He attended Sheboygan South High School and then went on to the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, where he starred in track and field.
Schroeder joined the UW-La Crosse football team in only his fifth year of college after exhausting his eligibility to compete in track.
Despite playing only one year, Schroeder's athleticism (4.26 second 40-yard dash and 44 inch vertical leap) drew the attention of NFL scouts.
Then he went back to Green Bay, and after making the practice squad, he spent some time playing for NFL Europe before he finally made the active roster in the 1997 season.
[5] Schroeder was affectionately known as "The Sheboygan Flash", La Crosse Lightning, "Pro Bowl Bill" to many Packer fans.