A Time to Reflect: The 2003 Football Senior Class

The football players for the University of Minnesota come and go. They begin their freshman year and the end seems so far away, but before they know it, they are playing in their last home game at the Metrodome and finishing their careers as Golden Gopher football players. Time goes by so fast, but the memories, experiences and lessons learned last a lifetime. Each student-athlete played a different position, had a different role, and a different experience. However, they share a common bond. They all were a part of the Minnesota Golden Gopher football program and are very proud of that accomplishment.

Today the Golden Gopher football team has 18 seniors that will be playing their last game at the Metrodome. They will be leaving the program at the end of the season and moving on to a different part of their life. They each were asked to share some of their experiences and thoughts about their time as a Golden Gopher.

Question: What is your most memorable moment as Golden Gopher?

Asad Abdul-Khaliq: My first game at the University of Minnesota. It was against Louisiana-Lafayette. I had three touchdowns. It was my college career debut.

Thomas Tapeh: Beating Ohio State at their home in 2001.

Ben Utecht: Singing the national anthem with Dan Nystrom before the Purdue game, which was right after September 11th.

Ben West: Beating Ohio State at Ohio State in 2001.

Eli Ward: When we beat Penn State my freshman year in 1999.

Justin Isom: It definitely would have to be getting my scholarship after I walked on to the team. That was the best.

Joe Quinn: Winning the Music City Bowl last year.

Tony Patterson: The game a few years back when we went into Ohio State and beat them on their home field.

Paul Nixon: My first start against Illinois in 2001.

Dan Kwapinski: Coach Mason yelling at me for backing up on a kickoff return and catching the ball. You should never back up and I caught it and got an ear full afterwards from Coach Mason.

Benji Kamrath: Last year when I started against Northwestern on October 10. It was a Big Ten game and I will never forget how I helped my team get that win.

Matt McIntosh: My most memorable moment was winning the axe back from the Badgers in 2001.

Peter Prudden: My sophomore year, winning the axe back from Wisconsin. It was a tough year and we were young, but that victory really set us up for having future success.

Sam Logan: When we played Murray State in 2001. It was the first game that I got to play in.

Mark McElroy: The bowl games. I've been to two and we are going to a third this year. They are all a lot of fun.

Sean Laur: The way we played in the Music City Bowl last year. It was so good for our program since we had not won a bowl game for so long. Also, no one thought we could win, and we came together and accomplished great things.

Eric Stenzel: I don't really just have one memorable moment. There have been so many memorable moments I cannot just come up with one. But the two bowl games really stick out in my mind.

Question: What will you miss most about being apart of the Golden Gopher football team?

Abdul-Khaliq: The people. The friends I have grown to love, the staff, coaches and the media people.

Tapeh: Definitely the locker room.

Utecht: The fellowship with your teammates and comradeship. Being a part of this team is something that is just so awesome.

West: I will miss the team. That bond is not something you really have after you are done playing.

Ward: I will miss all my teammates that I might not get to see again after I leave here.

Hosack: Luke Tressel's meetings.

Isom: All the guys. The whole family atmosphere where everyone loves everybody.

Quinn: Being around the guys each and everyday.

Patterson: I will miss the players, all of my teammates. I have made some friendships that mean a lot to me.

Nixon: My team and going out there on Saturdays and playing in front of thousands of fans.

Kwapinski: My teammates and just being with the guys.

Kamrath: Being around a great group of guys day in and day out. I have made a lot of good friends and I hope I stay in contact with some of them in the future.

McIntosh: I will miss the friendships I have made. Basic team camaraderie.

Prudden: My teammates, and having the camaraderie. And just playing football, I have played football my whole life and I am slowly realizing that it is all coming to an end.

Logan: Everybody. The whole team has been another family for me. We go through everything together as a team, especially this year.

McElroy: The players. It is an honor to be able to call them all my friends.

Laur: The whole atmosphere of being around all my teammates everyday. And the anticipation of game day makes it even more special.

Eric Stenzel: I will really miss just hanging out with the guys.

Question: What is the most important thing you have learned from being a student-athlete or apart of the Golden Gopher football team?

Abdul-Khaliq: That no matter how fun things seem, it is always a business at the end of the day.

Tapeh: Whenever you fall, you must get back up. But what are you going to do after you get back up?

Utecht: I have learned so much. But after Brandon Hall's death, Coach Mason said that it is not about being a man, it is about being wise.

West: How to believe in myself.

Ward: I have learned perseverance. When times are tough, how to keep going, grind it out and hopefully you will be able to prevail.

Hosack: To be a team guy. And have respect for other people.

Isom: The main thing is all about focus.

Quinn: In the end, hard work pays off.

Patterson: Success is not about the individual athletes, it is about the team.

Nixon: Be patient. I was discouraged when I didn't play right away. But be patient and wait your turn.

Kwapinski: If you work hard. It will pay off in the end.

Kamrath: When things aren't going your way, you have to keep working hard and get the best out of that situation. There is always something positive that can come out if it.

McIntosh: Don't take anything for granted. We have been given the opportunity to do something great, so take advantage of it.

Prudden: I have learned about myself and what I can and can't do, goal setting, time management, my attitude and striving for success.

Logan: In order to get to where you want to be, you need to rely on others. It truly does take a team to succeed.

McElroy: Always be accountable for yourself.

Laur: Keep working hard and depend on your teammates because when you get down, they are the ones that will carry you through.

Stenzel: Teamwork and the importance of working together to get a job done.

Question: What was the biggest challenge or toughest part about being a Gopher football player?

Abdul-Khaliq: Trying to please every fan in the state of Minnesota.

Tapeh: Injuries, switching positions, not playing, all of the above.

Utecht: (Jokingly) Dealing with Sid Hartman. In reality, battling with an injury through a few of my seasons.

West: Getting up in the morning after a big loss.

Ward: Making it through my first year. I was real homesick and had an injury, so it was hard to stay motivated.

Hosack: Making it to weights at eight in the morning.

Isom: Adjusting to college and adjusting to the game because it is a lot different than high school.

Quinn: It is crazy the amount of time that football requires. So it is hard to balance everything.

Patterson: Early on it was being away form my family. But now, realizing we only have two games left and what we have been doing for five years is all coming to an end.

Nixon: Just waiting my turn and trying to play.

Kwapinski: My knee rehab. Trying to come back after my surgery last December and trying to get back where I was before was real tough.

Kamrath: The adjustment from high school to college is real hard. You come in with guys that are bigger, stronger and more experienced than you. Also, is tough to balance academics and football. It is tough to get the grades you want in the classroom when you have so many other things going on.

McIntosh: Trying to do well in school. There are so many distractions with football and everything else; it is hard to get it all done.

Logan: Not only do you have to be an athlete, you also have to be a student. That puts double the pressure on you compared to any other student. So it gets difficult at times to manage it all.

McElroy: Adjusting to a different lifestyle at first and maintaining eligibility.

Laur: Accepting my role as a scout player. I went from playing all the time in high school to do everything in practice, which was a tough thing to adjust to.

Stenzel: Time management. With football and school it was something that took me a while to get use to.

Question: Do you have any words of wisdom for the guys who aren't finished or the new guys coming in?

Abdul-Khaliq: Be humble. Be yourself. And always work hard.

Tapeh: Hang in there. It will all work.

Utecht: Follow your heart. Take hold of your abilities and talents and do it with all your heart.

West: Believe in yourself.

Ward: Do well in school early. Because if you do well early, when the curriculum starts getting harder you will have some leeway.

Hosack: Work hard! I am a man of many words. Ha Ha!

Isom: First and for most, get that degree. That is the main thing. You may think it is secondary because you came here to play ball. But in reality it is all about that degree.

Patterson: Do what you are supposed to do. Be where you are supposed to be and stay out of trouble.

Nixon: Have fun. College is seriously one of the best times of your life, so take it and soak it up as much as you can.

Kwapinski: Try and do the right thing. You know the difference between right and wrong so try and do that. Most importantly listen to your elders.

Kamrath: Take advantage of the time you have and the people you meet. It goes by quicker than you can imagine. And being a part of a team is something special and you can take that with you for the rest of your life.

McIntosh: Hang in there. It is tough, but it is worth every penny.

Prudden: Throughout your career you will have your ups and downs. The best thing to do is have a positive attitude and don't get down on yourself and always put forth 100 percent effort.

Logan: Stay together and you have a great possibility of accomplishing everything you ever wanted. Don't ever forget to believe.

McElroy: For the new guys: Stay on top of your schoolwork and get ready for the biggest shock of your lives.

Laur: Always give everything you have because that is always going to help the program get better. Stay focused on the team instead of your individual accomplishments.

Stenzel: Trust the people that are trying to help you out. Whether it is a coach or an academic advisor. Even though they may be asking something you don't think is going to help you, the odds are that they have been there before and are only trying to do what is best for you.

Question: What you would like to tell the Gopher fans and supporters?

Abdul-Khaliq: I love you all. Thank you for all the support over the years and sticking with me throughout my time here.

Tapeh: Thank you for just being there for this team.

Utecht: It has been an amazing five years and I appreciate all the support from those that do show up. But we still need a lot more support.

West: We believe in ourselves. We aren't taking any short cuts and we are doing everything we can so we thank those that have backed us for so long.

Ward: Continue to support the team. Root for a new stadium, and keep coming out for future generations.

Hosack: The University of Minnesota football is going to be big in the upcoming years. So stick with it game in and game out.

Isom: The fans need to realize how important they are to the team. They become our 12th man.

Quinn: Thanks for five years of support. It has been great, and the entire University has showed so much support that means so much to all of us.

Patterson: I would like to thank everyone for giving me a great college experience and the fans have always been there.

Nixon: Thanks for supporting the Gophers and just being there no matter what, even when we were having a loosing season.

Kwapinski: Thanks for the great ride. It has been a great five years and thanks for making it so enjoyable for me personally.

Kamrath: We appreciate those that have stuck by us through the tough times. We have worked so hard and thanks so much for the patience.

McIntosh: It has been a good ride.

Prudden: Thank you for all the cheers and keep being dedicated. Stick with us. Your support gets us fired up.

Logan: Thanks for being there for this team through its ups and downs. You all made a difference.

McElroy: The Gophers are only going to be getting greater with the seasons to come. Please don't let up, we need each and every one of you. You guys are just as important as the players.

Laur: Keep on supporting our team because that is what this program needs. The fans don't realize how they have a direct effect on this team's success and the future of this program.

Stenzel: Thank you for the support during my time here at Minnesota and I hope that you have enjoyed Minnesota football as much as I have.

Written by Media Relations Assistant Jessica Fleischmann. She welcomes comments at gophers@umn.edu