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University of Minnesota Athletics
Sherels, 1967 Team Recognized By Local NFF Chapter
4/27/2017 12:00:00 AM | Football
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The Minnesota Chapter of the National Football Foundation will be hosting its Minnesota Football Honors on Sunday, May 7 at U.S. Bank Stadium. Two awards that will be handed out will be given to an individual and team with Maroon and Gold connections.
Former Gopher player and coach Mike Sherels will receive the Courage Award, while the 1967 Gopher squad will be recognized as the Murray Warmath Legendary Team. Warmath was the team's head coach.
Sherels was a two-time captain during his 2003-07 playing career and received the team's Neil Fredenburg Award in 2007. Sherels joined the football staff in 2011 and served in multiple roles before he coached the linebackers from 2014-16.
Prior to the 2016 season, he overcame a life-threatening ailment. His preparations for the upcoming season were derailed in July when he noticed some health issues that caused him to be rushed to the hospital with severe intestinal problems. He spent five days in the ICU, and surgeons eventually removed his entire small intestine and much of the large intestine.
Sherels had been given slim chances of survival, let alone leading a normal life. He not only lived through his hospital stay, but went home less than two weeks after the first emergency surgery, attached to multiple tubes. Sherels' abdominal organs that were left were no longer connected, and he could no longer eat.
During his medical leave Sherels remained in tune with the Gophers. Players and coaches visited frequently, and Sherels stopped by the football complex as he regained his strength. Doctors said he may never work again, but he returned for Minnesota's fifth game of the season, an Oct. 8 home game against Iowa and coached the rest of the season.
The 1967 University of Minnesota football team went 8-2 on the way to a Big Ten Championship. With a 6-1 conference record, the 1967 Minnesota team shared Big Ten champion status with Indiana and Purdue. The Gophers clinched a tie at the top of the standings with a win against Wisconsin and an Indiana win against Purdue on the final weekend of the regular season. The Gophers were undefeated at home, and undefeated in its three rivalry trophy games.
The Gophers' scoring defense was the best in the Big Ten, as Minnesota held opponents to 12.0 points per game in conference play. The Maroon and Gold allowed just 10.6 per game overall while averaging 16.3. Minnesota attained a rank of 14th in the final UPI national poll. The Big Ten championship was Minnesota's second under Warmath.
Individual Gophers earned awards for their part in the team's success. Defensive end Bob Stein earned All-America First Team recognition from four organizations. He was on the All-Big Ten First Team along with tackle John Williams, tackle McKinley Boston and back Tom Sakal, who was named team MVP. Future Hall of Fame tight end Charlie Sanders and guard Ed Duren made the all-conference second team.
The 10 Year Anniversary of the Minnesota Football Honors will be held Sunday, May 7, 2017 at U.S. Bank Stadium. College and professional football Hall of Fame inductees are scheduled to attend to celebrate the best of Minnesota football. The largest football awards event in the state is presented by the Minnesota Vikings. The event is open to the public. To register or find additional information about this year's Minnesota Football Honors, please visit www.minnesotafootballhonors.com. For sponsorship information, please email lindsay@nffmn.org.
