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University of Minnesota Athletics
Wolitarsky Finishing Career In Home State
12/9/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
By Daniel Kobren
Athletic Communications Student Assistant
Drew Wolitarsky could not have dreamt for a better location for his final collegiate game.
Wolitarsky grew up in Santa Clarita which is about 150 miles away from San Diego, the location of the Holiday Bowl.
"I'm ready to get down there already," Wolitarsky said. "This is the bowl game I hoped we would get. I really crossed my fingers for San Diego."
Wolitarsky's hope became a reality as the team is set to travel to the Golden State. The receiver's family had been checking on bowl announcements all day when they received the news.
"They knew before me," he explained. "I was excited when I heard. I'm pretty amped for this."
Wolitarsky said he plays in front of about 10 family members at each home game but knows he is going to have a far larger crowd in San Diego.
Exactly how much larger does he expect?
"I'm probably going to have over 100 people at the game," he said. "I better find some tickets."
After growing up out west, the California-kid knows San Diego is a prime place for a bowl game.
"I was recruited at San Diego," he said. "It's a beautiful spot. Guys are going to love being able to free roam and hit the beach. The energy is going to be up. There's going to be a lot of positivity."
Though Wolitarsky comes from California, he considers Minnesota his adopted home after phenomenal years of living in the Midwest.
"I like the culture out here, I like the seasons here," he explained. "I don't even see myself going back to California to be honest."
When Wolitarsky walks off the field Dec. 27, he will leave the Gophers with his name etched into Minnesota record books. His 125 catches ranks ninth in program history and his 1,676 yards is 10th best all-time.
Perhaps even more important than his statistics is that Wolitarsky leaves a program that has grown extensively over the past four years. With four straight bowl bids including the Citrus Bowl in 2014 and the Holiday Bowl this season, the senior has accomplished one of his most challenging goals.
"I came to change the program and turn it around when I came in," he said. "I saw that as an opportunity to play and grow. I've been growing ever since my freshman year."
