Gophers represented at BT Media Day by Fleck, Johnson, Coughlin, Ibrahim & O'Brien

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Gophers represented at BT Media Day by Fleck, Johnson, Coughlin, Ibrahim & O'Brien

per the U:

Attendees Announced for Big Ten Football Media Days and Kickoff Luncheon

The Gophers will be well represented at the upcoming 2019 Big Ten Football Media Days and Kickoff Luncheon, on July 18-19 at the historic Hilton Chicago.

In addition to head coach P.J. Fleck, the four players representing Minnesota will be seniors Tyler Johnson and Carter Coughlin and sophomores Mohamed Ibrahim and Casey O'Brien. Johnson, Coughlin and Ibrahim will speak with the media on Thursday, July 18, while O'Brien will speak on behalf of the student attendees and deliver a speech at the kickoff luncheon on Friday, July 19. The last Minnesota student-athlete to deliver this speech was Eric Decker in 2009.

Johnson, who was named First Team All-Big Ten (first Gopher receiver to receiver that honor since 2009), is back in Dinkytown for his senior season. Johnson put the Big Ten on notice last year when he made 78 catches (second most in a season) for 1,169 yards (single-season school record) and 12 touchdowns (single-season school record). He had six 100-yard games, which tied for first in school history in a season and became the first Gopher ever to have four straight 100-yard games in Big Ten play.

Jonson's legacy as one of the best to ever wear the Maroon and Gold is already established, but he has a chance to leave as the school's most productive receiver ever. Johnson enters 2019 ranked all-time in career receiving yards with 1,987. Decker is the school record holder with 3,119 career yards and is the only Gopher ever to eclipse 3,000 yards. Johnson will need 1,133 yards next season to break Decker's record and will need 1,013 yards to join him in Club 3,000. Johnson ranks tenth in school history with 127 catches and again will be chasing Decker who is the program standard with 227 career receptions. Decker's 84 catches in 2008 is the school record, so Johnson will need a monster season – 100 catches – to tie Decker's record. Johnson ranks fourth in school history with 20 receiving touchdowns. Ron Johnson (no relation) is first with 31 and is followed by Ernie Wheelwright (26) and Decker (24). If Johnson were to duplicate his 2018 season (78 catches, 1,169 yards and 12 touchdowns) in 2019, he would leave Minnesota as the program holder in receiving yards (3,156) and touchdowns (32) and would rank second all-time in catches (205).

Johnson will also enter 2019 having caught a pass in 23 straight games, which is tied for eighth in school history. Ron Johnson's record of 46 straight games is not reachable, but Johnson could finish second all-time (Decker and Tutu Atwell hold down second place with a catch in 34 straight games). Johnson has played in 36 career games (he missed the final two games of the 2017 season with an injury) and has nine 100-yard career games on his resume. The school record is 11 and is held by Decker and Atwell.

Coughlin, who is from Eden Prairie, Minn., was named Second Team All-Big Ten in 2018 after starting all 13 games and making 48 tackles (34 solo), 9.5 sacks and 15 tackles for loss. He also forced four fumbles and received the team's Trench Award and was named the team's Carl Eller Outstanding Defensive Player.

Coughlin, who is also an Academic All-Big Ten performer, has made 110 career tackles in 36 games and 30.5 of them (27.7%) have been a tackle for loss and 18.0 of them (16.3%) have been a sack. Coughlin ranks ninth in career tackles for loss with 30.5 (Willie VanDeSteeg is first with 43.5) and fifth in career sacks with 18.0 (Karon Riley is first with 29.0).

If Coughlin were to duplicate his 2018 season (15.0 TFLs and 9.5 sacks) in 2019 he would end his career first in tackles for loss with 45.5 and second in sacks with 27.5.

Ibrahim rushed 202 times for 1,160 yards and nine touchdowns as a freshman in 2018. His 1,160 yards were the second most ever for a Gopher freshman and came in only 10 games played. He rushed for more than 100 yards in five games last season to become the first Gopher freshman to do so since Laurence Maroney (five 100-yard games) in 2003.

Ibrahim set a freshman single-game record with 224 yards against Georgia Tech (most by a Gopher in a single game since Maroney ran for 258 yards against Wisconsin in 2005) in the 2018 Quick Lane Bowl and produced the 12th-best rushing game in school history. His 5.74 yards per carry average ranks fifth all-time in school history (minimum 200 carries) and Ibrahim's 1,160 career rushing yards ranks 42nd on Minnesota's career rushing.

O'Brien is a walk-on placeholder and four-time cancer survivor. He was a promising high school quarterback when he noticed a discomfort in his knee. With the help of trainers and doctors at Minnesota, it was discovered that he had osteosarcoma, which is a rare form of bone cancer. O'Brien beat his cancer and played high school football while going through chemo, but instead of playing quarterback, he was the team's placeholder. Cancer returned three more times, but O'Brien has beaten it every time.

Go Gophers!!
 

Interesting that Ibrahim, a sophomore, is one of the choices. He must be viewed as a great leader on the team.
 

Interesting that Ibrahim, a sophomore, is one of the choices. He must be viewed as a great leader on the team.

Comparing to the other running backs, Brooks probably not ideal after his "incident" last fall. And I say that as a big Shannon Brooks fan.

Maybe Smith has done it before. Could be a good way to get a young guy like Ibrahim into the team leadership pathway.
 

Love that Casey is doing this. In terms of bringing team leaders PJ is wisely holding his cards close to the vest regarding the QB.
 

Probably better Ibrahim than the two big guys in his class. After looking at big Dan, the league might handicap us even more than having to stomach BIg Ten officials. Wonder if any of the zebras lost their job or got their pay/game assignments changed? If this year is like past years, there won’t be any changes. Still bad.
 


I think it's also to show that if you step-ups in your position on the team and become a leader you are rewarded. Many people probably would have laughed if at the beginning of last season I had said he'd set the freshman single game rushing record and and come in second for most rushing yards in a season for a freshman while only playing in 10 games.

He was given an opportunity and he leaned on his teammates to change his best and set records, exactly what PJ preaches. So I think he makes sense as a choice.
 

Is there a meet and greet with PJ and Coyle this year?

These are great as we build excitement around the season and get a chance to talk with the coaches. It was a nice time at 'the Other Side" last year.
 

Comparing to the other running backs, Brooks probably not ideal after his "incident" last fall. And I say that as a big Shannon Brooks fan.

Maybe Smith has done it before. Could be a good way to get a young guy like Ibrahim into the team leadership pathway.

I think Smith was there last year iirc.
 

Casey O’Brien is a great man. His father, Dan, is a great man as well. This is a great honor to a very classy Gopher family.
 






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