University of Minnesota Athletics
The Power of Positive Thinking: Senior WR Logan Payne
10/26/2006 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
Great athletes are often remembered by defining moments – those instances in which they overcome the odds and deliver extraordinary performances in the most critical situations.
Logan Payne has had some defining moments in his career at Minnesota, including the touchdown catch on fourth-and-goal in the first overtime against Purdue last season and his four touchdown performance in the first half earlier this year against Temple. But perhaps his most defining moment came away from the field of play after the Michigan game was all said and done last Saturday night. Following Coach Mason’s post-game speech in the locker room, Payne made his way around to a number of his teammates, offering words of encouragement and reminding them to stay positive and to keep working hard.
“We have a young team,” Payne stated. “I was just reinforcing that we have to bounce back because we have another shot this week. Anyone can beat anyone on any given Saturday so you have to come ready to play. When you lose a couple of games, a lot of guys think it’s a lot worse than it really is. I was just trying to instill in them that we’re going to get this thing turned around.”
With a couple of breaks in the other direction, both the Purdue and Michigan games could have had different outcomes. And while starting the season 2-3 is not an ideal situation, the Golden Gophers have proven they can play with the best teams in the nation. Payne said the challenge now is maintaining that level of play and continuing to improve every week. To reach the next level and become a great team, he said the Gophers need to take advantage of every opportunity to make big plays and they have to overcome the times when the circumstances are not in their favor.
“No matter what happens, we have to overcome it,” Payne said. “If you have a bad play, you have to forget about it and take the mindset that the next play is the most important play. Sometimes things are stacked against us. We have to overcome the opposing team, the refs, and if we’re playing on the road, the crowd. We just have to take it one play at a time and believe we can overcome anything.”
Payne has conquered his share of challenges over the course of his career. After a stellar senior season in high school in which he had 74 receptions for 1,250 yards and 23 touchdowns, Payne spent much of his first two years at Minnesota solely playing on special teams. He caught just one pass in his first two seasons of college football.
He admits it was a frustrating time because he wanted to play a more significant role, but he made the decision not to redshirt and committed himself to doing whatever the coaches asked of him. He stayed patient, kept his head up and focused on helping his team in any way possible, whether that meant participating in only a few plays a game or being out there with the first team offense. Payne dedicated himself to getting better every day in practice so that he could make a bigger impact down the road.
“His number wasn’t called as much as he would have liked,” wide receivers coach Luke Tressel commented. “But he stayed positive and continued to work hard and each year he’s gotten more and more comfortable. He’s been here four years and has gotten to see a lot of other great leaders at work. Now it’s his time and he has stepped up to the challenge.”
Payne made it his prerogative this past summer to become the leader of the Golden Gopher receiving corps heading into the 2006 season. He took control of getting the receivers together and worked with quarterback Bryan Cupito to refine the passing game. With the loss of a number of key components of the dominant rushing attack Gopher fans have seen over the last few seasons, Payne worked tirelessly with the intent of becoming one of the team’s top playmakers.
Cupito said Payne is without a doubt the most improved player on the team this year and at this point in the season is the team’s most valuable player on offense.
“He was always good,” Cupito stated. “He always caught the ball well, ran good routes and worked hard. But now, he’s making plays after the catch. All the credit goes to him because he decided to step up and take the role of being a leader, and that’s exactly what he’s done.”
Payne’s numbers speak for themselves. He leads the team and ranks among the top 10 in the conference with 25 receptions for 349 yards. With seven touchdown catches on the year, tied for the most in the Big Ten, Payne already ranks tied for sixth in the school’s single-season record books. In addition, his four TD catches against Temple earlier this year were the most since Omar Douglas had five against Purdue on Oct. 9, 1993.
Beyond the numbers, Cupito said Payne has established himself as a reliable target when the game is on the line.
“Coming into this year, I knew we had three guys in Matt Spaeth, Ernie Wheelwright and Logan Payne who could all be go-to-guys,” Cupito said. “Logan has really emerged as the go-to-guy for our whole team. He’s one of those guys that, when in doubt in certain situations, I throw him the ball. He’s really added a new dimension to our offense, making plays both running the ball and catching the ball.”
Payne almost single-handedly kept the Gophers in the Michigan game with his sheer playmaking ability and never-say-die attitude. With just over four minutes remaining, Payne caught a simple hitch route, dodged a couple of defenders and then tiptoed the sideline before diving into the end zone for Minnesota’s second touchdown of the game. It was a play in which he simply refused to give up, and Cupito said if he continues to make plays like that, it will help Minnesota win a lot of games this year.
Payne is the type of player who demands the ball in crunch time. He thrives in pressure situations when the stakes are the highest.
“That’s what football is all about,” he stated. “When the game is on the line and your team needs someone to step up, I take pride in being there for my team and being able to make the big play.”
Payne has his sights set on only one goal, and that is winning. Whether it’s catching passes, scoring touchdowns or getting blocks downfield to spur a big gain for the running backs, Payne said he will do whatever the team needs him to do. Despite his increased role the last two seasons, he has remained humble and kept the same attitude he had during his first two years with the program when he was not the star of the team. He continues to work hard every day in practice with the objective of maximizing his ability.
That mindset carries over into the classroom, where Payne has worked just as hard and has been rewarded with similar results. He was an Academic All-Big Ten selection each of the last two years. Like any other college football standout, Payne would love to have an opportunity to play at the next level, but he also understands the importance of taking advantage of the opportunities he’s been given and how special it is to graduate from college and get a degree.
Tressel described Payne as a very self-motivated individual both on the field and in the classroom. He said players like that are simply a joy to coach.
“You never have to get on his case about anything,” he commented. “He’s one of the hardest workers I’ve coached in my short career. He’s a guy that does everything you ask of him and more. There are some guys that no matter what they choose to do, they are going to be successful, whether it’s continuing football or going out into the real world. Logan is one of those guys.”
The demands of college football are draining both mentally and physically, but Payne has learned that no matter what life throws his way, he can overcome anything through hard work and with a positive attitude.
“Some days you just have to suck it up and pull through and just keep working toward the light at the end of the tunnel,” he said.
It remains to be seen what will come of the 2006 Gopher football season and what lies ahead for Logan Payne. But no matter where life takes him and what happens down the road, he will continue to work hard, he will keep his head up, and he will be defined by his knack for coming through in the most critical situations when his team needs him the most.
story by Tory Kukowski, athletic communications intern
