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University of Minnesota Athletics
Blog: Gophers Host Faculty at Practice, Dinner
4/16/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Gopher head coach Tim Brewster called Thursday's practice "a teaching and learning day." What could be more fitting then, that more than 30 University of Minnesota professors, instructors and administrators were in attendance for practice and had dinner with the team following its practice Thursday afternoon?
Academic counselors for football Chris McNelley and Chris Elrod were some of the driving forces behind the event, which Gopher head coach Tim Brewster plans to make an annual happening in the spring. McNelley said that the event has been very well-received.
“The professors loved the idea,” McNelley said. “They appreciate the fact that we’re reaching out to them and allowing them to see the other side of the student-athletes’ lives. We’re really trying to build a bridge between the faculty and the coaching staff.”
Faculty members, who were invited to take part in the event by the football student-athletes themselves, watched the Gophers practice and toured the football complex. Following practice, the faculty members had a meet-and-greet session with the Gopher coaching staff. The event concluded with the faculty members enjoying a catered meal with the team and coaching staff at the Gibson-Nagurski Football Complex indoor practice facility.
“I’m so proud of our players, our football team, and the way they are being student-athletes,” Brewster said. “At the end of the day, we want to be proud of our football team. When we win a championship, we want to be proud of our football team. The other thing is, together we can accomplish something very special and this is a unifying type of deal. We want everybody to feel ownership in our program. With the turnout we’ve gotten from the faculty, it means that they care and that’s really exciting. I just think it is a special night.”
The faculty members usually only get to interact with these student-athletes when they are in the “student” half of that title. They enjoyed and appreciated getting to see a glimpse of the “athlete” portion of the football players’ lives.
“As educators at the U., we often just see them in the classroom,” said Andrew Williams, from the College of Liberal Arts. Williams was invited by Brandon Kirksey, Johnny Johnson and Jewhan Edwards, among others. “We know this is a big part of their lives, but we often don’t get a chance to see the other kind of work they do at the U. It is nice to see how they spend a lot of their time outside of the classroom and outside of schoolwork. It is important for us to show them a little support, as well.”
Maureen Aitken is a writing instructor who has four football players in her morning class. Brandon Green, Kirksey, Gary Tinsley and Kevin Whaley and all four of them asked her to attend Thursday’s function. Aitken said she was happy to take the student-athletes up on their invitation.
“It’s nice to see them working hard out here, to see their schedule and to see how committed they are,” Aitken said. “It does look pretty rigorous and it gives you some idea of their responsibilities and their passion for something.”
Aitken was also complimentary of Elrod and McNelley, who both work in the athletic department’s McNamara Academic Center.
“It’s been very good for them to communicate with the instructors and to help build bridges,” she said.
-Andy Seeley
