Troy Fumagalli quips about how having a left index finger would only get in the way.
Having nine fingers is all Wisconsin’s senior tight end has known. He doesn’t think about it, except when asked. Which happens fairly regularly.
And the Waubonsie Valley graduate dutifully answers, typically with a sense of humor.
“It’s like second nature to me,” Fumagalli said during last week’s Big Ten media days at McCormick Place.
Does it hinder you in any way?
“No,” he said. “Nothing that I can think of, honestly.”
Indeed, it hasn’t prevented Fumagalli from emerging as an All-American candidate for the Badgers and a projected second- or third-round pick in the NFL draft. And, oh, he’s a former walk-on.
Fumagalli had amniotic band syndrome, he said. It occurs when an unborn baby becomes entangled in fibrous, string-like amniotic bands in the womb, restricting blood flow and affecting development of body parts, according to a website about the condition.
Fumagalli’s left index finger was underdeveloped to the point he had it amputated when he was two days old, he said.
Fumagalli, who is left-handed, also was a promising pitcher early in high school. Gripping the baseball with his middle and ring fingers, he had natural movement on his pitches.
“I couldn’t control it sometimes,” Fumagalli said. “It would just go.”
But Fumagalli said he snapped a growth plate in his left elbow, requiring surgery, with a broken screw still in his arm. The injury led him to focus more intently on football.
Mid-American Conference schools such as Northern Illinois and Ball State recruited him heavily.
“They all were awesome places, but I knew where I wanted to be,” Fumagalli said. “I loved Wisconsin too much.”
Fumagalli walked on with the Badgers, redshirting as a freshman in 2013. He played in all 14 games, including two starts, in 2014.
Fumagalli earned a scholarship for 2015, when he had 28 catches for 313 yards and a touchdown in 11 games, including four starts. He broke out last season, posting a team-high 47 catches for 580 yards, second on the team, and two TDs. He made the All-Big Ten second team.
He was the offensive MVP in Wisconsin’s 24-16 win over Western Michigan in the Cotton Bowl, catching six passes for 83 yards and a TD.
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Fumagalli considered declaring for the NFL draft after his junior season, but opted to stay.
“I had to get bigger, faster, stronger,” Fumagalli said. “That’s the reason I came back. I just wanted to understand defenses better.”
Fumagalli already has progressed to become a more all-around player.
“He’s a natural receiver and he’s really improved as a blocker,” Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst said. “He’s truly becoming a complete tight end.”
One who was tabbed a preseason first team All-American by Athlon, included on the Mackey Award watch list and named among the five players on the conference’s West Division preseason list.
Fumagalli believes he’s the best tight end in the country and aims to prove it.
Wisconsin linebacker T.J. Edwards sees what the 6-foot-6, 248-pounder can do on a daily basis.
“He’s a smart guy who knows how to run his routes well,” Edwards said. “He can do a lot of things with his strong body frame. He can make you miss with his speed — he’s deceptive with his speed, for sure. That’s what makes him a difficult matchup.”
Twitter @MichaelOsipoff