BleedGopher
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per Marcus:
Not until he was in 10th grade at Rochester John Marshall did Thompson realize just how special his talent was in football, after making varsity. Shortly after that, his chiseled 6-1, 200-pound physique and blazing speed attracted coaches from across the country, most notably Iowa, Nebraska and UCLA.
Having a father from St. Louis and a mother from Mississippi, Thompson wasn’t raised as a Gophers fan. He never attended games and didn’t dream of playing in maroon and gold. By his senior season, he strongly considered Iowa because he liked then-coach Hayden Fry. His sister played volleyball there, which is how he met his wife, Stephanie, a Hawkeyes teammate.
But Thompson bonded with Gophers assistants George Wemeier and Jim Strong. John Gutekunst made Thompson his top priority after replacing Lou Holtz in 1986.
“The day after I was named head coach, I was on a plane to Rochester to recruit him,” Gutekunst said then.
Thompson, who set a then-Division I-A record with 205 yards in his debut, rushed for a school-record 4,654 yards from 1986-89. He holds Gophers career records for rushing touchdowns (40), 100-yard games (23) and attempts (936).
“I think I made the right decision,” he said. “The friends, the relationships, and the community — I’d do it all over again.”
http://www.startribune.com/darrell-thompson-never-slowed-down-after-football-career/390817721/
Go Gophers!!
Not until he was in 10th grade at Rochester John Marshall did Thompson realize just how special his talent was in football, after making varsity. Shortly after that, his chiseled 6-1, 200-pound physique and blazing speed attracted coaches from across the country, most notably Iowa, Nebraska and UCLA.
Having a father from St. Louis and a mother from Mississippi, Thompson wasn’t raised as a Gophers fan. He never attended games and didn’t dream of playing in maroon and gold. By his senior season, he strongly considered Iowa because he liked then-coach Hayden Fry. His sister played volleyball there, which is how he met his wife, Stephanie, a Hawkeyes teammate.
But Thompson bonded with Gophers assistants George Wemeier and Jim Strong. John Gutekunst made Thompson his top priority after replacing Lou Holtz in 1986.
“The day after I was named head coach, I was on a plane to Rochester to recruit him,” Gutekunst said then.
Thompson, who set a then-Division I-A record with 205 yards in his debut, rushed for a school-record 4,654 yards from 1986-89. He holds Gophers career records for rushing touchdowns (40), 100-yard games (23) and attempts (936).
“I think I made the right decision,” he said. “The friends, the relationships, and the community — I’d do it all over again.”
http://www.startribune.com/darrell-thompson-never-slowed-down-after-football-career/390817721/
Go Gophers!!