I grew up among the farm fields of southern MN, I'm navigating the productive years of my life in the Twin Cities, and will hopefully one day retire on a lake up north after a lifetime of spending most of my free time up there. I'm about as "Minnesotan" as one can get. For me, being a fan of the Gophers didn't begin as a moment or from being intrigued with one player or team. It has just always been that way for me. My Dad followed the Gophers closely in pretty much every sport so it was natural for me to pull for them too. That has persisted through all-time for me, despite attending an MIAC school rather than our only big D1 school.
All that being said, I'd say I was pretty much a typical Gopher fan for most of my life. Not a diehard. It was only with my greater interest in college football in general, which started about 10 years ago, that combined with my pre-existing Gopher birthright to make me the fan I am today. I love the college game. I love the bands. I love the energy of the students (and that only gets more pronounced with each additional gray hair on my head), I love the ever-cycling nature of a college team. It is all these things that have combined to allow me to grit my teeth through some very bad football. I am a very patient person. I spend a lot of time fishing, probably staying on a reef too long that hasn't been producing because I believe in it. When I'm not fishing, I have been known to build WWII scale models - also an activity that requires a patient person. I have a natural affection for the underdog and my own Gopher footballers are the ultimate underdog. I dream of the fan explosion that will occur if/when they captivate this state again. It is worth the wait.
So, the more I think of it... the mixture of being a lifelong Minnesotan, football fan, COLLEGE football fan, Gopher fan in general, and being very patient - all combines to make a recipe for the perfect Gopher Football Fan.