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Wisconsin Football: Rafael Gaglianone remembers fallen Nebraska kicker Sam Foltz

By Trevor Jossart

LINCOLN, NE - SEPTEMBER 10: Students of the Nebraska Cornhuskers honor deceased player Sam Foltz with a banner before the game against the Wyoming Cowboys at Memorial Stadium on September 10, 2016 in Lincoln, Nebraska. Nebraska defeated Wyoming 52-14. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)
LINCOLN, NE - SEPTEMBER 10: Students of the Nebraska Cornhuskers honor deceased player Sam Foltz with a banner before the game against the Wyoming Cowboys at Memorial Stadium on September 10, 2016 in Lincoln, Nebraska. Nebraska defeated Wyoming 52-14. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images) /
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Wisconsin football kicker Rafael Gaglianone continues to honor Nebraska kicker Sam Foltz, who tragically passed away last year.

The tragedy of Nebraska Cornhuskers kicker Sam Foltz continues to cast a dark cloud on college football as the sport moves on, yet it has been proven that his memory will never be forgotten.

Foltz, along with former Michigan State punter Mike Sadler, were killed in a one-vehicle car crash in Wisconsin prior to the 2016 season. The lone survivor, Colby Delahoussaye from LSU, was also in the car crash that occurred in a suburb just outside of Milwaukee.

During the 2016 season, every Big Ten team the Cornhuskers faced honored Foltz in some special way, while the Nebraska team had several emotional moments throughout the year- including the first game of the season versus Fresno State where the team sent out ten players on their first fourth down, leaving the punter spot empty in honor of their fallen teammate.

One of Foltz’s best friends, Wisconsin Badgers kicker Rafael Gaglianone, took the loss hard. Gaglianone missed a good portion of the year last year with an injury, but honored Foltz by changing his number to 27- the number worn by Foltz.

This season, Gaglianone kept the No. 27 and has been playing all season with his Big Ten counterpart in mind. Returning to Lincoln this week, Gaglianone is feeling an extra sense of emotion heading into the Badgers’ big game at Nebraska.

Gaglianone originally started his Wisconsin career wearing No. 10, but changed it prior to the 2016 season to 27 to honor Foltz. During the team’s meeting in Madison last year, Gaglianone joined the Nebraska specialist group in bringing Foltz’s jersey to midfield.

Gaglianone tells Wisconsin athletics he still keeps in contact with Foltz’s family, especially his father.

“We talk almost every week,” said Gaglianone to Badgers’ beat writer Mike Lucas.

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Wisconsin is 5-1 against the Cornhuskers since Nebraska joined the Big Ten in 2011, yet this is only the third meeting in Lincoln. Their last matchup on the road against the Huskers came in 2015, a 23-21 Badgers victory that ended in a Gaglianone game winning field goal as time expired.

This time around Gaglianone, the redshirt junior, will have a heavy heart and an emotional presence at Memorial Stadium, sharing a field with Foltz in Lincoln one final time.

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