Author: David Shama

When Eric Decker limped to the bench last Saturday in the fourth quarter after injuring his left ankle he might have given more than a few Gopher fans heart palpitations.  Along with his off the field roommate, quarterback Adam Weber, Decker is a player the Gophers just can’t be without if they are to have a winning season in the Big Ten Conference.  They are a two-man attack for the Gophers so far this season, accounting for most of the yardage and four of the team’s six offensive touchdowns.

Decker said after the game he “rolled” his ankle but expected to play on Saturday in Evanston against Northwestern in the opening conference game for both teams.  It’s the same ankle that has troubled the senior wide receiver in the past and is now more susceptible to injury.

The 2-1 Gophers have rushed for 257 yards and passed for 700.  Decker has 415 yards in receptions, or 43 percent of the team’s rushing and passing total.  He has 27 receptions in the first three games or almost half of the team’s total of 61.  His average of 138.3 yards and nine receptions per game ranks No. 3 and 4 in the country.

Last Saturday was a painful day for the Minnesota native, even though he caught two touchdown passes and set the school career record for receptions with 204.  Not only was Decker icing his ankle even before the game ended, but earlier he had his chin bloodied in a vicious collision with a California defender.  That collision didn’t stop Decker from making one of the better catches in Gopher history, grabbing a 26 yard touchdown pass in the second quarter.

But most painful was losing the game to No. 8 ranked California.  The Gophers and Decker, who received multiple stitches to his chin, were in a 21-21 tie with the Golden Bears going into the fourth quarter before losing 35-21.

Gopher coach Tim Brewster has frequently expressed praise for Decker and offered this following Saturday’s game:  “He’s as tough a kid as there is in the country,” Brewster said. “He’s tough as nails.”

Decker is on track to be an All-American after being first team All-Big Ten last season.  Football players and coaches prefer to talk about football as a team game but there’s nothing wrong with associating the word indispensable with Decker.  The “I” word was brought up with Tony Mortensen who was a senior reserve quarterback on last year’s team.

“It’s the truth,” Mortensen said.  “He really is.  I think any team in this country would love to have Eric Decker and he would shine anywhere.  He’s got that caliber of talent …with work ethic and doing the little things.”

Teammates admire Decker because of his humility, skill, work ethic, preparedness, determination and courage.  “Guys look up to him when you have a player of that skill set,” Mortensen said. “He’s a leader and he talks to guys.  He befriends them, whatever they need.  It’s not just on the field.  It’s off the field, hanging out with guys, just giving them talk.”

Mortensen said it’s part of the package for football players to play through pain and discomfort but Decker is special.  “He plays at another level hurt,” Mortensen said.  “He plays at a level where he can compete with the best.”

Last year Decker was injured and ineffective late in the season.  He didn’t even play against Wisconsin and was limited in what he could do against Michigan and Iowa. The Gophers lost all three games.

Decker’s determination to play gave Mortensen encouragement that despite Decker leaving last Saturday’s game early and wrapping his ankle in ice, he will play against Northwestern.  “The thing about Eric is he doesn’t stop,” Mortensen said.  “He’s gonna rehab it (the ankle) like he was playing in the national championship.”

Athletic Director Joel Maturi told Sports Headliners he will wait until after the season to evaluate coach Tim Brewster’s contract situation.  Brewster is in the third season of his five year contract and the team is 2-1 in 2009 after losing to No. 8 ranked California on Saturday.

“I think the appropriate thing is to do things at the conclusion of the year, as it should be because you measure in many ways a 12 month body of work, not just wins and losses,” Maturi said last week. “There are other aspects that go with it.  Everything from compliance to academics to social to department responsibilities to budgets. …All those kinds of things should play a role in evaluating an employee of this athletics department.  And that’s how we’ve done it and I will continue to do it that way.”

Brewster has brought a renewed spirit to Gopher football by setting goals such as a Big Ten championship.  He’s been an aggressive recruiter who has attracted some promising players to Minnesota.  He’s placed an emphasis on academics and responsible behavior by his players.

Last year the Gophers were 7-6 after being 1-11 in Brewster’s first season.  The team lost to Kansas in the Insight Bowl last December.

“I have always been pleased with his work,” Maturi said.  “I would be surprised if Tim Brewster is not the football coach at Minnesota for a long time.”

There was awareness that Brewster might receive a contract extension after last season but Maturi said none of his coaches in the department received extensions because of the economy and budget concerns at the University.