A couple of years ago Don Swanson asked me to speak to a luncheon group that he was involved with.  I almost turned him down because it’s a toss up as to what bothers me more: public speaking or having a car accident.

I accepted the invitation and I am grateful for that decision.  I knew “Swannie” for 30 years and he did far more for me than I ever did for him.  He used to emcee the prep all-star football game banquet in the early 1980s and never asked for compensation.  Years later he okayed a consultant’s role that contributed to my income.

In recent years Swannie was supportive of my Web column.  He took an interest in the column and what I was doing even though he didn’t have a computer.  Swannie’s friend Jim Dotseth printed out the columns for him.

I was reminded of all this on Monday at Swannie’s funeral.  I listened to his close friend Ron Stolski eulogize him.  Stolski told a large gathering of friends and family at Mount Olivet Lutheran Church how Swannie, a former educator and coach in the Minneapolis public schools, gave to others.  He listened to people, helped and encouraged them. “It was never about him,” Stolski said.

Reverend Paul Youngdahl reminded the audience that Swannie was a Minneapolis guy with a capital M.  He was born in Minneapolis, attended South High and made much of his reputation at Patrick Henry where he was the football coach and athletic director.  He regularly attended church at Mount Olivet in south Minneapolis and in recent years mentored city high school football coaches and players.

Each spring he helped organize a coaching clinic for prep coaches in the state whose roster of speakers has included the likes of Brian Billick and Tim Brewster.  The clinic is promoted by the Minnesota High School Football Coaches Association, an organization that Swannie was helping when I met him, and he was still assisting in his final years.

Condolences to Swannie’s family including wife Barb, their children and grandchildren. Rev. Youngdahl talked about the importance of the grandkids on Monday.  He was reminded that grandpa Swannie even took an unusual challenge once and ate a minnow.

Swannie was pleased, too, about his Swedish heritage and being a graduate of Gustavus Adolphus College.  “He called me ‘Pollock’,” Stolski said.  “I am half Swedish.  I have never been prouder.”

The last time Stolski saw Swannie was on Saturday, September 12.  Swannie was weak from his fight with cancer, almost unable to speak, and would pass away within a few days.  Swannie asked Stolski, the head football coach at Brainerd High School, about the result of the game the night before.

“We lost,”Stolski said.

“Win the rest of them,” Swannie replied.

Always teaching and encouraging.  Right to the end.

Thanks, coach, for your integrity, caring and devotion to football and beyond.  You were, as Stolski said to Swannie’s friends and family on Monday, a “keeper of the game.”

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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.”

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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.”

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