Ex-Illini star Luke Altmyer on Bret Bielema: ‘I aspire to be like him’

By GERY WOELFEL
Nobody knows the importance of having a top-notch backup quarterback than the Green Bay Packers.
For the last two seasons, the Packers have been fortunate to have the services of Malik Willis as Jordan Love’s understudy..
When Love was prevented from playing a game because of an injury, the Packers’ offense hardly skipped a beat with Willis running the show.
Last season, Willis was outstanding. He completed 30 of 35 pass attempts — an insane 85.7 percent completion rate — while throwing 3 touchdowns without an interception.
Unfortunately for the Packers, Willis isn’t likely to be wearing a green and gold uni next season. Willis is an unrestricted free agent and will undoubtedly draw keen interest from several quarterback-hungry teams.
So, who’ll fill Willis’ big shoes next season?
Maybe it’ll be Clayton Tune, the Packers’ third-string QB last season. Tune appeared in two games, completing 7 of 15 passes with no touchdowns and one interception.
Or, it could be Desmond Ridder, whom the Packers signed to their practice squad in late December and was later promoted to the active roster.
Ridder has bounced around the NFL after being a a third-round selection of the Atlanta Falcons in the 2022 draft.
Ridder, 26, had cups of coffee with Atlanta, Arizona, Las Vegas, Cincinnati and Minnesota before joining the Packers.
Since 2023, when he started 13 games for the Falcons, Ridder has played in only six games, starting just once.
Whether Ridder or Tune will be backing up Love next season is anyone’s guess. But it’s virtually a lock the Packers will explore other options at the position.
The Packers are currently evaluating several draft prospects, one being Luke Altmyer, the former Illinois star.
Altmyer is coming off a fantastic season with the Illini. To wit:
— He passed for 22 touchdown passes.
— He had only five passes picked off.
— He finished with a completion percentage of 67.
— He threw five touchdown passes against Wisconsin and four against Rutgers.
And he excelled in late-game situations. In his two seasons at Illinois, he led the Illini on seven, game-winning drives in the final minute of regulation play or overtime.
That was the most game-winning drives by any college quarterback in the last two seasons.
Additionally, he was a team captain.
The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Altmyer, who began his collegiate career at Mississippi, said the bulk of the credit for his development as a player, and person, should go to Illinois coach Bret Bielema.
“He helped me incredibly,” Altmyer told me at the recent Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. “Bret Bielema has been such a benefactor in my growth and development, the way I grew in that program, the way he made me into a man.
“Coach Bielema challenged me and pushed me and put me in uncomfortable situations. He brought out the best in me, and that’s the truth.
“So I owe a lot of my success to him.”
Altmyer has so much respect for Bielema that he considers the former University of Wisconsin head coach to be a role model of sorts for him.
“He’ll forever be my favorite,” Altmyer said of Bielema. “He’s a great coach, a great man, a great father.
“He’s the same way every single day. I aspire to be like him.”