He also took part in an impromptu dance contest with some of the guys.
And when coach Bret Bielema had Wilson get up at the first meeting and state his name and where he is from — a ritual normally limited to the freshmen — there were good-natured catcalls and hooting.
Russell-mania has gripped the state, from bar stools to gas stations, with people who can't seem to get enough of the new Badgers quarterback.
"I get it every day," Bielema said Sunday. "Since I've been a head coach, I've never had so many people ... I'll just be filling up my car with gas at a gas station and somebody will come up and ask me questions about him."
Yet, around his teammates, Wilson has quickly become one of the guys.
"The other day, I got thrown into the ice tubs," Wilson said. "That was a little cold and chilly. I guess that kind of brought me to Madison a little bit."
Heaping so much attention and praise on a player before he plays a down seems like a recipe for disaster, especially at a program like UW, which prides itself on checking its egos at the door.
But the UW players were all jokes and smiles while fielding questions about Wilson during media day.
It's not only because he has shown to be the real deal on the field in the month he has been with the team, but also the way Wilson has worked to fit in from the first day.
"It's fun," junior center Peter Konz said of the attention Wilson has generated. "He's got a great head on his shoulders, so I don't worry about it one bit. I think the guys are going to have more fun with this than they're going to let it distract them."
The hysteria around Wilson has been so great, senior guard Kevin Zeitler said when players see a video camera, somebody will say, "Russell must be around."
Yet, Zeitler was quick to add, "He has his head in the right place, he's not just here to play football for a semester."
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