Recruiting – Page 71 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Wallace Wants Vikings Return in 2016

Posted on December 18, 2015December 18, 2015 by David Shama

Vikings wide receiver Mike Wallace is headed toward his fewest receptions since his rookie year of 2009. His contract doesn’t guarantee he will return to the team, but he wants to stay in Minnesota.

Wallace was acquired last March in a trade with the Dolphins to give the Vikings a deep-threat among their receiving corps. His contract reportedly pays him close to $10 million this season, but doesn’t assure a paycheck or roster spot next season from Minnesota. The Vikings can let him go at no cost to them, according to reports.

After a rookie season when Wallace caught 39 balls, he has totaled 60 or more receptions each year. Twice he has had more than 70 catches in a year, but this season, with three regular season games remaining, he has just 33.

Mike Wallace (photo courtesy of Minnesota Vikings.)

Wallace has started every game except one but in three of those games never caught a pass. His games with the most receptions have totaled eight, six and four. It seems at times he has been used as a decoy, opening up space on the field for others. On other occasions he has been part of a failed Vikings passing attack characterized by poor blocking and quarterback Teddy Bridgewater’s inconsistencies.

Whatever the reasons for Wallace’s miniscule totals that include just two touchdown catches, he admitted being frustrated at times.

“Of course. I’d be lying to you if I said I didn’t (get frustrated),” Wallace told Sports Headliners. “I’ve been like three or four games where I had zero catches. Of course you’re going to be upset, but…probably all three of those games we won, so it’s bittersweet. Definitely, first things first is win, but at the end of the day you’re still on the field and you want to do personal things. At the same time you gotta stay positive.”

The Vikings won two of the three games Wallace referenced, defeating the Bears and Falcons while losing to the Packers. In those games and all season he said he remained upbeat. He hasn’t voiced concerns, or made complaints, to coaches.

Wallace likes his teammates and coaches. They support one another and that has everything to do with wanting to remain a Viking. He is all about wanting to return in 2016.

“I love this team,” Wallace said. “I love the guys on this team. I love the coaches. It’s fun. These guys give me energy. …”

Starting this Sunday with a home game against the Bears, Wallace hopes for opportunities to be more involved as the 8-5 Vikings compete for the NFC North championship and a playoff run. The 29-year-old known for his extraordinary speed, wants a fast finish to the season.

“I am trying to, man,” Wallace said. “I am focused on it. I want it to happen. I love being on this team. I want to give myself the best chance to be on this team, try to have a strong finish. …”

Worth Noting

The Vikings had to score 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to defeat the Bears in Chicago last month. Bears wide receiver Alshon Jeffery caught 10 passes for 116 yards and one touchdown.

It’s likely the Bears offense will feature a lot of quick screen passes to their receivers on Sunday—something the team has favored in its offense for a couple of seasons.

The Vikings started six rookies in their last game on December 10, the most in franchise history. Starting against the Cardinals were offensive tackle T.J. Clemmings, wide receiver Stefon Diggs, linebackers Eric Kendricks and Edmond Robinson, cornerback Trae Waynes and safety Anthony Harris.

The Vikings have scored 11 special teams touchdowns since coordinator Mike Priefer joined the franchise in 2011—tied with the Eagles for the most in the NFL during that span.

Want to be a volunteer for the 2018 Super Bowl in Minneapolis? Maureen Bausch, the Minneapolis-based executive in charge of planning and executing the week-long celebration for the Super Bowl here, told Sports Headliners she expects about 8,000 volunteers will be needed for activities and events. Anyone applying will be vetted four times including online.

Bausch doesn’t expect a problem reaching the 8,000 total and anyone interested can sign up in the summer of 2017. The best way to stay knowledgeable about the process and Super Bowl 2018 news is to sign up now for email notifications at mnsuperbowl.com. And, no, you don’t receive a game ticket if you volunteer.

Mikko Koivu in Wild's Stadium Series uniform. — Mikko Koivu in Wild’s Stadium Series uniform.

The Wild will unveil the 2016 NHL Stadium Series Alumni uniform on Monday during the team’s game against the Stars at Xcel Energy Center. The Stadium Series uniform current Wild players will wear was unveiled in late November and jersey sales to fans have been so brisk club officials were anticipating another shipment before Christmas.

Tickets remain for the 2016 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series weekend February 20-21. Starting at 4 p.m. on February 20 alumni from the Wild and North Stars will face alums from the Blackhawks. The next day beginning at 2:30 p.m. the Wild play the Blackhawks. Both games will be held outdoors at TCF Bank Stadium.

Former Gophers basketball player Jamal Abu-Shamala is now a financial services representative with Principal Financial Group and offices in Minnetonka.

Undefeated Hopkins is ranked No. 7 among midwest boys basketball teams by USA Today following last Saturday’s 89-81 win over previously unbeaten Apple Valley. The Royals are No. 25 in USA Today’s national rankings. Last week Apple Valley was No. 16 in the rankings but now is unranked.

Iowa Western Community College assistant coach James Bankhead is recruiting Minneapolis North forward Jamil Jackson and St. Croix Lutheran guard Ade Murkey. Iowa Western’s roster this season includes sophomore guard Andre Wallace who played at Eden Prairie High School. Iowa Western is ranked No. 10 in the latest NJCAA poll of Division I programs.

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U Gets Poised Leader in Seth Green

Posted on December 14, 2015December 14, 2015 by David Shama

East Ridge High School assistant coach Dave Fritze raves about Seth Green’s poise and general demeanor. He also told Sports Headliners the quarterback recruit’s verbal commitment to Minnesota may have been influenced by East Ridge fullback Connor Mohs, who is going to be a preferred walk-on with the Gophers.

Green, who played at East Ridge in Woodbury prior to moving to Texas earlier this year, flipped his verbal commitment from Oregon to Minnesota with an announcement yesterday. He is a coveted pass-run quarterback recruit who is now expected to sign a Letter of Intent with Minnesota on National Signing Day February 3.

“He is probably the most calm player I’ve ever been around as a coach,” said Fritze. “As a freshman he came off the field in a tight game and a coach was going crazy. Seth said, ‘Hey, coach, we’re going to be fine here.’ ”

Fritze was the Eagan High School head coach for 17 years and is now the Raptors defensive coordinator. Fritze, whose son Dan is the East Ridge head coach, said Mohs and Green have been friends since both were high school freshmen. He also said the two are talking about rooming together at Minnesota and their close relationship could have impacted Green’s decision to become a Gopher.

Mohs was a two-year starter for the Raptors and had Division II offers but wants to accept preferred walk-on status with the Gophers. Preferred walk-ons, although they aren’t scholarship players, generally are assured of a roster spot their first year on the team at major college programs. “He was probably the best leader on our team,” Fritze said about the 6-2, 230-pound Raptors captain.

Green is expected to enroll at Minnesota in January, with Mohs coming to campus later in the year. Fritze said it’s expecting a lot for a freshman quarterback to play in games his first year at the Big Ten level but he doesn’t hold back in evaluating Green’s skills.

“Seth has got all the physical and mental tools,” Fritze said about the 6-4, 215-pound Green. “He’s got great height, great speed, (is) strong, (and a) really strong arm. He’ll have to learn how to read defenses and see two or three receivers (on the same play).”

Fritze also said Green is an outstanding student, and is “just a great kid, nice young man.”

The Fritzes helped coach the Raptors to a surprise 11-2 record this fall and a Class 6A playoff run that ended with a loss to Osseo.

Worth Noting

The Gophers football team arrives in Detroit on Christmas Eve day to participate in events leading up to the December 28 Quick Lane Bowl game against Central Michigan. Minnesota will practice at Ford Field, the game site, on Christmas Day. The Gophers have practices on campus this week.

Steve and Dorothy Erban’s Stillwater-based Creative Charters is taking a fan group to Detroit for the bowl game. The group will depart Minneapolis on the morning of the game and return the next day. The cost of $499 per person includes air transportation via Sun Country, ground transfers, one night’s lodging, and game ticket. The Erbans have been taking fans to Gophers games since 1993. More information at Creativecharter.com.

New Gophers coach Tracy Claeys will speak to the CORES group on March 10. Twins president Dave St. Peter speaks on January 7. CORES lunch programs are held at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Bloomington, 1114 American Blvd. CORES is an acronym for coaches, officials, reporters, educators and sports fans. More information is available by contacting Jim Dotseth, dotsethj@comcast.net.

The best basketball game I’ve seen this fall—pro, college or preps—was at Minnetonka High School on Saturday where Hopkins defeated Apple Valley, 89-81. It was an up and down the floor game with lead changes and athletic plays. Seldom, if ever, has a high school game in Minnesota included so many talented players including coveted college recruits Gary Trent Jr. and Tre Jones of Apple Valley, and Hopkins’ Amir Coffey.

The game was the featured piece of the annual Breakdown Sports Tipoff Classics at Minnetonka involving boys and girls teams. The West Court was so packed for the game the Minnetonka fire marshal and police arrived to clear exits and aisles for safety.

Basketball fans and the Minnesota State High School League have to hope for a rematch between Hopkins and Apple Valley in March during the prep playoffs.

Texas Tech head coach Tubby Smith and assistant Joe Esposito were at Minnetonka High on Saturday. Esposito said the Red Raiders are recruiting five Minnesota preps currently. After Smith’s six-year tenure as Gophers coach, he and his staff still have relationships in the state and they target Minnesota as a key recruiting area.

Esposito, Saul Smith, and Vince Taylor, all former Gophers assistants under Tubby Smith, are on the staff at Texas Tech. Ron Jirsa, who was a key assistant at Minnesota with Smith, is an assistant coach at Radford (Radford, Virginia).

Kevin Garnett is now the NBA’s all-time leading career defensive rebounder but the league didn’t begin keeping the statistic until 1973. That failure does a disservice to the NBA’s great rebounders from the 1950s and 1960s like Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell who averaged more than 20 rebounds (offensive and defensive) per season. In today’s NBA it’s unusual to see anyone average over 16 rebounds.

The Vikings announced a roster move today, signing defensive end Justin Trattou and waiving safety Shaun Prater. Trattou has already played in two games this season, with his stats including one interception.

The NFL season is in its closing weeks and as usual the injuries totals are troublesome for teams. Durability over a 16-game season has everything to do with the success of a team and individuals. Bud Grant, the former Vikings coach who took the team to four Super Bowls, said all the great players have durability. Earlier this month he talked about Brett Favre’s consecutive starts streak of 297 games and how players like Jim Marshall, who played for Grant, never missed a practice or game.

“You find out that the greatest ability a player has is his durability,” Grant said. “You never achieve greatness without durability. It doesn’t do any good to play eight games a year. You gotta play 16 games a year. It doesn’t do any good to be great one year, and out the next year.”

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Mr. Football Winner Loyal to Huskers

Posted on November 23, 2015November 23, 2015 by David Shama

J.D. Spielman, who was honored yesterday as the state’s Mr. Football award winner, told Sports Headliners despite Nebraska’s losing season he remains “100 percent” committed to the Cornhuskers and isn’t considering Minnesota or other schools.

Spielman made a verbal commitment to Nebraska last summer and has watched the Cornhuskers struggle in coach Mike Riley’s first season. Nebraska goes into its final regular season game on Friday against undefeated Iowa with a 3-4 Big Ten record, 5-6 overall. The Cornhuskers are among college football’s winningest programs in past decades and have a tradition of playing for championships. Riley has received plenty of criticism this fall but Spielman is expected to sign a National Letter of Intent with Nebraska next year on National Signing Day for high school players.

“I have a lot of faith in what coach Riley is doing over there,” Spielman said. “I know this season didn’t go as planned but it’s a process. That’s what happens when a head coach just comes into a program and starts coaching kids he didn’t recruit. But once the next couple of recruiting classes come in, Nebraska is going to be a big thing.”

Spielman, despite his 5-foot-8, 174-pound size, is a big thing in Minnesota high school football. The Eden Prairie High School running back, wide receiver and defensive back is probably one of the state’s most explosive players ever. His high school coach, Mike Grant, said Spielman can “make something out of nothing”—even running back and forth across the field leaving coaches, players and fans gasping. “Special talent, no question,” Grant said.

The coach expects Spielman to increase his weight in college to about 190 pounds and still run a 4.4 40-yard dash. He predicts Spielman, who combines extraordinary vision with his speed and ability to cut, will play as a college freshman. “He’ll be on the field on offense,” Grant said. “He’s ready to play right now.”

Spielman expects to be a receiver at Nebraska but Grant said his Mr. Football winner could even play tailback in college. Spielman blossomed on offense this season after playing mostly defense last year. Grant said a big reason for Spielman’s success in averaging 12.3 yards per carry was learning to be patient, waiting for space to open up.

Spielman, who averaged 29.3 yards on kickoff returns and 24.6 yards on punt returns, was one of 10 finalists for the Mr. Football award given annually to the state’s best senior player, and sponsored by the Minnesota Football Coaches Association and the Minnesota Vikings. Among the other finalists was Eden Prairie teammate Carter Coughlin, the outstanding linebacker who is committed to Minnesota and has lobbied for Spielman to become a Gopher.

“I am 100 percent Nebraska right now,” Spielman said.

Why is he sold on the Cornhuskers? “The fan base is crazy. The fans show a lot of love and support for all the players. That’s a big thing,” Spielman said. “I also like coach Riley and his coaching staff. They’re all some of the nicest people I’ve met.”

Spielman’s father, Vikings general manager Rick Spielman, didn’t sound concerned that it will require traveling to see his son play for the Cornhuskers. “We’ll work it out,” said Rick who is on the road a lot in the fall to scout college players.

He and his wife Michele have adopted six children including J.D. who came into their home at eight months old. J.D. has been playing football since first grade. Although J.D. is small, Rick never felt his son was too diminutive for football because of the “size of his heart.”

He also praised J.D’s football work ethic, noting that all his children have been encouraged to apply effort to school and athletics because dedication is something “you can control.”

Worth Noting

Mike Zimmer said his team was down emotionally when he met with players earlier today. The Vikings head coach said at his afternoon news conference he would be upset if they were laughing and joking after Sunday’s loss to the Packers at TCF Bank Stadium. He told players that by Wednesday they should be ready to move on in preparation for next week’s game against the Falcons in Atlanta.

The loss to the Packers left both the Vikings and Green Bay with 7-3 records, and tied for first place in the NFC North Division. “I still like this team. I still believe in this team, regardless of what will be said, or what will be written, or our moods today,” Zimmer said. “I believe in this team.”

Wide receiver Mike Wallace, reportedly the Vikings second highest paid player and an offseason acquisition, has caught only two passes in the last four games. “I am not concerned about stats, or individual stats, or anything like that,” Zimmer said. “All I am concerned about is how to get this team better.”

Tomorrow the Wild unveil uniforms the club will wear for its February 21 outdoor game against the Blackhawks at TCF Bank Stadium. Tickets are still available for the event, officially known as the Coors Light NHL Stadium Series game.

Tracy Claeys got his first win as Gophers head coach without the interim tag last Saturday against Illinois, but he has no plans to keep a game ball as a memento. “I want that axe,” he said.

The Gophers and Badgers play for Paul Bunyan’s Axe on Saturday at TCF Bank Stadium. Minnesota hasn’t won the annual rivalry trophy since 2003.

A win over Wisconsin will give the Gophers a 6-6 record and ensure bowl eligibility. Minnesota’s bowl destination might be the New Era Pinstripe Bowl in New York’s Yankee Stadium on December 26, the day after Christmas. The late afternoon game will match Big Ten and ACC teams, and be televised on ABC.

A Gophers athletic department spokesman said as of last Saturday about 1,700 tickets remained for the Wisconsin game.

Former Gophers head coach Jerry Kill is spending time at his lake home in Illinois before returning to Minneapolis for Thanksgiving.

David Benedict, who worked as a top assistant for former Gophers athletic director Norwood Teague, is a candidate for the AD position at Tulane. Benedict is currently chief operating officer for the athletic department at Auburn.

Ken Lien is a long time Gophers basketball fan, and offers this opinion on the current group: “For a team that lives and dies with the three, they will die more than they live.”

Lien is president and owner of the Minnesota boys Mr. Basketball award, and he has been associated with that endeavor for 41 years. Committee members are already looking at players for the 2016 award honoring the best senior in the state. An initial list of 50 Minnesota high school seniors has been compiled.

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