"It all clicked for me:" Kenosha native Jazz Peavy finally making mark on Wisconsin Badgers football team

KENOSHA/MADISON -- It has been a long wait for Kenosha native Jazz Peavy, but this year, he's finally making his mark on the Wisconsin Badgers football team.

Badgers WR Jazz Peavy (far left)

Peavy has presented a lot of different looks at Wisconsin, but he didn't produce any statistics until this season. A gifted wide receiver from Kenosha Tremper High School, Peavy was sidelined in 2013 and 2014 due to injuries.

The wait has been worth it for the Badgers.

Peavy has emerged as a reliable target for QB Joel Stave and has shown durability too -- as a redshirt sophomore.

Badgers WR Jazz Peavy

"I've really enjoyed seeing Jazz's growth. I think he really jumped out in spring ball. He came back in fall camp, and I think he's certainly a player that Joel trusts and that's a big part of it," Badgers Head Coach Paul Chryst said.

"I'm just glad it finally came. I'm glad I can be playing football on game days now, and contributing to the offense in whatever ways I can. I feel like it just all clicked for me, and everything just came together, and I knew everything I needed to do -- and I did that and more," Peavy said.

It feels like a long time since Peavy left Kenosha and arrived in Madison, but there are eight wide receivers on the Badgers roster who have played in more games collegiately than he has.

Badgers WR Jazz Peavy

"He's done a great job of just really getting a feel for it out there. You know, it takes awhile. The only way you get that is playing on Satrudays, and he came out this year and he had goals. His goals were set high to make an impact on this team. You could tell this summer, the way he was focused, he was channeling how he was working. It was fun to watch and fun to be a part of and ride along with him," Alex Erickson, Badgers wide receiver said.

"The first couple of games, everything is moving kind of fast. It's like, man -- this is all new to me. All of a sudden, maybe the Hawaii game, things kind of slowed down. I figured out how things are really going to go, and things have really just built up from there," Peavy said.

Peavy was originally recruited by Bret Bielema to come to Wisconsin. He was unable to actually get on the field under Gary Andersen -- but now, both he and Paul Chryst are experiencing what they both hope will be a long, shared run for UW.

Peavy is having a strong season so far -- proving to be a reliable receiver.

He is back on the field with the Badgers next week, after the bye, to play 18th-ranked Northwestern.