Spring football camp was nearing an end, and Gophers defensive tackle Cameron Botticelli was huffing and puffing, wiping sweat from his brow.
Late in practice, Coach Jerry Kill had lined up the first-team offense against the first-team defense, with the ball at the 5-yard-line. Whichever side lost the battle had to run sprints, and the offense scored about five consecutive touchdowns.
After chugging from sideline to sideline on several sprints, the 6-5, 290-pound junior collected his breath, looking somehow fulfilled. Thursday's season opener against UNLV was still more than four months away, but that late-April practice seemed no less important to Botticelli.
"Everyone kind of knows the joke," he said. "The walk-on player — he's a student of the game, a real gym rat, things like that. But I'd say it's true. I definitely enjoy this."
Gophers defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys said he thinks the "student of the game" label sells Botticelli short.
"He's just a blue-collar, work-his-butt-off type of guy is what he is," Claeys said. "The kids have a lot of respect for him. He came here as a walk-on, and he came as a defensive end. We moved him [to defensive tackle] and told him to start eating. He loves the game and plays hard."
Botticelli was part of a Wisconsin prep juggernaut at Marquette University High School in Milwaukee. The Hilltoppers went 33-5 his final three seasons, including 14-0 his senior year, when he earned all-state honors and helped win a state title.
Since then, he has added 45 pounds. After redshirting his first year at the U, he played in all 12 games in 2011, then started all 13 games last season.