Offensive lineman Randall McDaniel, who played 12 seasons with the Vikings, has drawn lots of praise following the announcement of his inclusion in the 2009 Pro Football Hall of Fame class.  Mike Alstott was a teammate in Tampa Bay for two seasons.  “I was lucky enough to play with Randall his last few seasons here in Tampa,” Alstott said. “I knew he was a great player in Minnesota, but didn’t realize how much so until he got here. I remember seeing him do things I’d never seen a lineman do before physically.  Just an unbelievable athlete. The thing about him is that he’s a better guy off the field.  He’s a good man and I’m proud to have been his teammate.”

Percy Harvin, the University of Florida speedster who has declared for the NFL draft as a junior, could be the Vikings’ pick at No. 20 later this year.  With the Vikings’ need for another explosive receiver to join Bernard Berrian, Harvin makes sense, if he’s still available.

The Gophers add to their football family legacy with the signing of Michael Carter to a national letter of intent, a player coach Tim Brewster told Sports Headliners has the “profile of a great cornerback.”  The Florida native is a nephew of former Gopher All-American safety Tyrone Carter.

The Wisconsin hockey team started 0-6-1 including a loss and tie to the Gophers.  Since then, the Badgers are 14-5-2 and come here to play Minnesota tonight and tomorrow night, featuring Jamie McBain who leads all college defensemen with 30 points.  Wisconsin leads the nation in penalty killing at 90.4 percent and is the best in WCHA power play percentage and penalty kill.

Minnesota’s Ryan Stoa ranks fifth nationally in scoring at 1.30 points per game, while teammate Jordan Schroeder is eighth at 1.27.

Wild goalie Niklas Backstrom has a new career-high in shutouts for a season, six.  He now has 11 shutouts in 75 career starts at Xcel Energy Center, tying a franchise record set by Dwayne Roloson.

When the Swarm play Colorado tomorrow night at Xcel, the first 5,000 fans will receive a commemorative fifth anniversary Swarm lacrosse ball.

In a league lacking star power, including freshmen of influence, Gopher newcomer Ralph Sampson III is a player to watch in the Big Ten Conference.  Sampson, a 6-foot-11, 220-pound forward-center, has been improving of late and was a major contributor in Minnesota’s rout of Illinois last week and his help will be needed tonight against first place Michigan State in East Lansing.

In the Illinois game Sampson scored 10 points and had seven rebounds.  In the previous game against Indiana he had Big Ten career highs in points with 13 and rebounds, eight.  He also had a career high in blocks with six.

Sampson is the Gophers’ fourth leading scorer in conference games at 6.3 points and is tied with Paul Carter for the best rebounding average, 4.3.  As of Monday, Sampson ranked third in rebounding and fifth in scoring among freshmen in the Big Ten including both conference and nonconference games.

With athleticism, a lanky body and a family pedigree that includes a father who was three times the Naismith national player of the year, Sampson will be intriguing to watch this season and beyond.  Illinois coach Bruce Weber said last week that during the next off-season Sampson is likely to add strength and skill, improving as young big men do with extra work.

Already Weber and others are impressed.  “He battles. He’s very competitive for a young guy,” Weber said. “He’s big, bulky, makes it tough.  You gotta fight your butt off on him.  He made his free throws (eight of 10 against Illinois), which is huge for a big guy.

“…I think he’s had a great freshman year, probably better than maybe they expected.  He’s played better than I ever anticipated and he’s got a great future for them.”

When the Gophers begin spring football practice on March 24, it’s quarterback MarQueis Gray who seems a sure bet to be the focus of media and fan attention.  He was the prize recruit in last year’s class of newcomers but wasn’t eligible to play in 2008.

Gray will be a freshman this spring and next fall.  Although the Gophers will have promising players in the recruiting class they announce today, part of national signing day across the country, none may make the impact next fall of Gray. Coming out of Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis, Gray was known for his passing and running.  He was ranked by rivals.com as the No. 3 dual threat quarterback in the country.

The No. 1 guy was Terrelle Pryor who became a starter for Ohio State last season.  Opinion is Gray will prove to be the superior passer in college.

Both because of necessity and talent, Gray won’t be redshirted in 2009 even though he could be, coach Tim Brewster told Sports Headliners.  Backup quarterbacks Tony Mortensen and Mike Maciejowski were seniors last fall and must be replaced.  That leaves Gray, redshirt freshman John Nance and walk-on Adam Lueck as the backups this spring for returning starter Adam Weber, the No. 1 quarterback the last two seasons.

Weber will be held out of contact this spring following surgery on his left shoulder.  “This is going to be a great spring for him (Gray) because Adam is going to be very limited,” Brewster said.  “He’s going to get all the first team snaps.”

Brewster anticipates this spring will prepare Gray to play and help the Gophers as the No. 2 quarterback next season.  Brewster said the offensive plan for each game will include Gray and that his young quarterback will take some snaps in place of Weber.

Brewster also said Weber could be “one of the better quarterbacks in the country” next season.  He expects Weber to be challenged by and benefit from working with new offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch who is respected in the NFL including by All-Pro quarterback Peyton Manning of Indianapolis.