University of Minnesota Athletics
Tackling Life Head On: Senior Mike Sherels
10/19/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
Football, if it wasn’t already obvious enough, isn’t exactly a sport for the faint of heart. Just ask Gopher linebacker Mike Sherels. Recently returned from a routine trip to the chiropractor, Sherels was asked how he’s holding up through the first few games of his fourth college season.
“We joke a lot, myself and (fellow senior linebacker John) Shevlin,” Sherels said in his trademark easy-going manner. “We’re apparently the guys who always say we’re hurt, but we’re always on the field together.
“I’ll live,” he laughs. “It’s only a couple more months.”
Sherels says it with a smile on his face, but like any college senior, there is a hint of wistfulness in his tone. A three-year starter at linebacker for the Gophers and 2006 winner of the Carl Eller Award, given to the team’s most outstanding defensive player, Sherels has come a long way from his humble roots as a walk-on fullback out of John Marshall High School in Rochester, Minn. Now a veteran of nearly two dozen Big Ten battles and a two-year captain, Sherels’ outstanding football career at Minnesota is quickly nearing an end.
Fans often hear tales of athletes who have squandered opportunities or wasted their natural talents. However, there is hardly a player in college football who has done more with less than Sherels.
“Mike is one of those guys who’s an overachiever,” said longtime teammate and fellow senior Tony Brinkhaus. “He’s a student of the game. He’s always very well prepared... He’s got a big heart, and he’s one of those guys who will leave it on the field.
“He’s not only a great friend to me off the field, but on it, he’s one of those guys who you trust,” Brinkhaus continued. “He’s going to give you everything he’s got.”
Sherels’ origins as a walk-on are well-documented. Stories are often told about why he was switched over to defense in the first place Minnesota’s linebackers hated absorbing his bruising blocks in practice and even those who did not witness the beginning of his Gopher career can appreciate the zeal that Sherels brings to the game.
“Mike earned a scholarship,” said Gopher linebackers coach John Butler, who belongs to a new coaching staff that saw Sherels play for the first time just a few months ago. “A lot of guys are given scholarships, but Mike earned his scholarship through his play and through his commitment and passion for the University of Minnesota. I think Mike is a guy that would do anything to help his football team win.”
On the field, it’s obvious that the 6’0”, 240-pound Sherels has more than maximized his God-given abilities. The Gophers’ leading tackler a year ago, Sherels ranks among the Big Ten’s best in that category once again in 2007. Off the field, the Gopher captain also serves as a shining beacon of excellence through his extensive work in the community. Sherels is one of the University’s most active student-athlete volunteers and routinely donates his time by reading to kids in schools and working with organizations like the Boys and Girls Clubs.
Sherels says that spending time with kids has been one of his most rewarding experiences at Minnesota.
“I’ve always been a guy who tries to put myself out there,” Sherels said. “I remember being a member of organizations like the Boys and Girls Club... Even if you’re just in school and an athlete comes in it doesn’t matter what level he’s at if he’s wearing a jersey, everybody just has starstruck eyes.”
Sherels said he often gives his own example as a way to motivate young kids to succeed in the classroom and in life.
“I’ve never been a particularly big fan of school, but I’ve loved football since I first put on a helmet in the third grade,” said the business and marketing major. “So I tell (kids) my story I’ve not always been the best student, but I’ve always realized that in order to accomplish the things that I want to do and continue playing football... School is something that comes along with it. You can’t have one without the other.”
During his four-year stint at Minnesota, Sherels has excelled in nearly every aspect of collegiate life, serving as a role model athletically, academically and in the community. But the “real world” looms just months away Sherels is set to graduate this December and his post-graduate plans aren’t quite as rock-solid as the crushing tackles he lays on opposing running backs.
“It’s getting closer,” Sherels says about life after college. “I’ve found myself thinking about it increasingly more, but at the same time I’m trying to enjoy football so much at this point, I don’t even want to think about life without football. I just try not to get ahead of myself and concentrate on the next football game, because I’m not going to have it for very much longer.”
So what memories will the Minnesota linebacker take away from his time as a Gopher?
“I’m going to remember my teammates,” Sherels said. “My favorite part (of Gopher football) is coming into the locker room every day and seeing the hundred brothers that I have. The relationships that I’ve made here are priceless. I treat every one of those guys like they’re family. Occasionally you fight with family and may not always get along, but you’re always there for these people.”
One player with whom he has formed an especially tight bond over the years is Shevlin, an Eagan native that has started alongside Sherels for three seasons at linebacker. The two friends have shared more than just the same defensive backfield during that span, as Shevlin also recalls the duo’s training room banter fondly. In addition to the (substantial) bumps and bruises that all football players must deal with on an everyday basis, Sherels suffered a lung contusion already this season and Shevlin had to undergo root canal surgery on four teeth during training camp.
“We’ve both had some injuries here and there, so we always ask each other (in the training room) How you feeling today?’” Shevlin recalled with a chuckle. “And the answer you always have to give everybody is Great. One hundred percent.’ Mike how you doing? Great, one hundred percent.’ Shevy, how you doing Great, one hundred percent.’”
Joking aside, Shevlin also believes that there are no bounds for what Sherels can accomplish in his life after football.
“(Mike can go) wherever he wants to go. He’s a straight shooter if he wants to get something, he’ll get it,” Shevlin said. “I think whatever he wants to do in life, he’ll be successful at it, because he’s a driven and motivated person.”
What does Sherels see for himself in his future after football?
“I could really see myself doing a million different things,” Sherels said. “I’m really flexible as far as that goes, and I just kinda go with the flow. I have no shortage in confidence in my abilities.”
Shevlin echoed his friend’s conviction.
“Sky’s the limit,” Shevlin said when asked about Sherels’ potential. “If he wants to sit at home and play video games, he’ll probably be pretty good at that. If he wants to go and lead a company, he’ll probably be pretty good at that too.”
Whether it’s laying ball carriers flat, inspiring elementary school kids or joking around with his teammates, Sherels definitely goes “one hundred percent” all-out in everything he does.
On the gridiron, he’s used to exceeding everyone’s expectations. Off it, Mike Sherels is just getting warmed up.
by Ryan Maus, athletic communications intern
