Mike Farrell: Minnesota's Mount Rushmore since 1980: Greg Eslinger, Tyrone Carter, Darrell Thompson, Tyler Johnson

BleedGopher

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This is a pretty solid list from Farrell from 1980-present. Eslinger, TC and DT are definitely in my top 3. I can see the case for Johnson and given Maroney left early, I'd probably omit him, otherwise he'd be my 4th.

Finally, I continue my Mount Rushmore series since 1980 with the Golden Gophers of Minnesota.

C Greg Eslinger
Arguably the best center in college football since the turn of the 21st century, Eslinger was a three-time All-American, three- time first-team All-Big Ten selection and the winner of both the Rimington and Outland trophies in 2005. A phenomenal run blocker, Eslinger paved the way for some of the greatest rushing attacks in school history, featuring Marion Barber III and Laurence Maroney. Those guys would have never racked up the numbers they did without Eslinger.


RB Darrell Thompson — A four-year starter for the Gophers, Thompson was the Big Ten's Freshman of the Year in 1986, and was the first player in conference history to top the 1,000-yard mark as both a freshman and sophomore. Thompson is still Minnesota's all-time leader in rushing yards (4,518), all-purpose yards (4,855) and total touchdowns (43). And he did all of this despite being basically the only source of offense his entire time on campus, consistently facing eight- and nine-man boxes.

S Tyrone Carter — A two-time first-team All-American as a junior and senior, Carter was a tackling machine from the safety position, racking up 528 tackles in his career, including three seasons with over 140. The Jim Thorpe and Jack Tatum Award winner as a senior, Carter was a three-time all-conference performer who also doubled as an excellent kick returner, racking up nearly 1,500 yards for his career while averaging more than 22 yards per return.

WR Tyler Johnson
This was a close call between Johnson and Eric Decker, and honestly you can't go wrong with either guy. I went with Johnson because he had more yards and TDs than Decker, and he was a more consistent player overall. A two-time first team All-Big Ten performer, Johnson finished his career with 3,305 yards receiving and 33 TDs. He paired with Rashod Bateman for one of the best WR combos in the country, leading the conference in receptions, yards and TDs as a senior.


Go Gophers!!
 


I'd pick Decker over TJ because I think if Decker played in this offense, opposite Bateman, he could have done better and if TJ was the only option at WR from 2006-2009, he probably doesn't get drafted.
 

I'd pick Decker over TJ because I think if Decker played in this offense, opposite Bateman, he could have done better and if TJ was the only option at WR from 2006-2009, he probably doesn't get drafted.
Agree. Decker was a better college receiver will see how their NFL careers compare.
 

Is this legitimate? Craig Scruggs says no.
 




Yeah, I'd stay with TC - just the fact that we got 4 seasons out of him.
I agree TC needs to be ahead of Winfield but you could have 2 DBs on the list if you wanted.
 

Winfield Jr...?
Agreed. Injuries obviously held him back but I think he was more impactful on a game-to-game basis than TC and will have the better NFL career.
 



Personally, I would have Matt Spaeth. But I wouldn't call him a dink for the selections....
 

I agree TC needs to be ahead of Winfield but you could have 2 DBs on the list if you wanted.
Then I'll go with Willie Middlebrooks - one of our only first round selections for how many years? JK, AW Jr is obviously better.
 





Decker, Winfield, Maroney, Eslinger

Maroney was a more explosive and efficient player than Thompson (6.0 ypc vs 5.0 ypc) who came awfully close on total yards and TDs. Had he stayed for senior year he would likely have passed Darrell by several hundred yards.

I also think the very best of Decker > TJ, and the best of Winfield > TC.
 

Who would you bump for Winfield?
Tough question. All are great. Only if Mt Rushmore had five heads...but probably bump TJ. DT39 is my favorite player and as stated he did a lot with basically no real other support, so I can't bump him.
 

Minor quibble with the original article's comment on Darrell Thompson (whose inclusion on list I agree with): he was not the only source of offense his first two years, as Rickey Foggie was still around. The threat of Foggie keeping it on the option certainly helped Thompson, who averaged 5.7 and 5.5 yards a carry his first two years, and then 4.3 and 4.4 per carry his last two.
 

Tough question. All are great. Only if Mt Rushmore had five heads...but probably bump TJ. DT39 is my favorite player and as stated he did a lot with basically no real other support, so I can't bump him.
Once Donald joins the other four, then you'll be able to have 5 Gophers. Problem solved!
 

Minor quibble with the original article's comment on Darrell Thompson (whose inclusion on list I agree with): he was not the only source of offense his first two years, as Rickey Foggie was still around. The threat of Foggie keeping it on the option certainly helped Thompson, who averaged 5.7 and 5.5 yards a carry his first two years, and then 4.3 and 4.4 per carry his last two.
Good information. This is what message boards are for, learning info like this.
 



Wow. That's a tough choice. I can't disagree with any of these picks. I think the TJ pick is probably the most contentious....but his role as a local kid keeping a HS program alive definitely gives him a boost. Hard to pick between him and Bateman.
 

Pre - PJ Fleck: Thompson, Eslinger, Carter and Decker

PJ Fleck Era: Winfield Jr, Johnson, Bateman and Morgan.

What is amazing is that the level of talent/production we have had is amazing over the last 4 years. Ibrahim and Coughlin could also make top four arguments with PJ and top 10 argument overall. Morgan wins because he will be the statistically greatest QB in Gopher history after this year (unless he has a meltdown, which I would not blame him if he did). Excited to see what the Gopher future holds.
 




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