Middle of it all 

When Chris Orr settled in for his first college class at Wisconsin, he was an anonymous 18-year-old with little clue how quickly and dramatically his life was about to change.

On that day, Sept. 2, Orr showed up early to secure a front-row seat for his History 102 course in the Humanities Building. He took a similar tack for classes in Nutritional Science 132, Sociology 120 and Psychology 115, an approach he adapted from his days as an honor student at DeSoto (Texas) High School.

“If I can’t make it to the front (row),” Orr explained, “then anywhere in the middle.”

All the while potential distractions swirled in his head.

In three days, Orr would make his debut as a true freshman inside linebacker for the Badgers in their season opener vs. Alabama in Arlington, Texas. Not only would he be mixing it up with five-star talent layered throughout a perennial national powerhouse, he grew up not far from AT&T Stadium in suburban Dallas and would have dozens of family and friends on hand.

The following week Orr was in line to see his first action at Camp Randall Stadium. Thoughts of surging out of the tunnel, hearing his name boom over the PA system, feeling the energy of 75,000 fans during a non-conference game against Miami (Ohio) were intoxicating.

If all that weren’t enough to distract Orr, he was on his own -- 1,000 miles from his home and his parents, Terry and Rita -- for the first time in his life. He walked amid thousands of strangers on a campus with more people than his hometown of 51,000. Of course, he was still getting to know his way around the sprawling 933-acre campus.

How did Orr stay on task -- being a student as well as an athlete -- as his first month at Wisconsin began to unfold?

“There should be like a switch that goes off in your head,” he said. “You get to class and you try to focus as best you can. You try not to think that, ‘Hey, this is an exciting week. We got ‘Bama. Then we got our first home game.’ You try to focus on your class.

“You just have to have your priorities straight. Right now I’m in class. When it comes to the football field it’s all football. You can’t think about anything else.”

As for making it on his own, Orr said he was grateful for his Wisconsin teammates because “they keep me sane” and for technological guidance as he maneuvered his scooter around campus.

“I’m on my map (app) a lot,” he said. “Sometimes I take the long way, but I’m starting to get it now.”

The first month of Orr’s time at Wisconsin was a euphoric whirl wind. Over the course of four games he zoomed up the depth chart from backup to starter and cultivated a unique vibe within the locker room.

“He’s a football savvy guy,” defensive coordinator Dave Aranda said. “He makes football look easy. Sometimes you work with guys and football may be hard at times. For Chris it can be put in simple terms. He gets it.”

Listed at 6-foot and 228 pounds, Orr saw periodic action during a 35-17 loss to Alabama and played extensively in the second half of a 58-0 victory over Miami (Ohio).

When starter Leon Jacobs was ejected for a targeting penalty in the first half vs. Troy on Sept. 19, Orr saw his workload – and public profile – increase dramatically. He finished the day with team-best 14 tackles – 11 solo – and knocked down a pass in coverage during a 28-3 victory.

After the Badgers closed out the opening month with a 28-0 victory over Hawaii on Sept. 26, Orr was installed as the starter heading into the Big Ten Conference opener with Iowa.

“It let me know that coach Aranda trusts me and the coaching staff trusts me and my teammates trust me enough to be out there with the starters,” Orr said of the promotion.

Aranda said it’s unusual to see a teenager embrace his surroundings – school and football – as quickly, as efficiently and as enthusiastically as Orr.

“He’s very confident,” Aranda said with a small knowing smile. “There’s an ability with that confidence to take things in stride and say, ‘Oh, I got this.’”

When Wisconsin players gathered on the sidelines for the traditional bop to “Jump Around” during the home opener, Orr was smack in the middle, waving a towel above his head. That’s how he scripted it in his head.

“The energy just kind of takes you over,” he said. “You get around your teammates – guys you love, your brothers – and start having fun. You’re in it.”

Orr is anonymous no more. Local media members have become versed in his compelling background – his father played eight seasons in the NFL, while his three older brothers have accomplished college careers – and found the youngest Orr to be a thoughtful and engaging subject. At the same time, classmates have made note of Orr’s exploits.

“They want to come up to you, shake your hand, talk to you and stuff,” he said. “They want to give you a hug or whatever.”

Terry Orr, a tight end for the Washington Redskins from 1986-93 after graduating from Texas, said he’s not surprised to hear that Chris has adapted so quickly and so well.

“We call him our chameleon,” the father said. “He can adapt to anything. You could put him in an old folks’ home and he’d stay there all day. You could put him in a children’s hospital, same thing. That’s his personality.”

A lot of that comes from being molded by three highly motivated brothers. Terrance was a defensive back at Texas State and now coaches wide receivers at Desoto, a perennial prep powerhouse in the state. Zachary played linebacker so well at North Texas that, while undrafted, he signed an NFL contract with Baltimore and is in his second season with the Ravens. Meanwhile, Nick is a sophomore starting at safety for TCU.

The brothers grew up working out together and learning the game from a unique vantage point. Instead of watching cartoons, Chris said they routinely gathered to watch football games, regardless of level. It could be old footage of their dad playing for the Redskins. It could be a classic college rivalry game like Texas vs. Oklahoma. It could be a high school game in football-mad Texas.

“We watched cartoons, don’t get me wrong,” Chris said. “But whenever we were all together, we were watching football. Sometimes we’d watch our dad’s old tapes or watch games we played in and recorded and kind of critique each other. We’d watch good football games, period.”

Terrance told an ESPN reporter that Chris had the best work ethic of all the brothers. Chris said that was “humbling” to hear, a point driven home by his Twitter profile that references Matthew 23:12: “For those who exalt themselves will be humbled and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

“That’s actually a testament to them,” Chris said. “That’s them working so hard and me wanting to be better than them.”

Terrance said he and his brothers competed at everything – on the field and off – and that Chris is putting those lessons on display now.

“We were all hard on each other,” he said. “But it’s out of love and respect.”

Unlike his brothers, Chris took a different path to college that led north out of Texas. Thought to be too undersized, he had an offer from North Texas and drew interest from the likes of Arkansas, but said Wisconsin was the scholarship he was “most excited for.”

“I didn’t like hearing people tell me, ‘Oh, you got this because of your brother,’ “ he said. “So I wanted to pave my own way and make my own landmark somewhere else.”

That process will continue Saturday when the Badgers travel to Nebraska looking to regain their bearings after a 10-6 loss to Iowa. Terry and Rita plan to see their youngest son play against the Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln. Then the Orrs will make their way to Camp Randall for a Big Ten duel with Purdue on Oct. 17.

Chris said he intends to secure dual degrees in kinesiology and communications. There’s a room upstairs at the Orr residence in Desoto where all the college diplomas are displayed. Two spots – one for Nick and one for Chris – are empty for now.

“That’s a bigger deal than what they’re doing with football,” Terry Orr said of his sons.

October began with mid-term exams are on the horizon, but Chris Orr said he’s ready.

“Just like football, it’s all about preparation,” he said.

Aranda said Orr emerged as a starter because the game has slowed down for him, allowing his instincts to zoom to the surface.

“When you watch film with Chris, he’s very insightful,” Aranda said. “Football comes easy to him. That’s why he’s at this point because he’s so advanced in just understanding the game.”

“Things are slowing down more and more each week,” Orr confirmed. “I’m getting more accustomed to college football.”