University of Minnesota Athletics
Three Gophers Sign NFL Free Agent Contracts
4/28/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Three University of Minnesota football players signed free agent NFL contracts the day following the league’s annual player draft on Monday.
Linebacker Mike Sherels signed with the Minnesota Vikings, fullback Justin Valentine inked with the New York Jets and wide receiver Ernie Wheelwright signed with the Baltimore Ravens. The trio joins safety Dominique Barber, who was a sixth-round draft choice of the Houston Texans on Sunday. With the four new additions, Minnesota has 19 players currently on NFL rosters.
Sherels, a Rochester, Minn. native, ranked fourth on the team with 55 tackles in 10 games played this past season. He had 37 solo tackles and a team-high two-and-a-half sacks. He ranked third on the team with seven-and-a-half tackles for loss. Sherels finished his career with 219 total tackles, including 140 solo stops. A two-time team captain, Sherels was the team’s most outstanding defensive player in 2006 when he totaled a career-best 104 tackles.
Valentine, a Columbus, Ohio native, was a lead blocker in the Gophers’ offensive attack and finished the season with 14 carries for 42 yards and one touchdown. Over his four seasons, Valentine rushed 73 times for 225 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also caught a career-high eight passes for 54 yards this past season and posted career totals of 17 catches for 145 yards and three touchdowns. Valentine and Sherels shared the team’s Neil Fredenburg Award for courage and love of the game.
Wheelwright, a Columbus, Ohio native, turned in one of the most productive receiving seasons 66 catches, which is the second-highest total in school history. He ranked seventh in the Big Ten at 5.5 receiving yards per game and was third in single-season school history with nine touchdowns. Wheelwright, who played in the 2008 Hula Bowl, ranks third in school history with 49 career receptions and 2,434 receiving yards. His 26 receiving touchdowns rank second in school history and his seven-game streak with a touchdown catch over the 2006 and 2007 seasons ties for the longest in school annals.
