Greg Eslinger inducted into CFB Hall of Fame.

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Press release from the U of MN:
The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced today that former Golden Gopher Greg Eslinger is a member of the 2025 College Football Hall of Fame Class. Eslinger is the 20th Golden Gopher player to join the College Football Hall of Fame.

Eslinger exhibited exceptional intelligence and agility as he became one of the most decorated offensive linemen in college football history.

A two-time First Team All-American, including unanimous selection in 2005, Eslinger claimed the Outland Trophy as the most outstanding interior lineman in the country and the Rimington Trophy as the nation's best center during his senior season. Minnesota went 32-18, posting winning records in all four years of his college career. He led the Gophers to four consecutive bowl games for the first time in school history, notching a 3-1 record in postseason play and ranking No. 17 in the final Coaches Poll after the 2003 season with a victory against Oregon in the Sun Bowl.

Eslinger is one of just two Gophers to ever earn First Team All-Big Ten honors three times and started all 50 games of his college career. A two-year team captain, Eslinger anchored an offensive unit that twice led the Big Ten in rushing with 256.8 yards per game in 2004 and 273.1 yards per game in 2005. He opened the lanes for four consecutive 1,000-yard Gopher running backs, including Laurence Maroney who shared team Co-MVP honors with Eslinger in 2005 and led the Big Ten with 1,464 yards. He was also named the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year in 2005, the first Gopher to ever claim the honor.

During his tenure, the Gophers set multiple single-season offensive records, including rushing attempts (683), rushing yards (3,759), rushing yards per game (289.2), rushing touchdowns (46), total season yards (6,430), total yards per game (494.8), total season points (503), average points per game (38.7), season touchdowns (66) and first downs (326).

A two-time Second Team CSC Academic All-American and a three-time Academic All-Big Ten pick, Eslinger earned an NFF National Scholar-Athlete Award as a 2005 NFF William V. Campbell Trophy® Finalist, and he received the 2006 Big Ten Medal of Honor for his combined efforts on the field and in the classroom. He was inducted into the M Club Hall of Fame in 2016.

Drafted in the sixth round of the 2006 NFL Draft, Eslinger played for the Broncos, Browns and Texans from 2006-08. After playing in the NFL, he entered the business world as an orthopedic sales consultant with DePuy Synthes Companies in Minnesota. He has coached youth football and hockey, and he has also volunteered with the Special Olympics and as a motivational speaker to elementary and junior high school students.

Eslinger is the first Gopher to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame since Bob Stein was added to the Hall in 2020.
 





The U had a season schedule poster back in the day that had Eslinger pulling as the middle focus of the poster. We saw some really good line play back in those days. Greg was a big part of it. Congrats.
 
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Congrats Greg! One of my favorite Gophers of all time.
Curious why he didn't have a longer NFL career. Injuries? I know some say he was undersized but there were lots of lineman inc. centers much lighter than him at 290 during that time
 


feels like Greg was maybe a hair too early in that the more hyper mobile centers seemed to come more into play in the later 00s and into the 10s. That said, got a ton of joy as a kid watching he and the rest of the Gopher OL open up massive holes for Mase's running teams. A great and well deserved accomplishment
 

I seem to remember Eslinger sustaining an injury very early in the NFL. I could be wrong.
 

Well deserved. Was a great player for the Gophers, I remember him well and was always impressed by him. Gophers have had a few good centers over the past years.
 

I'm happy for Eslinger but it's making me feel old that a player during my Gopher Season Ticket tenure is being inducted into the College Hall of Fame.
 

This is my annual rant on this topic. The U does a horrible job of recognizing past players in the stadium. I am sure he has a banner somewhere inside the concourse - I go to nearly every game and couldn't honestly say I ever look at the banners above the concession stand.

I so wish the Gophers would copy the Vikings and create a ring of honor. I know they have Paul Giel, Sandy Stephens, Bruce Smith, Bronco Nagurski, and Bobby Bell up, but there is no one can tell me that they couldn't add one name each season similar to what the Vikings do. It's not a huge display, just a simple sign with their name. You don't have retire the number, simply have their name up in the stadium. Just recent Gophers I can think of off the top of my head Darrell Thompson, Laurence Maroney, Mohamed Ibrahim, Greg Eslinger, Matt Spaeth, Ben Hamilton, Tyrone Carter, Marion Barber III, Tyler Johnson, Eric Decker, Rashad Bateman, Antoine Winfield Jr, etc.

With that being said, congrats to Greg Eslinger - for my generation or 40ish year olds - the names Eslinger & Setterstrom and Barber & Maroney are legendary.
 

MNfootballfan said:
This is my annual rant on this topic. The U does a horrible job of recognizing past players in the stadium. I am sure he has a banner somewhere inside the concourse - I go to nearly every game and couldn't honestly say I ever look at the banners above the concession stand.

I so wish the Gophers would copy the Vikings and create a ring of honor. I know they have Paul Giel, Sandy Stephens, Bruce Smith, Bronco Nagurski, and Bobby Bell up, but there is no one can tell me that they couldn't add one name each season similar to what the Vikings do. It's not a huge display, just a simple sign with their name. You don't have retire the number, simply have their name up in the stadium. Just recent Gophers I can think of off the top of my head Darrell Thompson, Laurence Maroney, Mohamed Ibrahim, Greg Eslinger, Matt Spaeth, Ben Hamilton, Tyrone Carter, Marion Barber III, Tyler Johnson, Eric Decker, Rashad Bateman, Antoine Winfield Jr, etc.

With that being said, congrats to Greg Eslinger - for my generation or 40ish year olds - the names Eslinger & Setterstrom and Barber & Maroney are legendary.
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One could argue putting banners up is the same thing.Theyre pretty hard to miss walking around the concourse. Also US Bank has what six decks between the lower bowl, club level, press area, suite levels and upper levels. We have a 3/4 of a level to do a ring of honor and about 70 more years of history and the Vikings
 

Strongazzoffer said:
One could argue putting banners up is the same thing.Theyre pretty hard to miss walking around the concourse. Also US Bank has what six decks between the lower bowl, club level, press area, suite levels and upper levels. We have a 3/4 of a level to do a ring of honor and about 70 more years of history and the Vikings
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Concourse banners are something, but as a season ticket holder it's probably been 10 years since I walked on the Home/Shady side. I go in one or 2 gates on the Visitor/Sunny side and take my seat. More than 75% of the concourse I just rarely ever see.

I would guess/hope this honor will result in Eslinger's jersey being honored.
 

MNfootballfan said:
This is my annual rant on this topic. The U does a horrible job of recognizing past players in the stadium. I am sure he has a banner somewhere inside the concourse - I go to nearly every game and couldn't honestly say I ever look at the banners above the concession stand.

I so wish the Gophers would copy the Vikings and create a ring of honor. I know they have Paul Giel, Sandy Stephens, Bruce Smith, Bronco Nagurski, and Bobby Bell up, but there is no one can tell me that they couldn't add one name each season similar to what the Vikings do. It's not a huge display, just a simple sign with their name. You don't have retire the number, simply have their name up in the stadium. Just recent Gophers I can think of off the top of my head Darrell Thompson, Laurence Maroney, Mohamed Ibrahim, Greg Eslinger, Matt Spaeth, Ben Hamilton, Tyrone Carter, Marion Barber III, Tyler Johnson, Eric Decker, Rashad Bateman, Antoine Winfield Jr, etc.

With that being said, congrats to Greg Eslinger - for my generation or 40ish year olds - the names Eslinger & Setterstrom and Barber & Maroney are legendary.
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Mason was on Dan B on this show on the same topic

I honestly think Mason would’ve been good at the job Jerry kill wanted when he “retired” as gopher coach.

Carter, Spaeth, eslinger should for sure be on there
 

Nice, that's awesome! He was a four year starter and with him on the line the offense rushed for
  • 2,727 yards and 22 TDs in 2002
  • 3,759 yards and 46 TDs in 2003
  • 3,082 yards and 29 TDs in 2004
  • 3,277 yards and 34 TDs in 2005
 

Mase in Your Face chimes in via Shama:

Glen Mason was “ecstatic” and thought it was “long overdue” when Greg Eslinger, the most decorated offensive lineman in Golden Gophers football history, was announced last month as a member of the College Football Hall of Fame class of 2025.

Mason, the former Minnesota head football coach, is adamant that a strong contingent of Gopher enthusiasts should turn out to support the best center he ever coached when Eslinger is inducted into the Hall of Fame December 9 in Las Vegas. The National Football Foundation sponsors the Hall of Fame which is located in Atlanta. Tickets are available at https://NFF2025.givesmart.com.

Mason would love to see a strong showing in Vegas by the Gopher Athletic Department, prominent boosters and other fans of U football. “This is a big deal,” he told Sports Headliners. “I hope they put a contingent of people together for the Hall of Fame banquet when he goes out there. …”

“Yes, we plan to have representation in Las Vegas,” Gopher athletic director Mark Coyle said in a text on Friday to Sports Headliners. (Understandably, those plans may be in the earliest stages.)

Mason, even though he didn’t have a player being inducted, used to regularly attend the induction event. He saw how successful programs made a splash at the banquet by doing even more than advertising in the printed program and buying tables.

“Typically, Ohio State or Notre Dame or Alabama or Oklahoma, when they had an inductee, they had a hospitality suite, and people used to bounce around from one suite to the other suites. That’s a big-time image.”

Regardless of whether a school has an inductee or not, Mason said it’s important to send a message to the NFF that you are a supporter, and establish relationships. Thinking about Eslinger, Mason said, a strong showing of support in Vegas next December emphatically says: “you can accomplish anything that you want if you come to the University of Minnesota.”


Go Gophers!!
 

Eslinger’s four years with the Gophers were great. We didn’t always win as much as we maybe could have, but what a great experience watching that offense go.
 

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