Chris Fowler HUMILITY Off the field, I have two memories. First, the Big Ten media luncheon in July 1998. Dayne walks over and humbly introduces himself to me. It was amusing. Here's this guy very well known to all college football fans, acting all excited to meet the host of College GameDay, like he's some walk-on. At another banquet, a year and a half later, Dayne stood at a dais during a Walter Camp All-American banquet last February in New Haven, Conn., and told me he wanted to ask Ricky Williams a question in front of 1,000 people. Would he be there (as Tony Dorsett was) to watch his record eclipsed by him? The crowd roared. Williams forced a grin. Their relationship has always been chilly. It may seem out of character, but Dayne has always been quietly but intensely fueled by his endless doubters. He's a team guy, but not without his strong personal goals. The other off-the-field mental picture I have is of Dayne strolling the aisles of Toys 'R' Us with his daughter, Jada, who just turned two Nov. 3. He admitted he couldn't tell her no when it came to toys. On the field, I've only seen him play once -- and it's ironic: It was the game many believed would cost him the record and the Heisman, the loss to Michigan in which Dayne was shut out in the second half. I came away very impressed -- regardless of the stats. He was much quicker than I had thought.	Rod Gilmore POWER When I think about Ron Dayne, I always hearken back to his first college game, which I covered for ESPN along with Charley Steiner. We met Ron and talked to Barry Alvarez the day before the game. Alvarez was telling us that Dayne was a pretty special back and that we would see him. There was a lot of buzz about Dayne. Charley and I couldn't fathom that this player who looked like a squat offensive lineman was going to be that great of a running back. At the time, Wisconsin had Carl McCullough, who was coming off a 1,000-yard rushing season. We thought McCullough was in line to have a stellar season. Dayne entered the late in the game and immediately showed the power. Then he showed some speed. Charley and I looked at each other, and said, "Oh, my goodness." We had no idea. Charley then said to me, "We are going to be telling people that we called this guy's first game, because this guy is going to be great." There was no question about it after seeing him entering the ballgame, seeing the speed and the size and the decisiveness and aggressiveness with which he ran. We were blown away by it. We told everyone about Dayne, that he would wind up as the starting running back in Wisconsin and put a 1,000-yard rusher on the bench. And he wound doing that about halfway through the season.	Bill Curry MATURITY I saw Ron Dayne for the first time in 1997, at the Kickoff Classic, against Syracuse. Wisconsin was blown out, and Dayne looked sluggish and overweight. Since that time, I have been the analyst for six Wisconsin games and have seen a remarkable transformation. Dayne's progress has been a virtual mirror of his team's. Neither one's success would have happened without the other. He went from 265 pounds to 252, from sluggish to lightning quick, from a question mark to a certainty. He never taunts, never takes a cheap shot, never shoots off his mouth. He blocks almost as well as he runs, and is loved and respected by teammates, coaches, and fans. It has been a privilege to watch him become a man, and a great football player.
Kirk Herbstreit DURABILITY The thing that stands out to me about Ron Dayne is durability. After the '96 season, people were considering that Dayne might test the NFL and the draft rules and come out after being a true freshman. He had that kind of freshman year. His freshman and senior years were his two best because he was able to stay healthy. During his sophomore and junior years, he battled injuries the entire time. When Dayne is healthy, we can see what he is capable of doing. The numbers don't lie. The thing that is most impressive is that he is a back who, when he gets his shoulders turned and runs downhill, is one of the most powerful backs that college football has ever seen. If he builds up momentum, he becomes almost a bowling ball that can't be stopped. Dayne is very quiet. He comes from a tightly knit family, he is a father, and he is very goal-oriented. The times I have spoken to him, he is a soft-spoken gentleman and an easy-going, polite, courteous personality.	Mike Gottfried SURPRISING SPEED Watching Dayne cut back and work with a huge offensive line, it's been watching some of the great quarterbacks working with their receivers. My image of Dayne is one of him finding a hole, exploding through and running over people with exceptional speed for a big man. He is a steady, pile-driving back who works well with his line. Over the last four years, Dayne has proven to be a great, durable back who fits what Wisconsin has done.