TOP 5 Golden Gophers Football Players of ALL TIME

[60's Guy]

TOP 5
Bruce Smith
Paul Giel
Bronko Nagurski
Bobby Bell
Sandy Stephens

Carl Eller was a name that jumped into my mind in this era.

Who would you select from the "modern era"?
Eric Decker, Antoine Winfield, and Mo Ibraham quickly come to mind for me.

 

[Drew21]

From the modern era I would say Karl Mecklenburg, Ricky Foggie, Tyrone Carter, Eric Decker, Darryl Thompson and Antoine Winfield Jr.

 

[60's Guy]

Tom Brown won the Outland Trophy as the nation's best lineman in 1960.
He is in the College Football Hall of Fame.
24 Gophers are in the College Football Hall of Fame. Bob Stein is the most recent player 1966-68.

 

[1983]

Hey ho carpenter

 

[Clairemont Gopher]

Nomellini was a man among boys as a Gopher and an NFL monster with insane durability.

 

[fmlizard]

Greg Eslinger is the most accomplished Gopher football player of what I would call the "modern era" - since the 1982 move to the Metrodome.

He's sometimes forgotten because he's an interior lineman, didn't accrue stats or score touchdowns, and did not have an NFL career.

He has a long resume of all-Big Ten, unanimous all-American, Rimington award, finalist for Draddy/Campbell scholar-athlete that very few, if any, Gopher players of the last 40 years can match.

 

[Drake University Gopher]

TC, Lawrence Maroney, and Marion Barber III were my favorite players growing up FWIW.

 

[Ski U Mah Gopher]

Every list should start out with Nagurski, Smith, and Giel.

Four & five may vary on all other lists.

 

[Ski-U-Ham]

From the modern era I would say Karl Mecklenburg, Ricky Foggie, Tyrone Carter, Eric Decker, Darryl Thompson and Antoine Winfield Jr.