Madison - Like many college students, Wisconsin defensive tackle Jordan Kohout isn't afraid to share certain parts of his life via Twitter:

"Mopeding in the rain = bad idea."

That tweet (on @jkohout91) came earlier this month, on a cool, rainy day in Madison.

Another: "I love the @FoodNetwork."

For the record, @FoodNetwork has more than 1.1 million followers.

"There are a lot of things out there," Kohout said when asked about the information available on Twitter. "If you want to follow a celebrity talking about their day. . ."

Or you can follow Kohout talking about the volatile situation in the Middle East, his views on how people should treat each other and his discovery of Islam.

Sometimes Kohout shares original thoughts on Twitter.

"If we can dedicate ourselves to virtue and goodness, and see others as we see ourselves, then maybe we can live that dream of his," he tweeted recently.

Other times, he re-tweets the thoughts of historical figures, writers or friends.

Kohout has followed the reported atrocities in Syria under the rule of President Bashar Assad.

He recently re-tweeted this from a Jordanian blogger:

"The whole world is #UnitedAgainstAssad. It's up for the politicians to live up to what the people want. And they're not! #Syria."

"I've been practicing the Muslim faith for about two years now," said Kohout, who will be a redshirt junior next season. "I think it is just good to get positive stuff out there. I re-tweet a lot of stuff.

"I'll see a positive message and I think it is good for people to have a nice little reminder if they want to (escape) from all the gossip you see there."

Messages such as this quote, attributed to Imam Birgivi, who lived from 1522-1573, during the height of the Ottoman Empire.

"He who harms the innocent, Ten times harder shall he fall. Fire from heaven shall strike him. And when his body drops, He shall rise in hell."

Kohout, from Waupun, became a practicing Muslim by chance.

"I tried a few different things," he said. "I wasn't very religious when I was younger. I tried a few different things - Buddhism, meditation, Christianity.

"I have some great Muslim friends who I really think the world of . . . They are wonderful people that I'm very happy to have met."

Prayer has become an integral part of his daily life.

"Praying five times a day," he said, "I like the rigor of that. That's something that I need. Not everybody needs it, but I think I do."

Kohout, who has missed the last week of spring workouts because of recurring migraines, is often pained to see TV reports detailing the ongoing struggles of Muslims in the Middle East.

"I think I've just got to remind myself it is a nuanced issue," he said. "You see stories about suicide bombings and if you look into classic Islamic law (Sharia law) that is completely against the law.

"That is disheartening. But people that are committing atrocities, if they are living in a place like that, if they see family members killed every day, it can mess with your head."

Kohout referred to a report that detailed a 10-year-old Palestinian boy living in Israel who chose to become a suicide bomber.

"He saw his mother killed by an Israeli soldier," he said. "He just went crazy. He strapped a bomb to himself. Any child who saw their mother killed like that, that would mess with you. I can't even imagine that.

"Evil is evil. But I don't think people are inherently evil. I think a lot of circumstances contribute."

Whether the topic is the wisdom of riding a moped in the rain, watching a Packers game with friends at a local restaurant or the crisis in the Middle East, Kohout doesn't mind sharing his thoughts on Twitter.