Coach Kill's comments and responses to Sid and Dave Mona's queries on today's Sports Huddle:
1) Sid opened the show segment by asking about the arrival of veterans and this year's signed recruits on campus for summer school and voluntary drills: Coach Kill said the veteran players started arriving last week (all are present) and the recruits began trickling in on Friday. He expects all of the recruits to be on campus by the end of today. Kill said he bumped in to several of the recruits over the weekend as they were walking around and getting familiar with the campus.
He said the one-day camps start today at one o'clock and will have a coaches meeting tonight at seven o'clock.
2) Sid asked about the summer camps that start today: Kill said the first session will start at one o'clock this afternoon at the stadium. High school players can still join today's camp if they're at the site by 12:30 p.m. and parents sign the required paperwork. 7 on 7 drills will be run on Thursday . . . Friday is specialty camp (punters, Kickers, etc.) . . . Saturday's camp focuses on offense (Big Man Camp - offensive linemen, quarterbacks and receivers, special teams). Next week they'll have more one-day camps.
More camp talk: Sid asked if there were any future Gophers attending the camps. Kill responded, "We hope so." He referenced the older campers (no names given, of course), as potential Gophers. Stressing the importance of live evaluations: "Get them in and get to know them."
Most of the campers come from areas within a four hour drive to the campus (Iowa, Wisconsin, Dakotas and the state of Minnesota). It's harder for out-of-state kids to attend the camps because it's voluntary and the transportation costs are prohibitive; however, he said there'll be some out-of-state (long distance) campers. Kill said that's why it's extremely impotant to conduct on-site evaluations at high schools that have spring football drills.
Dave referenced Eslinger and Setterstrom attending summer camps and being discovered and offered schollies as a result of their camp performances: Kill said they, too, got some kids into camp last year and committed before anyone else knew about them. He cited Lincoln Pisek as a recruit that they got to know through live evaluation at a camp last year. Pisek is 6-4 and upto 265 pounds (gained 30 pounds) . . . "You project what they will be and where you want them (size)." During the running of the camps they (coaches) look at the players length, how they run and try to ascertain if they have a "want to" attitude.
3) Sid asked about Beal, Gjere, and Campion: "All are working out." Then Kill said they have to pass their physicals before the start of August 1st two-a-days (fall drills).
4) Dave referenced the heart-warming story in the Strib about Cavonte Johnson as a walkon at the U. Kill held a walkon spot for the Edina athlete even though he sustained a severe knee injury. Johnson is a top honor student: "Tremendous story and story about the family; we're excited about that," Kill responded. (Johnson's name was not given by Mona or Kill.) Kill then talked about the positives of college football. He said football provides great life saving opportunities for the players (teachers, coaches, etc). He also said, referencing the story, "This is a very giving state." (He was talking about people willingly helping others.)
5) Sid asked about the Rochester outing: Kill said it was beautiful day, a tremendous golf course and that there were a lot of Gopher fans in attendance. Reportedly, the one-day outing broke attendance records at the Rochester site.
Go Gophers!!
1) Sid opened the show segment by asking about the arrival of veterans and this year's signed recruits on campus for summer school and voluntary drills: Coach Kill said the veteran players started arriving last week (all are present) and the recruits began trickling in on Friday. He expects all of the recruits to be on campus by the end of today. Kill said he bumped in to several of the recruits over the weekend as they were walking around and getting familiar with the campus.
He said the one-day camps start today at one o'clock and will have a coaches meeting tonight at seven o'clock.
2) Sid asked about the summer camps that start today: Kill said the first session will start at one o'clock this afternoon at the stadium. High school players can still join today's camp if they're at the site by 12:30 p.m. and parents sign the required paperwork. 7 on 7 drills will be run on Thursday . . . Friday is specialty camp (punters, Kickers, etc.) . . . Saturday's camp focuses on offense (Big Man Camp - offensive linemen, quarterbacks and receivers, special teams). Next week they'll have more one-day camps.
More camp talk: Sid asked if there were any future Gophers attending the camps. Kill responded, "We hope so." He referenced the older campers (no names given, of course), as potential Gophers. Stressing the importance of live evaluations: "Get them in and get to know them."
Most of the campers come from areas within a four hour drive to the campus (Iowa, Wisconsin, Dakotas and the state of Minnesota). It's harder for out-of-state kids to attend the camps because it's voluntary and the transportation costs are prohibitive; however, he said there'll be some out-of-state (long distance) campers. Kill said that's why it's extremely impotant to conduct on-site evaluations at high schools that have spring football drills.
Dave referenced Eslinger and Setterstrom attending summer camps and being discovered and offered schollies as a result of their camp performances: Kill said they, too, got some kids into camp last year and committed before anyone else knew about them. He cited Lincoln Pisek as a recruit that they got to know through live evaluation at a camp last year. Pisek is 6-4 and upto 265 pounds (gained 30 pounds) . . . "You project what they will be and where you want them (size)." During the running of the camps they (coaches) look at the players length, how they run and try to ascertain if they have a "want to" attitude.
3) Sid asked about Beal, Gjere, and Campion: "All are working out." Then Kill said they have to pass their physicals before the start of August 1st two-a-days (fall drills).
4) Dave referenced the heart-warming story in the Strib about Cavonte Johnson as a walkon at the U. Kill held a walkon spot for the Edina athlete even though he sustained a severe knee injury. Johnson is a top honor student: "Tremendous story and story about the family; we're excited about that," Kill responded. (Johnson's name was not given by Mona or Kill.) Kill then talked about the positives of college football. He said football provides great life saving opportunities for the players (teachers, coaches, etc). He also said, referencing the story, "This is a very giving state." (He was talking about people willingly helping others.)
5) Sid asked about the Rochester outing: Kill said it was beautiful day, a tremendous golf course and that there were a lot of Gopher fans in attendance. Reportedly, the one-day outing broke attendance records at the Rochester site.
Go Gophers!!
