kind of use that for motivation," he said. "I know they're watching."
Orr is a long way from his home in DeSoto, Texas, a Dallas suburb. UW linebacker Jack Cichy, by contrast, grew up in Somerset, a village in northwest Wisconsin, a four-hour drive from campus. He has people watching over him, too, during his rehab. But he has tried to avoid reminders of his surgery.
"I've thrown my sling away," he said. "I'm trying to think about it as little as possible."
In late October, Cichy tore his pectoral muscle while making a tackle at Iowa. Not unlike Orr, who was injured on the first defensive snap in the 2016 opener against LSU, Cichy has encountered highs and lows during rehab. The process has extended into the spring for both inside linebackers.
Photo: Wisconsin Badgers
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