Wide receiver Troy Stoudermire excited the crowd at the Gophers spring game last month running 54 yards from scrimmage to score a touchdown, catching three passes for 31 yards and averaging 47.7 and 18.5 yards returning kickoffs and punts. Stoudermire, who will be a sophomore next fall, is obviously a playmaker who can help the Gophers even more than last year when he caught just three passes and averaged 25.8 yards on kickoff returns but had no touchdowns.
“He’s a very dynamic guy,” coach Tim Brewster said. “He’s going to be really good. …The sky’s the limit for his ability.”
Brewster said Stoudermire needs to improve his route running as a receiver. He’s also played defensive back while with the Gophers.
Other players drawing Brewster’s praise are defensive tackles Garrett Brown and Eric Small, Jewhan Edwards and Brandon Kirksey. He describes the foursome as “good (and) as deep as anybody in the Big Ten.”
Brown, Small, and linebackers Simoni Lawrence and Lee Campbell were voted in as defensive captains last week. The offensive captains are quarterback Adam Weber and wide receiver Eric Decker.
During the off season Brewster is looking forward to his 25th wedding anniversary with wife Cathy. They will be celebrating the anniversary on June 16 in New Jersey with the same people who were in the wedding party.