It
was a Golden Gopher reunion on Sunday in Minneapolis. The Broncos traveled to
Minnesota to play the Vikings in a game that featured three former Gopher
players.
Cornerback
and return specialist Marcus Sherels of the Vikings faced Denver wide receiver
Eric Decker. They had nothing but positive words to say about each other.
"Marcus
was a walk-on at Minnesota," Decker said. "He earned a scholarship and now is
in the NFL. It truly exemplifies that he's a great person and a guy that always
works hard."
"I
was with Decker for four years and trained at receiver with him for two years.
I have always looked up to him, and I respect him a lot. His work ethic is
second to none," Sherels said. "We got to talk a little before the game. It was
good to see him. We let each other know how proud we are of one another."
Last
year's Gopher quarterback, Adam Weber, also made the trip with Denver. Weber is on the practice squad for the Broncos.
"Weber
is good. He had a great training camp," Decker said. "He is playing well right
now with the practice squad. He is going to get a shot one of these days, because he definitely has the skills to play in this league."
The
Broncos, looking for their fifth straight victory and a share of the AFC west
lead, had a lot at stake in this game. But the Vikings weren't going to make it
easy for them.
|
 Marcus Sherels has had a big impact for the Vikings this season.
|
The
Vikings' offense was successful early against the Broncos' defense. Minnesota
led 15-7 at the half. But the Denver offense, led by Tim Tebow, managed another
late rally.
A
Vikings' turnover in the final two minutes of the game resulted in a
game-winning drive by the Broncos. Kicker Matt Prater hit the winning field goal
as time expired to beat the Vikings by a final score of 35-32.
Decker finished with two receptions for 25 yards for the Broncos. He was targeted just four times.
"It
was great to get a win in front of family and friends," he said. "It's nice to
have all the support and see smiles from everyone after the game."
(Ed. Note - Check out some video of Decker talking to the Twin Cities media at the bottom of this blog entry.)
Sherels
did not record any tackles for the Vikings, but totaled 14 yards on three punt
returns and 111 yards on five kickoff returns, including a game-long kickoff
return for 30 yards. Minnesota has now lost four straight.
"It's
never fun losing, especially a close one like this," Sherels sad. "It's hard. I
think we all need to step it up and get some wins."
Here's
a look at the performance of other Gophers in the National Football League:
- Chicago Bears'
running back Marion Barber recorded 14 carries for 44 yards in Chicago's
10-3 loss to Kansas City.
- Tight end Matt
Spaeth, also with the Chicago Bears, was active but did not record any
statistics in the loss to the Chiefs.
- Dominique
Barber, safety for the Houston Texans, is on injured reserve with a knee
injury. The Texans beat the Falcons 17-10.
- New York Jets'
wide receiver Logan Payne is also on injured reserve as he recovers
from wrist surgery. The Jets beat the Redskins 34-19.
- In addition to
Weber, two other former Gopher players spent week 13
of the NFL season on the practice squad for their respective teams.
Offensive lineman Dominic Alford is with the Cleveland Browns and
cornerback Traye Simmons practices with the San Diego Chargers.
