KSTP: Ex-Gophers QB Mitch Leidner chats rivalry with Badgers, and much more

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Former Gophers and NFL quarterback Mitch Leidner dropped by the KSTP studios on Monday. Our Darren 'Doogie' Wolfson chatted with Mitch about his games against Wisconsin, including in 2014 when the Big Ten West championship was on the line. Leidner and the Gophers held a 17-3 lead in Madison before falling, 34-24.

Leidner also touched on this year's team -- he'll be at Saturday's game -- the scrutiny he took when playing at the U, his close relationship with former coach Jerry Kill, playing with WR Tyler Johnson and RBs Shannon Brooks and Rodney Smith, and more. He played for the Gophers 2012-2016, and was a team captain three years.

Leidner retired after multiple concussions. He bounced around the NFL trying out for teams, and played a few weeks for the Vikings in 2017. He later joined the Spring League in Texas where he suffered another concussion.

Leidner currently works in sales, and resides in St. Louis Park.

kstp.com

Ex-Gophers QB Mitch Leidner chats rivalry with Badgers, and much more

Former Gophers and NFL quarterback Mitch Leidner dropped by the KSTP studios on Monday. Our Darren 'Doogie' Wolfson chatted with Mitch about his games against Wisconsin, including in 2014 when the Big Ten West championship was on the line...
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Go Gophers!!
 

That dirty word concussion keeps popping up here and there. Glad Mitch got out somewhat healthy and is hopefully doing well in sales whatever that is.
 

It always bugged me how people ripped on Mitch when he played. No, he wasn’t a great QB. He had his deficiencies. But was that his fault? No. Was it his fault that he was recruited to play here and was the best option we had at QB? No. Did he play his but off for our team? Yes. He represented the team well and absolutely played his hardest. We can’t expect any more and should give this guy a huge pat on the back.
 

Good to see him be a part of this year. He definitely seemed to give it everything he had when he was here. He was part of the turnaround to respectability after the Brewster years.
 




If he had PJ as a coach and these receivers he’d be playing pro ball.
 


Bordergopher said:
It always bugged me how people ripped on Mitch when he played. No, he wasn’t a great QB. He had his deficiencies. But was that his fault? No. Was it his fault that he was recruited to play here and was the best option we had at QB? No. Did he play his but off for our team? Yes. He represented the team well and absolutely played his hardest. We can’t expect any more and should give this guy a huge pat on the back.
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i for one, couldnt stand mitch as QB. He was terrible and severly hurt the gophers being back there. luckly most of the time he just needed to hand the ball off. HOWEVER, this was not his fault. It was completly unfair for him to be playing QB..He was and is not a QB. Jerry Kill and company were horrible recruiters at the QB position and DL... I wish mitch well ... but am very very glad his QB playing days are done.
 



Spaulding!No! said:
If he had PJ as a coach and these receivers he’d be playing pro ball.
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you forget ... mitch choked on saturdays, threw the ball into the ground, thru them 20 yards over there heads... mitch was not a qb and should never have been put in that position to play as a QB... it was horrible.
 


GOPHERSWINBIG said:
i for one, couldnt stand mitch as QB. He was terrible and severly hurt the gophers being back there. luckly most of the time he just needed to hand the ball off. HOWEVER, this was not his fault. It was completly unfair for him to be playing QB..He was and is not a QB. Jerry Kill and company were horrible recruiters at the QB position and DL... I wish mitch well ... but am very very glad his QB playing days are done.
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Little harsh aren't you? He "was and is not a QB"? Really? You don't get try outs with NFL teams if you are not a QB. He had his deficiencies throwing the ball but he was solid everywhere else. How about Mitch made the most of his talent he could playing QB but he might have been better served playing somewhere else...like TE. Guy played his ass off for this team! Let's show a little more respect for the guy.
 




NotAFanOfBecky said:
Little harsh aren't you? He "was and is not a QB"? Really? You don't get try outs with NFL teams if you are not a QB. He had his deficiencies throwing the ball but he was solid everywhere else. How about Mitch made the most of his talent he could playing QB but he might have been better served playing somewhere else...like TE. Guy played his ass off for this team! Let's show a little more respect for the guy.
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i dont think so.. he was not good. it was unfair to put him out there as a qb
 

NotAFanOfBecky said:
Little harsh aren't you? He "was and is not a QB"? Really? You don't get try outs with NFL teams if you are not a QB. He had his deficiencies throwing the ball but he was solid everywhere else. How about Mitch made the most of his talent he could playing QB but he might have been better served playing somewhere else...like TE. Guy played his ass off for this team! Let's show a little more respect for the guy.
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i forgot to mention. i respect him a lot for doing what he did for his team... works hard...
moving forward .... he would not have touched the field as qb under fleck
 

I have joked in the past about Mitch's bounce passes; but looking at the big picture, he is definitely in the top 5 of quarterbacks over the last 20 years. He's got the stats; but the biggest thing is the fact that he left everything out on the field. Seeing him run with a bum leg week after week really says a lot about the guy.
 

Rescooter said:
I have joked in the past about Mitch's bounce passes; but looking at the big picture, he is definitely in the top 5 of quarterbacks over the last 20 years. He's got the stats; but the biggest thing is the fact that he left everything out on the field. Seeing him run with a bum leg week after week really says a lot about the guy.
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his run option is what kept him playing... he just took alot of punishment doing it
 

GOPHERSWINBIG said:
i forgot to mention. i respect him a lot for doing what he did for his team... works hard...
moving forward .... he would not have touched the field as qb under fleck
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For the millionth time, if you were to actually look at his stats, he was an average big ten qb. No need to rip him like you are.
 

Word said:
For the millionth time, if you were to actually look at his stats, he was an average big ten qb. No need to rip him like you are.
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not ripping. very much appreciate what he did. Love the new life were living right now.
 

Word said:
For the millionth time, if you were to actually look at his stats, he was an average big ten qb. No need to rip him like you are.
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He plays under pj or at nodak he is a pro. Record setter everywhere he played.
 

Spaulding!No! said:
He plays under pj or at nodak he is a pro. Record setter everywhere he played.
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He did have his chance in the pros and it didn't work out, unless you're saying that Kirk and PJ would have turned him into a better QB aside from having better receivers. I think if he played for PJ he would have had a lot better stats for sure, due to having better receivers.
 

Word said:
He did have his chance in the pros and it didn't work out, unless you're saying that Kirk and PJ would have turned him into a better QB aside from having better receivers. I think if he played for PJ he would have had a lot better stats for sure, due to having better receivers.
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you are misguided but think what you want... the time is now.. new LIFE AS GOPHERS !!
 

After he left the University, Mitch got paid to play football. That's more than most can say.
 

Mitch won a lot of games and was tough as nails. I have a lot of respect for him. I saw him at the bottom of my section during the Penn State game and it's great to watch this interview.
 


I have PTSD from watching Mitchell try to throw a forward pass.
 


tomdog said:
I have PTSD from watching Mitchell try to throw a forward pass.
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again (that was pretty good) i respect what mitch did for the gophers. He handed the ball off well, and he ran the read option good. his throwing was not good. under pressue not good. But he did the best he could... he won most games they were
 

I just listened to the interview. Doogie made it awkward when he asked and then reasked about a sr season.....good grief
 


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