University of Minnesota Athletics

Get to Know Your Gophers: Duane Bennett

8/31/2011 12:00:00 AM | Football

Aug. 31, 2011

In the first episode of our new weekly video feature, "Get to Know Your Gophers," KFAN radio personality and Gopher Radio Network sideline reporter Justin Gaard sits down with Gophers running back Duane Bennett.

Watch the video for their whole conversation and tune in next week when we get to know another Gopher!

Justin Gaard: School's about to start. Everybody's coming back on campus. Before we talk a little football, what's maybe a good back-to-school memory?
Duane Bennett: A back to school memory would always have to be the Welcome Week, seeing all the freshmen coming in, really seeing who's staying where, and where your buddies are staying so you can kind of figure out what's the best way to get between classes to a friend's house. The biggest thing is Welcome Week where you meet everybody and they come in and you start to meet different people from different backgrounds.




"If anybody ever wants to play me in PS3 Madden, just hit me up and I'll make sure I set a time."


JG: Talking about the freshmen, a lot of them on campus now, you as kind of the elder statesman of the team or at least one of them--what kind of advice do you give them now that school's starting?
DB: I tell them to stay in the books. A lot of people, they try and put off school work early on during football season, thinking they'll have time to catch up to it. But usually that bites you in the back end. So I try to advise them to stay in the books early and stay ahead of the class schedule, so therefore it won't hinder you on the field, nor will it hinder you in the classroom.

JG: You've got football, you've got school, but I imagine you also have some hobbies or other things you like to do away from football and when you're not in the classroom. What's maybe your favorite thing to do when you're not worried about football and school?
DB: If I'm not worried about football and school, I'm sleeping. Nine times out of 10, I'm just sleeping in my dorm room. And if I'm not doing anything like that, I'm usually playing a game, watching TV, watching other football games, going to the mall--just doing different things, just to kind of interact with other people.

JG: Are you a video game guy?
DB: Very much so. I like to play Call of Duty and Madden. So if anybody ever wants to play me in PS3 Madden, just hit me up and I'll make sure I set a time.

JG: Best Madden player on the team besides you?
DB: It's so hard (to decide), because it's so off-and-on, but if I had to go with anybody, I'd have to say MarQueis (Gray).

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