University of Minnesota Athletics
Gopher Trio Named to East-West Shrine Bowl All-Century Team
12/17/2024 10:30:00 AM | Football
MINNEAPOLIS -- In honor of 100 years of the East-West Shrine Bowl, the all-star showcase unveiled its All-Century Team Tuesday, featuring former Gophers Tony Dungy, Carl Eller and Bronko Nagurski.
A two-time Second Team All-Big Ten honoree, Dungy played for the Gophers from 1973-76 and was the team captain in his final season. He finished his Gophers career as the school's all-time leader in pass attempts, completions, passing yards and touchdown passes. The two-time team MVP was also a two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection. Dungy signed with the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers, where he played safety for two seasons. In 1978, he intercepted six passes, second-best in the AFC, and helped the Steelers defeat the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl XIII. Dungy was later the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts from 2002-08 and led the Colts to their first Super Bowl title in 2007. He was Minnesota's seventh and most recent inductee into the Pro Football Hall as the former Gopher quarterback was enshrined on Aug. 6, 2016.
Eller was a defensive tackle for the Golden Gophers from 1961 to 1963, earning All-Big Ten honors his final two seasons. As a sophomore, the dominating Eller helped lead the Gophers past UCLA to win the Rose Bowl. In 1963, he earned consensus All-American honors and was the runner-up for the Outland Trophy, awarded to the nation's top interior lineman. Eller was selected sixth overall by the Vikings in the NFL draft and played 225 regular-season games over 15 years for them before spending one final 1979 season with the Seattle Seahawks. An All-Pro six times, Eller was the NFL's Most Valuable Defensive Lineman twice, and played in six Pro Bowl games and four Super Bowls. He became the Vikings' all-time sack leader with 130, and recovered a record 23 fumbles along the way. Eller was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006.
Nagurski came to the University of Minnesota in 1927, playing tackle, fullback, defensive end, offensive end, linebacker and even quarterback. He became the only player in college football history named a first-team consensus All-American at two different positions in the same season. In 1930, he joined the Chicago Bears, leading them to three NFL Championships in eight years. When the six-time All-Pro retired in 1943 with 242 points scored on 4,301 yards rushing, the Bears retired his No. 3. An inaugural member of both the Pro Football and College Football Halls of Fame, Nagurski was named to the Football Writers Association of America's All-Time team in 1965. In 1995, college football's Defensive Player of the Year award was renamed the Nagurski Trophy. Minnesota retired Nagurski's No. 72 Gopher number in 1979.
A two-time Second Team All-Big Ten honoree, Dungy played for the Gophers from 1973-76 and was the team captain in his final season. He finished his Gophers career as the school's all-time leader in pass attempts, completions, passing yards and touchdown passes. The two-time team MVP was also a two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection. Dungy signed with the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers, where he played safety for two seasons. In 1978, he intercepted six passes, second-best in the AFC, and helped the Steelers defeat the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl XIII. Dungy was later the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts from 2002-08 and led the Colts to their first Super Bowl title in 2007. He was Minnesota's seventh and most recent inductee into the Pro Football Hall as the former Gopher quarterback was enshrined on Aug. 6, 2016.
Eller was a defensive tackle for the Golden Gophers from 1961 to 1963, earning All-Big Ten honors his final two seasons. As a sophomore, the dominating Eller helped lead the Gophers past UCLA to win the Rose Bowl. In 1963, he earned consensus All-American honors and was the runner-up for the Outland Trophy, awarded to the nation's top interior lineman. Eller was selected sixth overall by the Vikings in the NFL draft and played 225 regular-season games over 15 years for them before spending one final 1979 season with the Seattle Seahawks. An All-Pro six times, Eller was the NFL's Most Valuable Defensive Lineman twice, and played in six Pro Bowl games and four Super Bowls. He became the Vikings' all-time sack leader with 130, and recovered a record 23 fumbles along the way. Eller was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006.
Nagurski came to the University of Minnesota in 1927, playing tackle, fullback, defensive end, offensive end, linebacker and even quarterback. He became the only player in college football history named a first-team consensus All-American at two different positions in the same season. In 1930, he joined the Chicago Bears, leading them to three NFL Championships in eight years. When the six-time All-Pro retired in 1943 with 242 points scored on 4,301 yards rushing, the Bears retired his No. 3. An inaugural member of both the Pro Football and College Football Halls of Fame, Nagurski was named to the Football Writers Association of America's All-Time team in 1965. In 1995, college football's Defensive Player of the Year award was renamed the Nagurski Trophy. Minnesota retired Nagurski's No. 72 Gopher number in 1979.
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