Personal Favorite Gopher Football player

[HitMeAgainIAmStillMoving]

While circling the stadium waiting for season to start I was thinking of my personal all time favorite players.

Antoine Winfield: He could play 11 D positions and probably some O ones as well.

Ricky Foggie: I remember listening to a game on the radio and he followed a wide receiver to the end zone when the DB did not look back.

Chip Money Lohmiller: All he did was win games, that's all he did.

 

[fmlizard]

Eric Decker. A lot of RBs I could have picked. To me, great receivers are always more exciting than great RBs.

Rashod Bateman. See above. Also was passionate about Minnesota even though he's from far away.

The Bucs Trio - Winfield, TJ, Kieft...love all 3 of them enough that I think I'm switching sides from the Vikings. (I also live in Tampa Bay now)

Barber and Maroney, the staples of my college experiences at the Dome

 

[stemar]

For me it will always be Ricky Foggie. I was in middle school and he was the first athlete that I idolized. He was bigger than life to me.

 

[STPGopher]

Too many to list. All for various reasons.

In the spirit of the thread, Sandy Stephens (personal reasons). Marion Barber Jr./II. I just loved the way he ran the ball. Probably still my all-time favorite.

Modern era. Winfield and Tyler Johnson. Winfield was all world. Tyler Johnson made it in spite of. A true inspiration. Still can't believe that catch against Auburn followed by smoking Smoke Monday in the same game. A highlight reel waiting to happen.

 

[Gophers1992]

Rashod Bateman tops the list for me just based on his combination of being an amazing player and seemingly a great human being who was and is extremely passionate about the university. Others would include

Maroney
Barber
Tyler Johnson
Winfield
Eric Murray
Damian Wilson
Marquies Gray
Asad
Boye Mafe
Rhys Lloyd

 

[MNVCGUY]

Interesting thread and a tough one as others have mentioned. Lots of options but will go with:

Offense - MB3
Defense - Karon Riley
Spec - Dan Nystrom, with Peter Mortell as an honorable mention.

 

[#2Gopher]

Has to be Rickie Foggie and Darrell Thompson for me. Those two on the field were dangerous as any duo could be.

 

[ComoCraig]

I think the previous posters did a great job keying in on the big names of my time as a gopher fan, but I'll try to include some "sleepers" of the same era.

While he may have been overshadowed by other future NFLers on the defensive side, I always loved the passion and resilience of Winston DeLattiboudere. Winston always seemed like the heartbeat of that defensive line, and I think his character will take him far in the coaching realm.

Boye Mafe's strip sack against Purdue will always stand out in my mind as one of my favorite Gopher highlights. I'm not sure if I've seen an O Lineman get beat so thoroughly. Of course this was just one highlight in Mafe's great career, but it left a strong impression on me, and I am hoping for many more similar plays out of Boye on Sundays.

 

[denguegopher]

So many great ones. For the letter "F" it would be Foggie, Fleetwood and the Fahnhorsts (wasn't there two?). Two Foggie's also.

 

[IceBoxGopher]

Some recency bias but probably Briean Boddy-Calhoun. He made some great, impactful plays in college, especially the one that sealed the deal against the Huskers.

 

[8151]

Matt Spaeth. He sure could block!

 

[GophersInIowa]

Cedric Thompson will always be one of my favorites. What he overcame to being a good college player and get drafted.

 

[Gophers1992]

Some recency bias but probably Briean Boddy-Calhoun. He made some great, impactful plays in college, especially the one that sealed the deal against the Huskers.

That is on my short list of most memorable individual plays from this program.

 

[STPGopher]

So many great ones. For the letter "F" it would be Foggie, Fleetwood and the Fahnhorsts (wasn't there two?). Two Foggie's also.

Fahnhorsts (SP?): Keith (OL) and Jim (LB).

Foggies: Ricky, and Fred (WR).

 

[GopherDog1]

I never saw Bobby Bell play, but his reputation is fantastic, and Bronko Nagurski.

Players I have seen and ranked in my heart anyway:

1) Antoine Winfield Jr
2) Rick Upchurch
3) Tony Dungy

 

[FredCoxRocks]

Marion Barber Jr. - I was in elementary school when he played...had his jersey.
Rickey Foggie - Fun to watch, brought some excitement back to Gopher football.
Darryl Thompson - We're the same age so I always like to compare myself to him and feel I could have been there right alongside of him had I only been a lot bigger, a lot faster, a lot stronger, quicker, smarter, and able to carry the load of those giant shoulder pads.

 

[mggoph]

Darrell Thompson for me. The 98 yd TD run against Michigan was something to behold.

 

[Word]

Eric Decker and Maxx Williams

 

[fan of Ray Williams]

Marion Barber Jr. - I was in elementary school when he played...had his jersey.
Rickey Foggie - Fun to watch, brought some excitement back to Gopher football.
Darryl Thompson - We're the same age so I always like to compare myself to him and feel I could have been there right alongside of him had I only been a lot bigger, a lot faster, a lot stronger, quicker, smarter, and able to carry the load of those giant shoulder pads.

Has to be tough on you after being so, so close.

 

[Doc Gopher]

I am old school. Bobby Bell and Sandy Stephens.

 

[MNfootballfan]

Barber and Maroney - I have been a Gopher fan since birth but these two were the first time I ever planned my weekend around when the Gophers were playing.
Decker - Just a stud
Gray - Felt like we made it when he chose us.
Winfield/Johnson/Bateman/Morgan - 2019 was the most fun I ever had being a Gopher fan.

I don't know why, but I loved Jack Lynn from early in the Kill era.

Other random favorites:
Devondre Campbell, Mo Ibrahim, Mike Sherels, Parc Williams, Craig Sauer, Lamanzer Williams, Dominique Barber, Kim Royston, David Cobb

 

[Soon2B8]

SO many its hard to choose....I use to play as the gophers on my playstation and loved hitting Utecht up the seam for a long gain! Decker, Maroney , Barber, Weber, Martin, Tyrone Carter, Ron Johnson, Tapeh, WInfield, Tyler Johnson, Bateman just to name a few. I Love Crab and MO!! I have so many more I loved to watch while they played for gophers and after! It is fun to see more and more in the NFL! SKIUMAH

 

[STPGopher]

Darrell Thompson for me. The 98 yd TD run against Michigan was something to behold.

DT's run was awesome.

I'm trying to remember. Wasn't Laurence Maroney's first carry an 80yard TD? Bad memory. That was incorrect.

 

[BBJones]

Defense - Bobby Bell
Offense - MB3

 

[fan of Ray Williams]

Really a good thread! All these names bringing back memories.

 

[Crosby]

Great choices here. I have to include Tanner Morgan. I just really like the guy. You have to include Bateman. Jack Brewer ranks high on my list. And I'll go with Mike Hohensee and Jay Carroll... the architects of that Buckeye upset in 1981 in Memorial Stadium.

 

[laazrakit]

There's too many to even contemplate picking a favorite... but I will say that the player who first got me truly hooked on Gophers football was Kent Kitzmann. Really, it was because of one game. On Nov 12, 1977 against Illinois, Kent rushed 57 times for 266 yards.

 

[touchdownvikings]

Eric Decker. A lot of RBs I could have picked. To me, great receivers are always more exciting than great RBs.

Rashod Bateman. See above. Also was passionate about Minnesota even though he's from far away.

The Bucs Trio - Winfield, TJ, Kieft...love all 3 of them enough that I think I'm switching sides from the Vikings. (I also live in Tampa Bay now)

Barber and Maroney, the staples of my college experiences at the Dome

I live in Tampa, as well... Maybe we could meet up for a game from time to time? Is there a place you typically go to watch?

 

[STPGopher]

Matt Spaeth. He sure could block!

And catch! He was money in the redzone!

 

[STPGopher]

Great choices here. I have to include Tanner Morgan. I just really like the guy. You have to include Bateman. Jack Brewer ranks high on my list. And I'll go with Mike Hohensee and Jay Carroll... the architects of that Buckeye upset in 1981 in Memorial Stadium.

Really can't go wrong in this thread!