BleedGopher
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per Fox 9:
There are now 12 seniors who will play their final home game on Saturday against Wisconsin at TCF Bank Stadium. Five of them -- Thomas Barber, Carter Coughlin, Kamal Martin, Sam Renner and Tyler Johnson, are Minnesota natives. The winner earns the right to face Ohio State for the Big Ten title. The Gophers have a very real shot at heading to Pasadena, Calif, for the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day.
Fleck’s biggest and most immediate duty after becoming the new face of the Gophers was re-recruiting current players. His biggest early challenge, arguably, was safety Antoine Winfield Jr, who currently leads the Gophers with 76 tackles through 11 games and is one of the top players in the Big Ten with seven interceptions.
Winfield Jr. was among the players suspended at the end of the 2016 season. His father, Antoine Winfield, was outspoken at the time saying his son was leaving the school. Winfield Jr. was eventually cleared from any wrongdoing in the 2016 incident, and returned to the team. After talking with Fleck and his defensive roommates, including Carter Coughlin and Kamal Martin, he wasn’t going anywhere.
“A big part would be Coach Fleck, sitting down and talking with him. Him sharing his vision with me that I believed in,” Winfield Jr. said. “Another huge part would be my roommates, and my teammates. I would say roommates because they’re my brothers, I love them. I remember going back to my room and talking to them, they’re really one of the main reasons why I decided to stay.”
www.fox9.com
Go Gophers!!
There are now 12 seniors who will play their final home game on Saturday against Wisconsin at TCF Bank Stadium. Five of them -- Thomas Barber, Carter Coughlin, Kamal Martin, Sam Renner and Tyler Johnson, are Minnesota natives. The winner earns the right to face Ohio State for the Big Ten title. The Gophers have a very real shot at heading to Pasadena, Calif, for the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day.
Fleck’s biggest and most immediate duty after becoming the new face of the Gophers was re-recruiting current players. His biggest early challenge, arguably, was safety Antoine Winfield Jr, who currently leads the Gophers with 76 tackles through 11 games and is one of the top players in the Big Ten with seven interceptions.
Winfield Jr. was among the players suspended at the end of the 2016 season. His father, Antoine Winfield, was outspoken at the time saying his son was leaving the school. Winfield Jr. was eventually cleared from any wrongdoing in the 2016 incident, and returned to the team. After talking with Fleck and his defensive roommates, including Carter Coughlin and Kamal Martin, he wasn’t going anywhere.
“A big part would be Coach Fleck, sitting down and talking with him. Him sharing his vision with me that I believed in,” Winfield Jr. said. “Another huge part would be my roommates, and my teammates. I would say roommates because they’re my brothers, I love them. I remember going back to my room and talking to them, they’re really one of the main reasons why I decided to stay.”
Gophers seniors who saw PJ Fleck's vision getting rewarded with chance to win Big Ten West
Saturday marks the last regular season home game for 12 Gophers seniors, with five of them being Minnesota natives. They stayed with the program through tough times in 2016, and now they're facing rival Wisconsin for the Big Ten West title.
Go Gophers!!