Who's the most dominating Gopher . . .

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DL65

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football player that you witnessed playing in the maroon and gold uniform? If you've followed Gopher football for several decades a lot of names come to mind. For me, however, the player that stood out and frequently changed the game around (creating game changing moments or taking away the opponent's momentum) was Bobby Bell. He was an excellent offensive tackle, but his defensive play was truly something to behold. He was a dominating player! He remains my all-time favorite Gopher player.

A few other Gopher players that I enjoyed watching on defense were Tom Brown, Carl Eller and Aaron Brown. Minnesota in the early 1960s had some outstanding defensive stalwarts.

Please give your selection of the most dominating player. Rog, given your many, many years of following Gopher football, I imagine your selection would be even more difficult to make: Leo Nomellini, Clayton Tonnemaker, Bruce Smith, Paul Giel, etc.

Go Gophers!!
 

I wasn't around for the glory years.
By default, I almost have to pick a RB. Barber and Maroney come to mind, but I will say Darrell Thompson.
 

Rick Upchurch - played with Dungy and J.D. Pride. Once he got in the open he was untouchable. Played for the Broncos and for many years held AFC records for punt returns and kickoff returns.
 




I haven't been around that long, but Karon Riley was unstoppable in 2000.
 

Answering DL65

There are so many great and outstanding players over the years, its difficult to single one out but I have to say Paul Giel. Why? He dominated and stood out with his play in the early 50's. Many of the great players that have been mentioned had great team mates and the team would have been very good without them but Giel made the team.

Bruce Smith would be a close second.

I have always said that if Paul Giel had been born 3 or 4 years earlier and played on the team that Bierman had in the late 40's. That would have been the best college team ever in all college football.
 

Rog - Man, to have seen the things you did. You sir, are a very lucky man!

Rog said:
There are so many great and outstanding players over the years, its difficult to single one out but I have to say Paul Giel. Why? He dominated and stood out with his play in the early 50's. Many of the great players that have been mentioned had great team mates and the team would have been very good without them but Giel made the team.

Bruce Smith would be a close second.

I have always said that if Paul Giel had been born 3 or 4 years earlier and played on the team that Bierman had in the late 40's. That would have been the best college team ever in all college football.
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Bruce Smith, Paul Giel, Bobby Bell, Tom Brown, Leo Nomellini, Bernie Bierman, etc.

In order that is a: National Champ and Heisman winner; closest every Heisman runner-up (he should have won it); National Champ & NFL Hall of Famer; a Heisman runner-up, I believe; NFL Hall of Famer; 5-Time National Champ Head Coach who is in the College Football Hall of Fame.

If there was a way to get into someone's memory bank, I would like to get into yours! WOW! :)
 

In recent years....

Tyrone Carter. People still talk about that Sun Bowl against Oregon.
 




Two words, one legend: Jike Spingleton.**

**I assume most people here know that Jike is Karl Mecklenburg. No big secret.
 

I'm predicting the answer to this question in a few years is going to be a guy named MarQueis Gray.
 

Paul Giel. He was a two-time All-American, two-time best player in the Big Ten; was the top runner, passer and punter on his team and in his senior year played defense, too, to become a 60-minute player. Very rugged, also - despite being tackled on nearly every play, he never missed a game with an injury.
 



UptownMaroon&Gold said:
I'm predicting the answer to this question in a few years is going to be a guy named MarQueis Gray.
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I hope you're right. I haven't been around too long, but I'd say that when Maroney was healthy, he was hands down the best player in the past 15 years.
 

Schlic Daddy said:
I hope you're right. I haven't been around too long, but I'd say that when Maroney was healthy, he was hands down the best player in the past 15 years.
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I just cannot put LM in the dominating category.

Explosive yes. But if he didn't have a hole, he had a hard time. MBIII was better than him. Heck sometimes Gary Russell was the better back.

MBIII also was a good returner.

Ron Johnson was pretty dominating as a receiver. Decker is up there too. From when I have been a knowledgeable fan, I guess I am going to have to go with those two.

Carter was a big time defensive presence as well.
 

Defensively in the last 10 years you'd have to put Brandon Owens in there. He just stood out on game days, like there was a Miami Hurricane playing for the Gophers. Such a stud. Hope he still is involved with the program.
 

When I think of my 25 years as a gopher fan I can remember some dominators.

#1 Juan Hunter - Leader of a great Gopher Defense
#2 Craig Scruggs - see above
#3 tie Fred Foggie - the gem of a superb package deal
#3 tie Brent Herbel - nuff said.
 

Wow, Craig Scruggs in da house!

I have this cousin who knows I'm a Gopher fan; I only see him at family weddings, etc. For a few years there, every time I saw him the first words out of his mouth were something like "Man, that Scruggs guy is terrible! I can't believe they let him out on the field...."

Anyway, when I think of dominating I think of "they just can't stop this guy". The first thing that comes to mind is Chris Darkins. You can talk about your Thompson and your Barbers and your Maroney but that game he had against Purdue was the greatest game of football by one player that I've ever seen.

If it's possible to be dominant as a defensive back, then Tyrone Carter gets the nod.
 

Greg Eslinger. Nobody could pull a block like him. Play after play he'd pull 5 yards down the line of scrimmage, cut downfield and blow some linebacker or safety away so Maroney/Barber could get a 10 yard gain.
 

BrianW said:
Wow, Craig Scruggs in da house!

I have this cousin who knows I'm a Gopher fan; I only see him at family weddings, etc. For a few years there, every time I saw him the first words out of his mouth were something like "Man, that Scruggs guy is terrible! I can't believe they let him out on the field...."

Anyway, when I think of dominating I think of "they just can't stop this guy". The first thing that comes to mind is Chris Darkins. You can talk about your Thompson and your Barbers and your Maroney but that game he had against Purdue was the greatest game of football by one player that I've ever seen.

If it's possible to be dominant as a defensive back, then Tyrone Carter gets the nod.
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After Upchurch I would go with Darkins. I missed seeing Bell and Eller and, sad to say, I can't think of a single dominating D player since then. Carter was good but not enough to turn a game around like Upchurch or Darkins. I also saw Maroney turn a game. It was in the Sun Bowl when Maroney was a freshman I believe, With just a minute or so left the Gophers needed a first down to get within field goal range. They went for it on 4th, Maroney was trapped short but then somehow got free and got the first down. Gophers kick the FG and win the game.
 

DL65 said:
football player that you witnessed playing in the maroon and gold uniform? If you've followed Gopher football for several decades a lot of names come to mind. For me, however, the player that stood out and frequently changed the game around (creating game changing moments or taking away the opponent's momentum) was Bobby Bell. He was an excellent offensive tackle, but his defensive play was truly something to behold. He was a dominating player! He remains my all-time favorite Gopher player.

A few other Gopher players that I enjoyed watching on defense were Tom Brown, Carl Eller and Aaron Brown. Minnesota in the early 1960s had some outstanding defensive stalwarts.

Please give your selection of the most dominating player. Rog, given your many, many years of following Gopher football, I imagine your selection would be even more difficult to make: Leo Nomellini, Clayton Tonnemaker, Bruce Smith, Paul Giel, etc.

Go Gophers!!
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If just one season, I'm gonna stretch it a little and say Lamanzer Williams. He lead the nation in sacks with either 22 or 23 sacks. He was the first All-American since Kingswriter. He had a great senior season.

*Note: I was to young to see/ judge the Gopher greats of the sixties to the mid 70's.
 

I can't believe no one has mentioned Bronko Nagurski yet. Granted we never saw him actually play but from what I've read about him (a couple of books) he was a man among boys out there. I wish I could have seen some games from back then, a whole different game!

Don't know about the most dominating Gopher recently but my favorite has been T. Carter. For a little guy that guy could demand respect on the field. Jim Thorpe Award winner too I believe.
 

Great question. After Mid '70' for me... D: Tyrone Carter, Peter Najarian, Karon Riley. O: Thompson, Maroney, Barber, Eslinger, Foggie, Darkins, Johnson, Upchurch, Kitzman, ST: Lomiller.
 

Foster said:
I can't believe no one has mentioned Bronko Nagurski yet.
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It says "that you witnessed" right in the opening sentence. Unless there are a bunch of octogenerian, lifelong Gopher fans rolling in the 'Hole, I doubt anyone that posts here actually ever saw him live.

I've been a Gophers fan for the last decade, and in that time, it's Maroney, no question. Even from his first time on the field he had the ability to take over games. I noticed somebody else said in this thread that Barber was the better back in college, and that's just crazy. Barber was a good, solid back in college, but no one could have predicted how he would blow up in the NFL (even at that, he still doesn't have a single 1,000-yard season). I remember thinking at the time how surprised I was that the Cowboys drafted Barber as high as they did, and he was taken in the 4th round. There was a reason Maroney was picked #21 overall.
 

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