BleedGopher
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per San:
As the sun was setting on a gorgeous evening in Tampa on New Year’s Day, Sam Renner stood outside Raymond James Stadium, surrounded by his loved ones and a bunch of adoring young fans. The former Maple Grove Crimson just played his last game as a University of Minnesota Golden Gopher and was soaking in the glorious joyfulness after the Gophers’ thrilling 31-24 Outback Bowl win over No. 9 Auburn.
“Cannot ask for a better way to go out on,” said Renner, a 6-4, 275-pound fifth-year red-shirt senior starting defense tackle. “An 11-2 season at Minnesota is something that was not possible.”
Five years ago, a moment like this was almost impossible for Renner. A powerful fullback/tightend for the Crimson in 2014, Renner was playing in the fifth game of his senior season when he blew his knee out on the third play of the game.
“That was devastating because he was a dominant player for us as a fullback,” Maple Grove coach Matt Lombardi recalled. “He was a great blocker at his size and really was a major part in the success of our run offense that year.”
The knee injury cast a doubt on Renner’s dream of playing college football, but fate would intervene in a positive way.
“Coach Mike Sherels, who was the linebacker coach at Minnesota, visited our school just to touch base,” Lombardi recalled. “I informed him I had a kid that got hurt early in the year that is a good size kid that is very smart and a great player. He went up to Sam’s classroom, introduced himself, and within a week they recruited him as a recruited walk-on.”
www.hometownsource.com
Go Gophers!!
As the sun was setting on a gorgeous evening in Tampa on New Year’s Day, Sam Renner stood outside Raymond James Stadium, surrounded by his loved ones and a bunch of adoring young fans. The former Maple Grove Crimson just played his last game as a University of Minnesota Golden Gopher and was soaking in the glorious joyfulness after the Gophers’ thrilling 31-24 Outback Bowl win over No. 9 Auburn.
“Cannot ask for a better way to go out on,” said Renner, a 6-4, 275-pound fifth-year red-shirt senior starting defense tackle. “An 11-2 season at Minnesota is something that was not possible.”
Five years ago, a moment like this was almost impossible for Renner. A powerful fullback/tightend for the Crimson in 2014, Renner was playing in the fifth game of his senior season when he blew his knee out on the third play of the game.
“That was devastating because he was a dominant player for us as a fullback,” Maple Grove coach Matt Lombardi recalled. “He was a great blocker at his size and really was a major part in the success of our run offense that year.”
The knee injury cast a doubt on Renner’s dream of playing college football, but fate would intervene in a positive way.
“Coach Mike Sherels, who was the linebacker coach at Minnesota, visited our school just to touch base,” Lombardi recalled. “I informed him I had a kid that got hurt early in the year that is a good size kid that is very smart and a great player. He went up to Sam’s classroom, introduced himself, and within a week they recruited him as a recruited walk-on.”
Former Crimson Renner’s improbable college football journey ends in Gophers’ Outback Bowl victory
As the sun was setting on a gorgeous evening in Tampa on New Year’s Day, Sam Renner stood outside Raymond James Stadium, surrounded by his loved ones and a bunch
Go Gophers!!
