A successful college career is no guarantee of future glory in the pro game. There have been countless crowd favorites at the University of Minnesota who haven’t then lit up the NFL in the same way. But we look back on all our athletes as heroes and do our best to remember every Gopher for what they did for the school.
As this year’s roster gets into the swing of the college football season, there are some who may well go on to become NFL superstars. There are 18 former Golden Gophers playing for pro teams this year, after all, and they are already making an impression on the online NFL betting markets. There is no doubt there will be more in the years to come.
But, for now, we thought we would take this opportunity to recall some of our favorite Golden Gophers who went on to do great things in the pro game.
Bronko Nagurski
At Minnesota in the late 1920s, Nagurski played on both sides of the ball, tackle on defense and fullback on the offense. He was selected as a consensus All-American in his final year as a Gopher in 1929 and went on to play for the Chicago Bears in the NFL. To prove just how versatile he was, Nagurski also became the World Champion heavyweight wrestler on a number of occasions.
As a Gopher, he is fondly remembered, especially for a game against Wisconsin in 1929 when he recovered a fumble and then ran six times to score a go-ahead touchdown – all while wearing a corset to protect cracked vertebrae. He went on to win three championships with the Bears and was inducted into both the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame.
Bobby Bell
One of the most-loved Gophers of all time, Bobby Bell almost never made it to the University of Minnesota at all. He was wanted by UNC but that school was still segregated at the time. It is said that Bell could have played anywhere on the field but stood out on the defensive line. He also became the first black player on the school’s basketball team.
Bell was drafted by the Vikings of the NFL but surprisingly chose to go to the Kansas City Chiefs of the AFL. Considered one of the greatest ever linebackers in the history of the game, Bell was an AFL champion and also won a Super Bowl with the Chiefs, ironically against Minnesota. Bobby Bell was a trailblazer in both college and pro football and is still going strong today.
Carl Eller
Some of our favorite ever Gophers do go on to play for the Vikings, of course. Carl Eller won a Big Ten Championship and a Rose Bowl while at the University of Minnesota and was also a consensus All-American in 1963. Drafted by both the Vikings, Eller then became one of the front four known as the “Purple People Eaters”.
Although we all know that the Vikings never did win a Super Bowl, Eller helped the team dominate the Central Division and was selected to play in six Pro Bowls. For a franchise that has always been known for its defense, Eller still holds the record for most sacks – and he then went on to finish his career with the Seahawks. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004 and the College Football Hall of Fame two years later.
Leo Nomellini
Another Gopher who played in the NFL and also enjoyed a successful wrestling career, Leo Nomellini was a two-time All-American while at the University of Minnesota and was selected by the San Francisco 49ers as the number 11th pick overall in the 1950 NFL Draft. He would play for the Niners for the remainder of his career.
Showing his versatility, Nomellini played both offensive and defensive tackle in San Francisco and was a six-time First-Team All-Pro. Nomellini was known for his incredible strength and along with being a 10-time Pro Bowl player, he was also named as the defensive tackle on the NFL 50th Anniversary All-Time Team.
Charlie Sanders
Detroit Lions fans will remember Charlie Sanders with great affection, after a professional career as first a player, WR coach, color analyst and in the team’s community relations department. But before he made it big in Michigan, Sanders was a standout player on the offense for the Golden Gophers.
Sanders helped Minnesota tie for the Big Ten championship in his final year of college ball, before being taken by the Lions in the third round of the 1968 NFL Draft. He was a starting tight end for 10 years, immediately making an impact and was the only rookie named to the 1969 Pro Bowl. He was also known as a very good blocker and ended up being named in the NFL 1970s All-Decade Team.
Gino Cappelletti
A Minnesota native, Gino Cappelletti played as a backup QB but is better known for his extra point kicking. The Gophers didn’t kick field goals in his day but he is known for convincing the coach to allow him to kick a game-winning 43-yard effort against Iowa in 1952. He switched to QB in his final year and led the Gophers to a 7-2 record.
Even after all that drama, Cappelletti went undrafted and played in Canada for five years before asking the Boston Patriots for a tryout. He had actually left football and was working as a bartender in his brother’s bar in Minnesota. He would go on to star for the Patriots, winning the AFL MVP award in 1964 and was a well-loved radio commentator for almost 30 years.