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Future Gopher Cole Kramer: "It has always been a dream of mine to play for the Gophers."
By Chris Monter
https://main.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/916318?referrer_id=
Cole Kramer, a 6-foot-1, 175-pound junior quarterback from Eden Prairie (MN) High, helped lead the Eagles to a 13-0 record this past season, winning the Class AAAAAA tournament over Minnetonka 38-17.
Kramer was the first player from the Class of 2019 to commit to Minnesota.
Kramer completed 72 of 101 passes for 1191 yards and 18 touchdowns this year.
Kramer comes from an athletic family. His uncle, Mike, was a backup quarterback for Rickey Foggie in 1984-85 after starting his career at North Dakota. His uncle, Bob Coughlin, was a two-year letterman for the Gophers as a defensive tackle in 1989-90 and married Jenny Moe, who was named to the All-Big Ten team four times for the Gophers in tennis. Their sons are current Gopher football players Carter and Quinn.
Gopher Hole: You committed to Minnesota the day after the early signing period for the senior class. What was the main reason that you decided to make that decision then?
Cole Kramer: Just from the start, I just knew that Minnesota was the place that I want to be at and I kind of knew that the offer was coming and I knew that I was going to commit right away.
Gopher Hole: They offered you the same day as you committed, right?
Cole Kramer: Yes.
Gopher Hole: How did they let you know about the offer?
Cole Kramer: A couple of weeks before, they said that they were going to offer me and they said to keep it kind of quiet. That morning, Coach Fleck Face Timed me around seven, before school and officially offered me and that is when I committed.
Gopher Hole: You also committed the same day as Jason Williamson of Owatonna. I know that you committed earlier in the day and he committed later that day. You won the 6A title and they won the 5A title. Have you gotten to know him much at all since then or did you know much about him before that?
Cole Kramer: I have never talked to him in person, but we have been texting quite a bit just about the Gophers and seeing each other and trying to see who we are going to talk to get them to commit, too. We have been kind of building a friendship as well.
Gopher Hole: I know that is one of the things that Coach Fleck and his staff have said that they want to keep the best in-state players in Minnesota. Is that something important to you, playing for the homestate school?
Cole Kramer: Oh, yeah. For sure. Being from Minnesota, it has always been a dream of mine to play for the Gophers. I have always been going to the games even in the Metrodome before TCF Stadium was even built, so it means everything playing for them.
Gopher Hole: What was the reaction of your family and friends after you committed?
Cole Kramer: They were super excited. They didn’t really push me, because this was my decision. I like what P.J. Fleck and his staff are doing. They were very supportive, no matter what the decision I made and they were even extra happy when I announced for Minnesota.
Gopher Hole: I don’t know if other schools always thought that you were probably going to Minnesota and committing so early, but what other schools were you hearing from besides Minnesota when you committed?
Cole Kramer: I heard from Iowa and Michigan State. Those were the top two that were contacting me as well and North Dakota State.
Gopher Hole: Obviously, the team didn’t quite the season that they were hoping for. They had some injuries and a new coaching staff. What were your impressions of the team this year?
Cole Kramer: They had a good start. Coach Fleck, how he turned around Western Michigan, I truly believe that he’ll do the same for Minnesota and I totally believe in him. That is another reason that I wanted to be a Gopher is because how I believe in Coach Fleck and what they are really doing there.
Gopher Hole: How about your junior season? You won a state title after having a little bit of a run of not winning a state. You always expect Eden Prairie to win every year, to be honest. You hadn’t won for two years. How much more satisfying was that winning after not winning the last two years?
Cole Kramer: It was an awesome experience. Awesome feeling, especially when we came up so close last year and falling short. This year was very special. Our team was very close, which made it even that much more special when we won it.
Gopher Hole: Did you have a little feeling of relief having gotten that commitment over with and now you can just enjoy this year and your senior season and not have to worry about recruiting?
Cole Kramer: Yes, for sure. Now, I can just sit back and just work on my skills and become the best quarterback I can be, so now I don’t have to worry about the recruiting process. Minnesota is where I want to be and I know that for a fact.
Gopher Hole: How about your junior year? When you look at your stats, they are amazing. The number of touchdowns and no interceptions. You would think that you are going to make a bad throw or a ball might bounce someone’s hands. What do think about going a whole year plus the postseason and not even throwing an interception?
Cole Kramer: My coaches put me in such a great situation. Their play calling makes my job so much easier. The receivers, they made really good plays this year and the offensive line gave me great time back there. It wasn’t a just me. It was the whole team as well.
Gopher Hole: I know that you don’t throw the ball 50 times a game, but it is still amazing to go an entire year without an interception. Do you remember the last time you even threw an interception?
Cole Kramer: It was on the ninth grade team freshman year.
Gopher Hole: You are going to lose some good seniors. The expectations, obviously at Eden Prairie, are to win a title. What would it mean to you to win a title as both a junior and senior?
Cole Kramer: It would just mean even that much more than just winning it as a junior. Winning senior year as well, I have a belief that we can do it. Our team is working very hard right now in the offseason and if we keep it up, hopefully good things will happen.
Gopher Hole: Being a hometown kid, what is it going to mean to you when you walk out on the field for the first time in 2019 as a member of the Gophers?
Cole Kramer: It is going to be something unbelievably special. Just walking out there, I have never done anything like that. I am going to be lost for words, that’s for sure.
By Chris Monter
https://main.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/916318?referrer_id=
Cole Kramer, a 6-foot-1, 175-pound junior quarterback from Eden Prairie (MN) High, helped lead the Eagles to a 13-0 record this past season, winning the Class AAAAAA tournament over Minnetonka 38-17.
Kramer was the first player from the Class of 2019 to commit to Minnesota.
Kramer completed 72 of 101 passes for 1191 yards and 18 touchdowns this year.
Kramer comes from an athletic family. His uncle, Mike, was a backup quarterback for Rickey Foggie in 1984-85 after starting his career at North Dakota. His uncle, Bob Coughlin, was a two-year letterman for the Gophers as a defensive tackle in 1989-90 and married Jenny Moe, who was named to the All-Big Ten team four times for the Gophers in tennis. Their sons are current Gopher football players Carter and Quinn.
Gopher Hole: You committed to Minnesota the day after the early signing period for the senior class. What was the main reason that you decided to make that decision then?
Cole Kramer: Just from the start, I just knew that Minnesota was the place that I want to be at and I kind of knew that the offer was coming and I knew that I was going to commit right away.
Gopher Hole: They offered you the same day as you committed, right?
Cole Kramer: Yes.
Gopher Hole: How did they let you know about the offer?
Cole Kramer: A couple of weeks before, they said that they were going to offer me and they said to keep it kind of quiet. That morning, Coach Fleck Face Timed me around seven, before school and officially offered me and that is when I committed.
Gopher Hole: You also committed the same day as Jason Williamson of Owatonna. I know that you committed earlier in the day and he committed later that day. You won the 6A title and they won the 5A title. Have you gotten to know him much at all since then or did you know much about him before that?
Cole Kramer: I have never talked to him in person, but we have been texting quite a bit just about the Gophers and seeing each other and trying to see who we are going to talk to get them to commit, too. We have been kind of building a friendship as well.
Gopher Hole: I know that is one of the things that Coach Fleck and his staff have said that they want to keep the best in-state players in Minnesota. Is that something important to you, playing for the homestate school?
Cole Kramer: Oh, yeah. For sure. Being from Minnesota, it has always been a dream of mine to play for the Gophers. I have always been going to the games even in the Metrodome before TCF Stadium was even built, so it means everything playing for them.
Gopher Hole: What was the reaction of your family and friends after you committed?
Cole Kramer: They were super excited. They didn’t really push me, because this was my decision. I like what P.J. Fleck and his staff are doing. They were very supportive, no matter what the decision I made and they were even extra happy when I announced for Minnesota.
Gopher Hole: I don’t know if other schools always thought that you were probably going to Minnesota and committing so early, but what other schools were you hearing from besides Minnesota when you committed?
Cole Kramer: I heard from Iowa and Michigan State. Those were the top two that were contacting me as well and North Dakota State.
Gopher Hole: Obviously, the team didn’t quite the season that they were hoping for. They had some injuries and a new coaching staff. What were your impressions of the team this year?
Cole Kramer: They had a good start. Coach Fleck, how he turned around Western Michigan, I truly believe that he’ll do the same for Minnesota and I totally believe in him. That is another reason that I wanted to be a Gopher is because how I believe in Coach Fleck and what they are really doing there.
Gopher Hole: How about your junior season? You won a state title after having a little bit of a run of not winning a state. You always expect Eden Prairie to win every year, to be honest. You hadn’t won for two years. How much more satisfying was that winning after not winning the last two years?
Cole Kramer: It was an awesome experience. Awesome feeling, especially when we came up so close last year and falling short. This year was very special. Our team was very close, which made it even that much more special when we won it.
Gopher Hole: Did you have a little feeling of relief having gotten that commitment over with and now you can just enjoy this year and your senior season and not have to worry about recruiting?
Cole Kramer: Yes, for sure. Now, I can just sit back and just work on my skills and become the best quarterback I can be, so now I don’t have to worry about the recruiting process. Minnesota is where I want to be and I know that for a fact.
Gopher Hole: How about your junior year? When you look at your stats, they are amazing. The number of touchdowns and no interceptions. You would think that you are going to make a bad throw or a ball might bounce someone’s hands. What do think about going a whole year plus the postseason and not even throwing an interception?
Cole Kramer: My coaches put me in such a great situation. Their play calling makes my job so much easier. The receivers, they made really good plays this year and the offensive line gave me great time back there. It wasn’t a just me. It was the whole team as well.
Gopher Hole: I know that you don’t throw the ball 50 times a game, but it is still amazing to go an entire year without an interception. Do you remember the last time you even threw an interception?
Cole Kramer: It was on the ninth grade team freshman year.
Gopher Hole: You are going to lose some good seniors. The expectations, obviously at Eden Prairie, are to win a title. What would it mean to you to win a title as both a junior and senior?
Cole Kramer: It would just mean even that much more than just winning it as a junior. Winning senior year as well, I have a belief that we can do it. Our team is working very hard right now in the offseason and if we keep it up, hopefully good things will happen.
Gopher Hole: Being a hometown kid, what is it going to mean to you when you walk out on the field for the first time in 2019 as a member of the Gophers?
Cole Kramer: It is going to be something unbelievably special. Just walking out there, I have never done anything like that. I am going to be lost for words, that’s for sure.