Recruiting – Page 95 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Spielman Earns Praise for Drafts

Posted on October 15, 2012October 15, 2012 by David Shama

With yesterday’s loss to the Redskins, the Vikings, 4-2, are still off to the club’s second best start since 2006. That team also started the season 4-2 while the 2009 Vikings won their first six games.

Losing 38-26 yesterday to the Redskins and freakishly talented quarterback Robert Griffin III is nothing to sob about. Griffin probably would have challenged most any NFL defense on Sunday. Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder had his plus moments but a fumble and interception led to two Redskins’ scores.

The Vikings have won more games already than all of last season (3-13) and almost anyone who says the team’s impressive 2012 performance was expected isn’t telling the truth. The fast start has come despite shakeups in the roster and lineup.

Since the 2009 season the Vikings have replaced eight offensive starters and seven regulars on defense. General manager Rick Spielman has done an impressive job of rebuilding the team, mostly via the NFL college drafts.

The Vikings have 11 starters from the 2009-2012 drafts. Included in that total are four regulars from the 2011 draft — Ponder, tight end Kyle Rudolph, guard Brandon Fusco and safety Mistral Raymond. The 2009 draft also contributed three starters, including the team’s MVP so far this season in wide receiver Percy Harvin, plus tackle Phil Loadholt and linebacker Erin Henderson.

Even the 2012 draft has three frontline contributors as rookies, tackle Matt Kalil, safety Harrison Smith and placekicker Blair Walsh. Cornerback Chris Cook is the only starter from the 2010 draft, although that draft has important contributors off the bench in running back Toby Gerhart and defensive end Everson Griffen. Other reserve contributors include safety Jamarca Sanford (2009 draft), No. 2 quarterback Joe Webb (2010) and rookie cornerback Josh Robinson.

Longtime pro football authority Paul Wiggin praised Spielman’s work. “I think Rick Spielman is doing a dramatic job, an incredible job,” said Wiggin, former Chiefs head coach and now a Vikings personnel consultant. “I think he will go down in history as a top-notch general manager. I think he leaves no stone unturned.”

Spielman and his staff have tried to acquire players with not only talent but character. Egos seem to be in control and the team plays for one another.

“It’s definitely a group of team first guys, and that’s a testament to our scouting team, and Rick Spielman and the entire organization making sure they bring in the right types of people,” said Vikings center John Sullivan.

Worth Noting

Jim Rantz, the Twins 75-year-old senior director of minor league operations, announced this morning he will retire at year’s end. Rantz has been with the organization since its inception, first as a player and later as an executive. He’s a member of the Twins Hall of Fame.

Vikings punt returner Marcus Sherels lives in the basement of his brother Mike’s Twin Cities home. Mike, the former Gophers linebacker, is a graduate assistant for the Gophers and pursuing a coaching career. “Talking football with him day in and day out,” Marcus said. “He’s been a good big brother.”

Joe Webb, the Vikings No. 2 quarterback, has extra incentive in looking forward to next month’s team bye in the schedule. It will be the first time during his pro career when his birthday comes up during the bye week. Webb turns 26 on Wednesday, November 14 and the Vikings don’t practice that week. “Now I finally get to celebrate (the birthday),” he said.

Webb talking about playing behind Christian Ponder: “I am all for Christian. He’s a great guy to work with.”

Blair Walsh, the Vikings rookie placekicker, said no fake field goal plays have been put in the playbook calling for him to throw the football. He said people “have made fun” of his throwing motion.

The Wisconsin football team the Gophers play in Madison is now 5-2 after consecutive wins the last two Saturdays by scores of 31-14 over Illinois and 38-14 against Purdue. The Badgers were much criticized early in the season when they were 3-2 but the two losses were by a combined six points. Minnesota (4-2) hasn’t won in Madison since 1994 and the Badgers have won eight consecutive games in the series.

Although the Gophers are redshirting most of their 2012 recruiting class, the coaches took the redshirt off two players last Saturday in their loss to Northwestern, running back Rodrick Williams and tight end Lincoln Plsek.

The October 15 issue of Sports Illustrated reports that Big Ten football teams are 5-9 in nonconference games against BCS teams and “the league has slipped in recent years” because of population decline in the Rust Belt and Midwest.

College football lost one of its most colorful characters and dedicated fans when ESPN commentator Beano Cook, 81, died last week.

Luke Winn, writing last week for sportsillustrated.com, lists the Gophers No. 26 in his national rankings of college basketball teams. Big Ten teams ahead of the Gophers are No. 1 Indiana, No. 6 Ohio State, No. 9 Michigan, No. 11 Michigan State and No. 16 Wisconsin.

Gophers coach Tubby Smith will take point guard Andre Hollins and forward Rodney Williams to the Big Ten Media Day in Chicago on October 25. Obviously left at home is senior forward Trevor Mbakwe who although he is one of the nation’s top power forwards has experienced a series of off-court incidents including a recent conviction for a DWI.

The Gophers and Ball State were showing interest last week in Osseo High School 6-9 junior Ian Theisen, according to an email from prep basketball authority Ken Lien. He also wrote that former Hopkins High School guard Siyani Chambers is likely to start as a freshman for Harvard.

Ex-Timberwolves player and front office executive Fred Hoiberg, now head coach at Iowa State, turns 40 today.

Gregg Wong, former Pioneer Press sportswriter, emailed that Rochester native Eric Butorac and Philipp Petzschner defeated the world’s No. 1 tennis doubles team of Bob and Mike Bryan 6-4, 3-6 (10-6) in the second round of the Shanghai Rolex Masters tournament last week. The victory was the first ever for Butorac, one of the best doubles players in the world, over the Bryans. On November 17 Butorac will see the Bryans again when he teams with his 2011 partner Jules Rojer in the Minnesota Tennis Challenge at Lifetime Athletic Club in Eden Prairie. More at www.ebmntc.com.

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Dalton: AP Still Special Player

Posted on October 1, 2012October 1, 2012 by David Shama

Adrian Peterson ran for 102 yards yesterday in the Vikings’ 20-13 win over the Lions, his best total in four games during his comeback ACL surgery. His longest run from scrimmage this season is only 20 yards but former Vikings running back coach Dean Dalton told Sports Headliners that Peterson “can be as good as ever, maybe even better.”

Peterson, 27, has rushed for over 1,200 yards in four different seasons. His reputation as one of the NFL’s elite runners is part of the reason why Dalton said last week Peterson’s numbers are mediocre so far in 2012. “Everybody (opposing defenses) is keying to stop him,” said Dalton who has an NFL show on Sirius Satellite Radio.

The other problem, at least before yesterday, is what Dalton terms “rust.” During his recovery program from the ACL surgery Peterson didn’t play in preseason games. His first football contact came in week one this season. As Dalton described it, many months had passed since Peterson “had to run over a guy.” Running through drills isn’t the same as a collision.

During the comeback Peterson has shown the ability to power into tacklers and cut by them. Does Peterson think the “rust” is gone and does he have the feel for playing the game the way he once did? “…I felt like (after game three) the rust is knocked off now and that’s what I needed, and I’ll be ready to roll even better,” Peterson said last week.

Peterson was pressed for confirmation on whether he feels like his old self. “Pretty much,” he said. “Pretty much.”

Dalton doesn’t see any physical limitations in Peterson after his long rehab. “I think he’s fine. He will keep getting better.”

Peterson reportedly earns a base salary of $8 million this season and is among the better paid players in the NFL. Dalton said Peterson is worth the money, describing the All-Pro running back as a threat defensive coordinators have to scheme against, and that attention should help make for a more productive Vikings’ passing game.

“Very, very valuable,”Dalton said. “He remains the face of the franchise. He puts fear in opponents. He’s nearly impossible to stop in the red zone. I see him getting back to form sooner rather than later.”

Worth Noting

The Vikings’ Marcus Sherels gave himself a 25^th birthday present yesterday, returning a 77-yard punt for a touchdown against the Lions.

Vikings’ tight end Kyle Rudolph has caught three of quarterback Christian Ponder’s four touchdown passes this season. Both are second-year NFL players who have bonded. The two spent a month in Florida this year working out together and socializing. “I think that really helped us,” Rudolph said.

Don Becker, who works for the Wilf family on real estate projects out east, will have major responsibilities for the Vikings’ stadium project.

The Gophers (4-1) struggled on Saturday to stop Iowa running back Mark Weisman in the first half when the Hawkeyes built a 24-0 lead before winning 31-13. Minnesota didn’t face a power running team in its first four games of the season, playing schools that emphasized throwing the ball.

Coach Jerry Kill said on WCCO Radio’s “Sports Huddle” yesterday that he wouldn’t predict whether quarterback MarQueis Gray’s high ankle sprain will allow him to play on October 13 against Northwestern. The Gophers have a bye on their schedule this Saturday.

Terry Ryan, the Twins’ general manager, also was on the “Sports Huddle” and indicated there could be a change(s) coming soon with manager Ron Gardenhire’s coaching staff.

Miguel Sano, 19, led the Midwest League in home runs with 28 and RBI, 100. He’s probably the most anticipated hitting prospect in the Twins’ organization. Twins’ minor league executive Jim Rantz told Sports Headliners that Sano could be in spring training with the Twins next February. Will Sano make the final roster and start the season in the major leagues?

“I think that would be a little too much at this time for him,” Rantz said. “I don’t see that happening, but never say never.”

Sano, a third baseman, hit about .300 early in the season at Beloit but finished with a .258 average. Rantz said pitchers threw Sano a lot of breaking balls and “off-speed stuff.” But Rantz believes Sano can become a .270 or better hitter in the majors. “I think that’s a possibility. Sure do.”

Gophers’ baseball coach John Anderson is an advocate for northern schools—like those in the Big Ten—switching to a summer schedule that would start in June and close with playoffs in August. Moving away from the unpredictable northern weather in the spring and playing in the summer would turn Gophers baseball into a revenue producing sport, Anderson said. A larger budget would even allow teams like the Gophers to use wooden bats.

Prep basketball authority Ken Lien, who chairs the Mr. Basketball program, told Sports Headliners that Apple Valley is his preseason choice for No. 1 team in the state.

Lien said Apple Valley, led by point guard Tyus Jones, will play Robbinsdale Cooper, led by shooting guard Rashad Vaughn, in the Timberwolves Shootout in January at Target Center. Jones, Vaughn and DeLaSalle’s Reid Travis are part of a nationally recruited threesome that could be the best in Minnesota prep history. “Vaughn might be the only one who ends up with the Gophers,” Lien said.

Lien also said that Edina senior point guard Graham Woodward was scheduled to visit Penn State last weekend. Senior forward Kyle Washington, who played for Benilde-St. Margaret’s in 2010-11 but now goes to school in New Hampshire, has verbally committed to North Carolina State after Wisconsin showed a lot of interest. Grand Rapids sophomore center Alex Illikainen is being recruited by Kansas, according to Lien.

The Gophers’ first two games in the late November Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament will be intriguing. Minnesota plays Duke and legendary coach Mike Krzyzeski in the opening game. Then the Gophers will either play Virginia Commonwealth or Memphis. New Gophers’ athletic director Norwood Teague is from VCU and Shaka Smart, who Teague hired as coach at VCU, might one day be a candidate for the Minnesota job. Jimmy Williams, who has been involved for years in a lawsuit against the University of Minnesota, is an assistant coach at Memphis.

Don’t be surprised if the Gophers upset favored Duke in Minnesota’s opening game.

Former Gophers’ coach Jim Dutcher said Ray Williams, who played for him at Minnesota and had an NBA career, has recovered from colon cancer and is living in Florida.

The Wild’s Dany Heatley is profiled as part of the “Becoming Wild: Chapter Two” series starting at 7 p.m. Thursday on FOX Sports North. A similar feature on Mikko Koivu airs starting at 6:30 p.m. on October 11. The series began with other Wild players last month and features details of their daily lives. Episodes can be viewed at www.wild.com.

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U QB Future May Change Now

Posted on September 17, 2012September 17, 2012 by David Shama

MarQueis Gray’s high ankle sprain has potentially changed quarterback plans for the Gophers. With Gray out indefinitely, sophomore Max Shortell will be the starter and freshman Philip Nelson, who was highly probable for a redshirt season, is the No. 2 quarterback.

If Shortell becomes injured or sick, then Nelson is the next man up on the limited quarterback roster. Nelson has been the No. 3 quarterback behind Gray and ahead of fellow freshman Mitch Leidner who has been seeing scout team duties in practice. Redshirt freshman Dexter Foreman is another reserve quarterback.

Nelson is a high potential player but one obviously without college experience. Prep recruiting authority Tom Lemming rated Nelson the No. 2 pro-style high school quarterback prospect in the country last year. Nelson’s potential in throwing and running the ball is a good fit in Minnesota’s balanced offense.

But the hope by the Gophers coaches is Nelson won’t have to see game action because once he’s on the field his redshirt eligibility disappears. A redshirt season for Nelson in 2012 means he’s still a freshman in football eligibility next season, while Shortell is a junior. That sets up a possible scenario where Shortell could be the starter for two seasons as a junior and senior while Nelson will have two remaining years of eligibility after Shortell completes his career at Minnesota.

The 6-6, 237-pound Shortell has a lumbering running style that makes him a big target for tacklers and potential injury. He would be well advised to slide at the end of runs whenever possible, avoiding the kind of near head-on collision he escaped from last Saturday against Western Michigan.

Gray’s skill set begins with his running, while Shortell’s starts with passing. For that reason the Gophers coaches will make changes to the offense with Shortell as the starter and he won’t be asked to run with the ball nearly as many plays as offered to Gray. That will help limit Shortell’s exposure to injury.

Notes:

Western Michigan coach Bill Cubit praised Shortell who replaced the injured Gray in the first half with the Gophers leading 10-7 on Saturday. He said Shortell, who threw three touchdown passes including two in the first half, was “probably the difference” in the game’s outcome.

“Your whole game plan changes,” Cubit said of the switch in quarterbacks. “Now all of a sudden—no offense to Gray—you have a guy that can throw it around a little bit more. He came in at a time Minnesota was struggling, and he was able to give them a much needed boost.”

Junior Gophers’ defensive tackle Ra’Shede Hageman didn’t have a sack in the 28-23 win over Western Michigan, leaving his total for the season at three after being double and triple teamed by the Broncos. Was he frustrated by all the extra attention from blockers?

“It’s just part of football,” Hageman said. “I get mad. I just use that for fuel. …”

Sophomore Gophers’ running back Donnell Kirkwood ran for a single game career high of 120 yards. He credited his resolve to be more of a physical runner for the success after having 71 yards in the previous game against New Hampshire. “I think I kind of got away from that last week, trying to make the big play,” Kirkwood said.

Junior Minnesota wide receiver A.J. Barker, who caught three touchdown passes yesterday, isn’t on scholarship but look for that to change, according to what Gophers coach Jerry Kill said on WCCO Radio yesterday.

The 3-0 Gophers play 1-2 Syracuse in a 7 p.m. game Saturday at TCF Bank Stadium. The game is being billed as “Fill Our House” by the Minnesota Athletic Department and $10 tickets are available to the public. Those tickets can be purchased now via www.mygophersports.com or by calling 612-624-8080.

Jason LaFrenz, Gophers’ associate athletics director, said the season tickets total for students is 4,000. Last year it was 5,600.

There’s no accusing suspended wide receiver Jerome Simpson of not being optimistic about the Vikings. Asked last Thursday what he thinks his team is capable of this season, he said: “Super Bowl. I really do because we have so many championship people at positions. … We got a great quarterback, Christian (Ponder). We’ve got so much talent on this team. Anything short of a Super Bowl is lost in my book.”

The Vikings looked more like a team headed for a repeat of last year’s 3-13 record yesterday in a 23-20 loss to the mediocre Colts in Indianapolis. Mistakes, including three personal foul penalties in the third quarter, hurt the Vikings on both offense and defense. Despite playing against a Colts offensive line that has been shuffled with personnel changes, and a rookie Indianapolis quarterback in Andrew Luck, the Vikings couldn’t make enough big plays to win.

The Vikings continue to rotate defensive linemen in and out, much more than in past seasons. KFAN radio analyst Pete Bercich reported during the first half that starting tackle Kevin Williams was so upset he threw his helmet on the sidelines.

The Vikings will pull off one of the NFL’s biggest upsets of the season next Sunday at Mall of America Field if they can defeat the 2-0 49ers, a Super Bowl favorite and perhaps the league’s best club. The two teams met in the preseason and even then the 49ers looked superior, easily winning 17-6.

Mike Tice had to handle tempermental Randy Moss when Tice was head coach of the Vikings. Now Tice is offensive coordinator of the Bears and has an emotional quarterback in Jay Cutler who wasn’t happy with the play of some teammates in last Thursday’s 23-10 loss to the Packers. The Bears played poorly at times in that game, showing a leaky offensive line and receivers who under performed.

St. Paul native and NBA referee Ken Mauer is supportive of the NFL officials who aren’t working so far this season because of a lockout. Mauer said those officials are being told to take fewer benefits, and he “would fight for any worker in this country that was going through something like that.”

“I am for them,” Mauer told Sports Headliners. “I am proud of what they are doing. I applaud them. “

It’s popular to criticize the replacement officials but they have a difficult assignment. Those officials are working NFL games for the first time and their performances are in the national spotlight.

Mike Markuson, the former Hamline University and Farmington High assistant, who was fired as Wisconsin’s offensive line coach after two games last week, was replaced on the Badgers staff by 27-year-old Bart Miller. Miller was promoted to interim offensive line coach from his position as a graduate assistant. The Badgers rushed for only 173 yards in a 16-14 win over Utah State last Saturday.

The guess here is Rashad Vaughn, the Cooper junior guard and one of the nation’s best prep basketball prospects in the class of 2014, will keep the Gophers near the top of his list college lists.

Prep basketball authority Ken Lien emailed that representatives from Louisville, North Carolina, Tennessee and Wisconsin will be in town recruiting Vaughn this week.

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