The trip down memory lane first entailed a short trek on U.S. 12, a right on County Highway K, a left on County Highway Q and the second exit onto North Century Avenue.
The destination? Waunakee and Rex’s Innkeeper, a vintage Wisconsin supper club highlighting “old time digs” and featuring steaks, seafood and a time-honored salad bar.
Thirty-seven years ago, the late Ronald “Rex” Endres bought the Innkeeper, and it has long been a popular gathering spot for Waunakee sports fans and Badgers followers.
Until disbanding in 2019, the University of Wisconsin football booster club —the Mendota Gridiron Club — held many meetings at Rex’s through good times and bad.
Sunday was a time to reminisce and rally for many diehard Mendota Club members who still hold the Badgers close to their heart and wear the red and white with pride.
One of the most ardent boosters has been Wayne Esser, who was first named the club’s executive director 53 years ago. His loyalty to the Badgers dates back even further.
The Esser name, in itself, has been synonymous with brewing and beer distribution since 1863. Its German-style lager, Esser’s Best, has a renowned history in Cross Plains.
So does Wayne Esser, who took over the business in 1988. A few years later, he was joined by his son, Larry, extending the Esser’s Best family involvement to six generations.
Because of his tireless commitment and endless support of Badgers football, Wayne Esser was inducted into a special category of the UW Athletic Hall of Fame.
In this 2013 file photo, Larry Esser, left, and Wayne Esser are shown beneath a photo of George Esser, who founded Esser’s Cross Plains Brewery in 1863.
The 2009 class included offensive tackle Joe Panos, who was one of the captains of the 1994 Rose Bowl team coached by Barry Alvarez, a College Football Hall of Famer.
Sunday afternoon, Esser was welcoming guests at the front door of Rex’s Innkeeper in what was a Mendota Gridiron Club reunion and celebration of Rose Bowls past.
A collaboration of former club presidents and members organized the event that mixed nostalgia with brats and burgers, an unbeatable combination for the 165 attendees.
During a brief formal presentation, Esser introduced former Wisconsin athletic director Pat Richter and his wife, Renee. They got a standing ovation.
Alvarez was the featured speaker. He also got a standing O.
Barry Alvarez back on his feet
That he was standing at all and moving around without the assistance of a cane was significant considering how challenging the last few months have been for him.
Barry and Cindy Alvarez spend their winters in Naples, Florida. He has always stayed active by playing a little golf and taking long morning walks. The good life.
But this winter was vastly different because Alvarez had complications with his oft-infected right knee, the one that put him in the Mayo Clinic during the 1999 season.
It was a classic football knee, a souvenir from his Nebraska playing days. He missed one game as a coach in ’99 but returned to the team after the knee replacement was postponed.
Alvarez has had issues with the knee ever since. This winter, he was hospitalized again with an infection and had multiple surgeries on his knee limiting him to a wheelchair.
He didn’t have much pain. But lacking mobility, he was frustrated because he couldn’t get around and take those long walks. For weeks, he couldn’t walk.
Once the rehab was completed, multiple rehabs, the Alvarezes returned to Madison. He was even able to attend some practices at Camp Randall Stadium by riding a golf cart.
It’s still his home away from home.
Sunday, Alvarez was in his element, reliving his days on the UW sidelines to an appreciative crowd at Rex’s. He repeatedly thanked everyone for their lifelong support.
‘Chemistry’ with Pat Richter
With a video of the Badgers victory over UCLA in the ’94 Rose Bowl playing on a screen over his shoulder, he addressed Richter’s impact on turning around the program.
“I’ll always remember the first time we met,” he said. “We had chemistry right away. We always got along, and he was a guy that whatever you needed he was there to provide it.
“There’s no coach that can succeed without an athletic director that is supportive. I always knew that I had that support from Pat and I always appreciated it.”
Alvarez also coached UW teams that won Rose Bowls in 1999 and 2000.
Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez runs on to the field with his players before their 1993 game against Purdue at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Indiana.
“What a great run we had,” he enthused. “We had so many good players, outstanding players who came through, players who played over their head many times.
“I liked to call them overachievers, and they’d get mad at me. They thought they were pretty damn good, which is great. That’s the way they should think.
“They knew how to win, and I knew one thing: No one was going to out-tough them and no one was going to outbattle those guys.”
The Mendota Gridiron Club was a piece in the puzzle. The members met every Wednesday night during the season.
Alvarez shared a story on how the Mendota Club paid bonuses to the coaches because “the athletic department didn’t have enough money” to pay them in the early ’90s.
He then emphasized, “Mendota was a very important part of this program.”
A bygone era.
Looking to rebound off a losing record in 2024, the Badgers will open their season Thursday night against the Miami University RedHawks at Camp Randall Stadium.
Miami is an historic Mid-American Conference school — the all-time leader in league wins, MAC titles (17) and bowl victories (nine). But they’re big underdogs to the Badgers.
Miami and Wisconsin have met just once before. In 2015, the UW skunked the RedHawks, 58-0, in Madison. It was Paul Chryst’s first win as the Wisconsin head coach.
A Mendota Gridiron Club get-together Sunday at Rex’s Innkeeper was the perfect kickoff to a new football season. Brats, Burgers and Barry. Tough to beat.
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