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University of Minnesota Athletics
Camp Blog: Home Sweet Home
8/9/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
GopherSports.com will provide a daily blog from the beginning of fall camp until the week of the season-opener at Syracuse, set for Sept. 5. Check back here often for updates from throughout preseason camp. Associate Athletic Communications Director Andy Seeley will be penning most of these blogs. If you would like to ask a question about fall camp, have a request for something you’d like to see in the blog or just a comment on the blog, feel free to send Andy an e-mail at aseeley@umn.edu.
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The last week of summer prior to the beginning of preseason camp just came to a close. Many of the Golden Gophers took advantage of that opportunity to get home. For some members of the team who hail from a little further away, those opportunities are few and far between -- and they are cherished.
Senior captain Garrett Brown comes from New Haven, Conn. He was back home last week and got a chance to enjoy some home cooking and see some friends and family back home.
“The week back home was a great time to spend quality time with my family and friends before the start of camp,” Brown said. “Seeing everyone back home before this long stretch is definitely needed. I definitely enjoyed the atmosphere of being back east.”
Garrett’s mother Sheree sent him off with a great meal Thursday night, before he headed back to the Twin Cities on Friday morning.
“Home cooking is always a highlight of going home,” Garrett said. “My mom made a seafood dinner for me the thursday before i came back to Minnesota ... everything from lobster to scallops.”
One of the other highlights for Brown was a trip to an amusement park. Even if the 6-2, 310-pounder couldn’t quite take in all the attractions.
“I had the chance to go down to Maryland to Six Flags which was awesome, even though I'm too big for some of the rides,” Brown said.
Once Brown arrived back in the Twin Cities, the roller coaster that is preseason camp was just getting ready to pull out. One of the first items on his agenda was a dinner with the other 20-plus seniors on the Gopher roster.
“The senior dinner was great for all of us,” he said. “As everyone knows we have 25 seniors this year. We all stood up and said our two cents and by what we all said I have a feeling that this class is going to be an integral part of something special this season. I cannot wait for it to unfold.”
The upperclassmen officially reported to camp Sunday at 4:30 p.m. Then, just a little more than 12 hours later, they will see how all the hard work they have done this summer has paid off. At 6 a.m. Monday morning, Coach Brewster and his staff will have the entire team take part in a conditioning test.
Brown said he’s actually looking forward to that workout.
“Monday’s conditioning test is the culmination of all the hard work we have put in this summer,” he said. “It signifies the start of camp and the season. That’s what we all have been waiting for.”
Practice then begins Monday afternoon. Although the team can’t put full pads on until Friday, Brown said he and the rest of the team are ready to get rolling.
“Camp has been much awaited and the atmosphere around here has hightened day in and day out,” he said. “We are ready to prepare for the 5th of Septemeber and this entire season. It is time for us to get back in pads and get the show on the road.”
-Andy Seeley
