The Gophers football program will recognize its seniors at tomorrow’s final 2009 home game at TCF Bank Stadium but the senior from Cold Spring, Minnesota who will watch from the sidelines on crutches is Minnesota’s best player–freshman, sophomore, junior or senior. School record setting wide receiver Eric Decker will no doubt feel various emotions as he watches tomorrow’s game against South Dakota State.
Decker injured his left foot in the Ohio State game and had surgery a few days later. Not only will he miss the last four games of the season, but Decker won’t be available to work out for pro scouts before next year’s NFL draft.
Decker said it will be difficult not to join his teammates on the field tomorrow. Many of the players on the roster are people he has been around for four or five years, including his redshirt season. “At least I will be on the sidelines cheering them on,” he said.
Decker is appreciative of the career he’s had with the Gophers, but that doesn’t mean there haven’t been tears these last few weeks. “Oh, definitely. It was an emotional roller coaster,” he said. “There’s some highs of appreciation. There’s lows, you know, it’s over. That’s kind of all she wrote. But there was times when it was very saddening to be around them (teammates), and know you’ll never wear the maroon and gold again. And it’s going to be a long road to recovery, but there’s many happy times, too.”
Decker might have been a second or third round pick in next year’s NFL draft. But now he seems likely to go late in the draft, or possibly be a free agent. His lack of exceptional speed will be questioned even more now that he’s had foot surgery. Also, Decker’s recovery from surgery will prevent him from working out for scouts prior to the draft. A team willing to take a gamble could come up with a superb value, a great character guy with the ability to make difficult catches.
Decker acknowledged it will be a challenge to prove himself physically but he will focus on controlling what he can. That means interviewing successfully with pro teams and doing the best job he can in rehabilitation of his foot.
A baseball career is definitely “on the back burner” because Decker wants to pursue football. He’s played college baseball for the Gophers but not with the same time commitment and success that has happened in football where he has the school record for career receiving yardage (3,119) and consecutive 100 yard games (four). He’s also tied with Tutu Atwell for most career 100 yard games (11).
After college Decker said he might one day be involved with athletic administration. His friend and roommate, quarterback Adam Weber, could end up in coaching. A visitor suggested the possibility that one day Decker might be the Gophers athletic director, Weber the head football coach.
“That would be something, huh?” Decker asked. “That would be a storyline.”
Decker has already written one superb storyline with his play as a Gopher, making difficult and clutch catches, leading the team when injured and inspiring his teammates with his skills and courage. Maybe one day he will be back to make another contribution to Gophers athletics.