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U Football Moves to New Beat
University of Minnesota president Bob Bruininks is a horseman. Tim Brewster recalls during the interview process that led to his
becoming the new Gopher football coach that Bruininks talked about the
Tournament of Roses parade in Pasadena. Bruininks told Brewster he didn’t want
to put pressure on him but he wants to ride a horse in the parade
that annually precedes the Rose Bowl
football game.
Brewster enjoys telling the story that the university's president wants to
see the football team back in Pasadena for the first time since 1962.
The Gopher coach is all about setting expectations and he’s even
acquired a small piece of Rose Bowl turf to symbolize the quest to ride
west as Big Ten Conference champions.
“He
doesn’t miss a beat.” That’s a phrase defining Brewster. I
literally hear myself and others saying it with more frequency all the
time. His salesmanship brought out probably the largest spring football
game crowd (estimated at 5,000) in two generations last Saturday.
Although it was a chilly morning, hundreds of fans greeted the team
outside the stadium two hours before game time and the tradition of the
Gopher Walk was born.
“I
don’t know how many were out but there were a lot of people and the kids
felt the excitement and they felt the passion,” Brewster told Sports
Headliners on Saturday. “That was great.”
The
night before the spring game 165 former Gopher football players enjoyed
a free dinner and program on campus. Brewster told them when his
Gophers play they represent every player “whoever wore the maroon and
gold.” Among those in attendance was Marion Barber III who
reportedly flew to Minneapolis from Dallas to show his support.
A
week before that Brewster was hosting hundreds of high school football
coaches and telling them he wants every young man who is a Big Ten
player to stay home and play for the Gophers. He’s building
relationships with the coaches and is going to keep more prospects home
than in the past.
The
Gophers are targeting about nine Minnesota high school juniors to accept
scholarship offers in 2008. Several have given verbal commitments
already, none bigger than Champlin Park High School linebacker Sam
Maresh. He’s one of the big three state targets along with USA Today
all-American wide receiver Michael Floyd and Eden Prairie
defensive lineman Willie Mobley.
It’s
easy to project Maresh as a Gopher leader and future captain. He’s so
passionate about Brewster he’s trying to recruit other players. A
source told Sports Headliners Maresh has contacted Brewster’s son,
Nolan, encouraging him to become a Gopher. Nolan, one of the
nation’s best prep safeties, has verbally committed to Texas for 2008.
Brewster is all about establishing a gold standard for excellence and being an
inclusive leader. He invites everyone to be part of what he calls the
“Gopher Nation.” He brought in famed Denver Bronco coach Mike
Shanahan to talk to the team. Murray Warmath, the Gophers’
1960 national championship coach, did the same. Whether it was the famous or
not so famous visiting spring practice, they were welcomed and might
even have seen the whole team come over to the sidelines to shake
hands.
The
Gopher players have a new start under Brewster. This was a 6-6 team
last season, a gang that played superbly at times but also had awful performances. There are six starters back on offense, nine on
defense.
Reinvigorated players came to Brewster and said they want to adopt a
slogan for the new season: “We will make history again.”
The
school with six national championships and 18 conference titles has a
storied past. With not even a conference championship since 1967, the
emphasis is on past. But there’s no substitute for expectations,
passion and hard work. Brewster and his staff are all about that. A lot
of the energy and time is targeted to recruiting. The Gophers are
going after top players in various parts of the country. Brewster is
not interested in chasing the same kids Arkansas State is after.
It
will take awhile but the momentum is changing and the expectations are
going higher at Minnesota. Bob Bruininks wants to go for a ride.
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