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University of Minnesota Athletics
Walk-Ons Contribute for Gophers
2/11/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
By Ashley Stewart
Athletic Communications Student Assistant
To be part of a Division I-FBS football team is an admirable accomplishment. During this past season, the University of Minnesota had nearly 100 players who contributed to the Gopher family. But the process of how each player joins the team can differ. As the 2008 football season came to a close with an appearance in the Insight Bowl, a large number of those student-athletes had to earn their way on to the Minnesota squad by walking on to the team.
Division I universities are allowed to offer 85 football scholarships and fill the rest of the team with walk-ons. According to Josh Sternquist, Assistant Recruiting Coordinator for the Gophers, the pressures for walk-on players are sometimes just as great as those for the young men who are awarded scholarships. Walk-ons are first required to be admitted into the university, based on high school academic achievement. Then they have to go through the rigorous process of trying out for the team. The Gopher football program gives a walk-on who makes the team nearly every benefit the scholarship players receive. The lone exception to that statement is that these student-athletes receive no financial assistance.
Last season, 31 Gopher football players were walk-ons who demonstrated outstanding teamwork and dedication to the program. Since these players began their careers as Gophers, 13 earned the opportunity to travel with the team and see time in the starting lineup. Eleven of those walk-ons were even been rewarded with scholarships at some point in their Gopher careers.
Many walk-ons who proved themselves to be worthy of scholarships were some of the team’s more recognizable playmakers. Last year’s starting kicker Joel Monroe was one of them. Monroe held a leadership role as the Gophers’ primary kicking specialist for the past three seasons. He was even nominated for the Lou Groza Award as one of the nation’s top placekickers.
Junior Cornerback Marcus Sherels is also a walk-on-turned-scholarship-player. Sherels was in the top 10 on the team for tackles last season and has been responsible for 11 pass break-ups this season. Sherels tallied two interceptions last season, while also serving as one of the squad’s main punt returners.
Starting Wide Receiver Ben Kuznia is another walk-on who earned a scholarship through outstanding performance. Kuznia started every game last season and was third on the team with 31 receptions for 310 yards.
Jon Hoese got his chance to shine at the Insight Bowl. The walk-on performer scored two of Minnesota’s three touchdowns against Kansas in the bowl game. Prior to the Insight Bowl, Hoese hadn’t even carried the ball once. His first three collegiate rushing attempts yielded two touchdowns and a first down.
Walk-ons can be the lifeblood of a successful college football team. That is no different at Minnesota. The title of being a “walk-on”does not always factor into the student-athlete’s ability to play the game, just the way they became a Gopher. When recruiting walk-ons the Gopher coaching staff stresses that the potential players must come to the U with the idea that they are going to contribute. Looking back on the 2008 season, it is clear that many of these young men took that attitude to heart.
The following is a look at all the student-athletes who came to Minnesota as walk-on players at some point during their career (asterisks denote student-athletes who have been awarded scholarships after beginning their careers as a walk-on):
#3 Kim Royston
#11 Adam Lueck
#12 Damola Ogundipe
#16 Ben Kuznia*
#19 Andrew Allison
#24 Marcus Sherels*
#26 Mike Rallis*
#28 Kevin Mannion*
#34 Tyler Johnson
#35 Jon Hoese
#38 Blake Haudan
#38 David Schwerman
#38 Marcus Singletary
#39 Nick Stommes
#40 Nate Tow-Arnett
#45 Tom Hennessey*
#47 Ryan Coleman*
#48 Bryan Klitzke
#48 Nick Tow-Arnett*
#49 Scott Jilek
#50 Patrick Sveum
#52 Jeff Tow-Arnett*
#64 Austin Hahn
#67 Nick Weber
#69 Jacob Glickstein
#73 Jason Meinke*
#87 Kyle Moore
#88 Collin McGarry
#89 Barrett Moen
#89 Brandon Randolph
#96 Curtis Hughes*
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