Regarding Henderson

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Doc1001

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whenever a player makes it that stinking tough to pick the gophers it means he didnt grow up with that maroon and gold blood in his veins and craving to play with the local gophers as so many of us have. For some reason he hasnt picked up that loyalty and reasoning. Maybe he didnt grow up here as a kid or something. Whenever a kid finds it that hard to pick the gophers---well sign somewhere else then. I like Minnesota kids who grew up wanting to play for the gophers and turn this program around. Henderson obviously doesnt have that I fully expect him to go elsewhere unless he is trying to shock us with a surprise announcement. I certainly doubt that. I still think he has stars in his eyes. Good enough to live here but too good to play for us.
 

I agree. The key to this thing is not convincing an SH to sign, it's getting to the point where a future SH can't conceive of not playing at TCF. That's the way it was when I grew up. We never told up and coming ball players they might be a Viking, we told them maybe they would help out the Gophers. Maybe we'll never get that back, but IMO if we don't we'll never be on top again. Got to have the desire for Maroon and Gold. That's why it's so important to get the HS coaches on board and give every possible scholarship to a MN kid. No more NFL quality players taking off for NDSU. That's a border we have to close too.
 

MaxwellSmart

You have unusual common sense. Hey how about a player with the courage to build a program and shock the world rather than take the safe route and win for Ohio State or USC. So Ohio State or USC wins again. ho hum. Always like Magic Johnsons take. He said it would be alot more fun the surprising everyone with winning at Michigan State than the safe route and going with Michigan---who was powerful back then. Thats my mentality too. It would be SO much more fun turning a program around than maintaining a sure thing. So Ohio State has a good team again. whoop de doo. How about shocking the football world? Now thats fun.
 

I'm sorry, but SH has more riding on this than helping out his state's institution. He has possibly a winning lottery ticket in front of him and may be able to take care of his parents and future generations.

He NEEDS to make the best decision for his future. It should have nothing to do with wanting to bleed hometown colors. He should pick whatever school he thinks will best get him to the next level. If that is MN, so be it.
 

Yes

if thats the criterion Minnesota can get him to the next level as well as any other school. Maybe better. we have an NFL team right in town. If he thinks otherwise its a waste of time.
 


Well, why don't you go ask Walker Ashley and Willie Mobley what it is like to go to big programs and never amount to anything. Hell, go ask Matt Carufel and Kim Royston. And those are just the local kids who failed else where and came back home or had to transfer. Whose to say Henderson does anything at these schools. He starts from day one with the Gophers. He likely sits the bench at least two years at USC and/or Ohio State. So why not get the scouts watching you from day one while also helping build a program.
 

Walker Ashley and Willie Mobley wouldn't have amounted to anything in the Gopher program either, it just would have been much more publicized since they were local kids. At this level, impact players are impact players no matter where they're playing, and if Mobley and Ashley screwed up their chances elsewhere/didn't have what it took to compete, I doubt they would have here either.
 

I can't believe people think he's actually the best high school senior in the entire country. I know that's where he's rated but c'mon. That's not saying I don't want him to commit to MN, but........
 

Gopher07 that is merely your opinion. I don't think Mobley's case is a case of not wanting to compete. It comes down to knowing the numbers aren't in your favor. Ohio State puts together the best recruiting class in the Big Ten every year. He had plenty of talented players at his position. You have basically made my point, being that why just be another guy when you can be one of the top players for a team struggling to get players like you.
 



GopherRube81 said:
Gopher07 that is merely your opinion. I don't think Mobley's case is a case of not wanting to compete. It comes down to knowing the numbers aren't in your favor. Ohio State puts together the best recruiting class in the Big Ten every year. He had plenty of talented players at his position. You have basically made my point, being that why just be another guy when you can be one of the top players for a team struggling to get players like you.
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Mobley probably wouldn't have started here until this coming season as it is, given he saw the writing that he couldn't crack the two deep at Ohio State and had Small and Brown in front of him (again, of course this is my opinion). He probably could have contributed but would be in the same place as, say, Edwards. If he didn't transfer. Ashley was just a totally different and weird case.
 

If it's a problem that players don't grow up dreaming about Maroon and Gold, that's a marketing problem, not a problem with the high school players. Instead of berating the players for not being sufficiently excited about Gopher football, we should be trying to build up a positive attitude toward Gopher football.

A couple years ago, the U gave free tickets to football players in the state. I think more of that would help. It wasn't a recruiting violation, because it was open to all players, not just recruits. Even benchwarmers for 9-man teams could get tickets. They players who get free tickets may not wind up playing here - many of them may not play in college at all. But it would help build up a positive attitude toward the Gophers.

Perhaps sending out former Gopher players to talk to schools would be good. It would not just build up positive attitutes toward the football team, but to the university as a whole. I know way up north, there are a lot of people who find the U rather intimidating - understandable when you're used to a town under 1000 people. We never heard much from the U, me mostly heard from the smaller schools up north.
 

GopherRube81 said:
Well, why don't you go ask Walker Ashley and Willie Mobley what it is like to go to big programs and never amount to anything. Hell, go ask Matt Carufel and Kim Royston. And those are just the local kids who failed else where and came back home or had to transfer. Whose to say Henderson does anything at these schools. He starts from day one with the Gophers. He likely sits the bench at least two years at USC and/or Ohio State. So why not get the scouts watching you from day one while also helping build a program.
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Gimme a break....for every kid you mention, you can mention a kid that a) went someone else and thrived (Carlson, Floyd, James L., Harris) or b) stayed home and sucked.

Doc1001 said:
Hey how about a player with the courage to build a program and shock the world rather than take the safe route and win for Ohio State or USC.
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Because there is no courage in being the number one offensive lineman in the country and going across the country to compete for playing time with last year's number one OLine recruit in the country or next year's number one OLine recruit in the country. Or facing the top defensive linemen in the country every day in practice. Seems courageous to me.

Sitting here and breaking down a decision being made by an 18 year old. Crazy

Would living in LA be fun? For some, not all.

Would playing in front of 100,000 rabid fans be fun in Columbus? For some, not all.

Would playing for your home University in front of family and friends be fun? For some, not all.
 

This is where the Vikings come into play. Seantrel has grown up his whole life with the goal to get to the NFL. That is where the publicity and the media outlets focus their attention. His world is based on the NFL, not college football. Therefore, where he goes to college is corellated with his goal to get to the NFL.

If he grew up in Madison, Iowa City, etc. his main goal would be to get to play in the Big Ten, just like he sees and reads about in the media while growing up there. Sure, he would also like to get to the NFL, and it would know that it exists, but it wouldn't be the main focus of his high school career.

Without the Vikings in town (and it will take a generation for this to get embedded into MN kids), it will help to keep the top of the top talent from looking ONLY at schools like OSU, Texas, Florida, etc where they see a fast track to the NFL, and keeping schools like us on the back burner, or as a token gesture. They would see playing with the Gophers as more prideful, because they would see more of it covered in the media. It would help to instill that sense of pride that is missing. Right now they have that passion for the NFL - not the Gophers.

The Vikings matter. It's not the only thing wrong with the program - but I can't believe how people on here don't think it would make a difference. It would. I want the Vikings to win, sure, but I love the Gophers more. So I hope the Vikings leave to help the Gopher program.
 



Maximus you have no argument from me. I believe we are saying the same thing here. There is a cautionary tale for every success story.
 

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