Although Bret Bielema would welcome the return of former tailback Dwayne Smith to the Wisconsin football team, he will not do so at the risk of Smith’s health.
Smith, who remains enrolled at UW and turns 22 on April 4, contacted Bielema last week and inquired about the possibility of returning to the team. Bielema listened and Smith is to meet with UW’s medical staff this week.
The former standout at Hales Franciscan in Chicago was forced to give up football just days before the 2004 season opener after doctors discovered he had a potentially life-threatening heart condition. The condition, known as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, is generally characterized by enlargement of the heart muscle and a thickening of the walls of the left ventricle.