Edgerton two-sport standout Ben Wileman excited to join Minnesota football team

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BleedGopher

BleedGopher

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per John:

Ben Wileman has already been hearing the catcalls. He knows it comes with the territory.

Yet, he’s willing to take the abuse to live out a lifelong dream.


The Edgerton High senior is going to play Big Ten football.

Wileman will attend the University of Minnesota as a preferred walk-on for P.J. Fleck’s up-and-coming program. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound linebacker will likely redshirt his first season. But he would have four years of eligibility remaining and a few chances to take back Paul Bunyan’s Axe from the University of Wisconsin—which beat the Gophers last season to regain the coveted trophy between the two border state schools.

“I’ve got teased quite a bit already about going to Minnesota, but I know everybody is just joking,” Wileman said. “It’s usually, ‘I hope you play well, but I hope Wisconsin wins.’ I get it.

“But I’m really pumped about the whole thing. It’s a great fit for me and exactly where I want to be.”

www.gazettextra.com

Edgerton two-sport standout Ben Wileman excited to join Minnesota football team

Ben Wileman was a two-sport standout at Edgerton High, but he'll stick to football next season as a preferred walk-on at the University of Minnesota.
www.gazettextra.com www.gazettextra.com

Go Gophers!!
 

To be clear, this is Edgerton, Wisconsin...not tiny Edgerton, Minnesota.
When I read that people were teasing him for going to Minnesota, I thought something might be odd.
 

I want to be clear Edgerton folks bleed both cardinal and white. Let’s pump the maroon and gold!
 

Got a D1 recruit to walk on from Badger-town. Very nice.
 

I picture PJ talking to these walk on types and showing them the cool videos of him giving former walk ons scholarships and using that as a motivational tool to give the player something to work for.

You can go to Drake....or...you can walk on here, play in the Big Ten, and hopefully get a scholarship some day.
 


skauma said:
I picture PJ talking to these walk on types and showing them the cool videos of him giving former walk ons scholarships and using that as a motivational tool to give the player something to work for.

You can go to Drake....or...you can walk on here, play in the Big Ten, and hopefully get a scholarship some day.
Click to expand...

Agreed. I also think having former walk-ons making it in the NFL helps sell the walk-on aspect. JJ Watt from the Dink school, and Blake Cashman from the U. I'm sure there are others, and it proves they won't automatically be relegated to practice squad for their career.
 

Nice, welcome!

They can't all go to Madison. A kid like this may not have considered walking-on at the U in the past, but will consider now with Fleck's success.
 








A Fleck walk on can have a very bright future. Welcome young man, I see you holding the axe many times during your career. NFL or not you will get a great education and an awespme job.
 



Bob_Loblaw said:
The best player I can think of from Maple Grove was Evan Hull (maybe I'm missing someone).
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Joe Jensen and Jordan Gross played a couple games in the NHL and are from Maple Grove, if we are talking other sports.
 

Maple Grove high school is fairly new, less than 20 years old? Yet I think it's a pretty large enrollment school with a mostly upper-middle class student body? Lot of three-car garage homes.

Seems like they'd be more successful in sports? Too much competition? Similar to Coon Rapids, in that respect?

Another similar type of school would be Woodbury, maybe? Although when East Ridge was created, it suddenly was a powerhouse. In a similar vein to Eastview, from AV? Funny how that works out.
 


MplsGopher said:
Maple Grove high school is fairly new, less than 20 years old? Yet I think it's a pretty large enrollment school with a mostly upper-middle class student body? Lot of three-car garage homes.

Seems like they'd be more successful in sports? Too much competition? Similar to Coon Rapids, in that respect?

Another similar type of school would be Woodbury, maybe? Although when East Ridge was created, it suddenly was a powerhouse. In a similar vein to Eastview, from AV? Funny how that works out.
Click to expand...
Bump. Anyone with knowledge about MG, care to comment for those curious?
 

MplsGopher said:
Bump. Anyone with knowledge about MG, care to comment for those curious?
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I think Maple Grove hs was finished around 1998ish.
Somewhat upper middle class. Their sports teams are generally very good. Maybe they haven't won state titles but they are one of the top teams in section in almost every sport.
 

Word said:
I think Maple Grove hs was finished around 1998ish.
Somewhat upper middle class. Their sports teams are generally very good. Maybe they haven't won state titles but they are one of the top teams in section in almost every sport.
Click to expand...
If you live in one of these homes that was built in the early 2000's or newer, that has 2-3k finished sq ft without including the basement or more, and a three-car garage ... to me, that's smack dab in upper middle class.

Maple Grove, Plymouth, and upper Brooklyn Park are chock full of such homes.
 

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