Now that spring practice has wrapped up at the University of Minnesota, head coach Jerry Kill has been busy meeting with next year's team as individuals. But that's not the only thing he's doing. Coach Kill has also gotten right back out there on the speaking circuit.

Wednesday was a particularly busy day for the head coach when it came to speaking engagements. He appeared at a breakfast event for the Angel Foundation for Cancer Awareness that morning and spoke about leadership that evening at Richfield High School.

It's well-documented that Coach Kill is a survivor or kidney cancer. He also has his own cancer foundation in southern Illinois that supports people fighting the disease.

"This is certainly a tremendous cause and one we felt we needed to get to," Kill said following his talk at the Angel Foundation breakfast.

See more about the Angel Foundation breakfast and Coach Kill's involvement here. 

Later that evening, Coach Kill was in Richfield, taking part in a leadership series presented by the Richfield Spartan Foundation and the Richfield Chamber of Commerce. His message there talked about hard work being the only way to succeed in life.

"I really believe you can out-work anyone," Kill told the group. "It takes no talent at all to be a hard worker."

Read more about Coach Kill's visit in Richfield and see photos here. 

Coach Kill also made an appearance at the Elks Fishing Fling in Brainerd Thursday. He gave those in attendance some of his thoughts on how spring ball went, the team's academic success and the possible addition of alcohol at TCF Bank Stadium.

There is plenty of video from Coach Kill's appearance at the Elks Fishing Fling here. 

On a personal note, I want to say a huge thank Coach Kill for speaking at an event that didn't get any media coverage last week. My wife Jill is part of a local Toastmasters group and Coach graciously accepted her offer to speak at their most recent open house.

In addition to all the speaking engagements, Coach Kill and the team hosted a HopeKids event Saturday at the Gibson-Nagurski Football Complex.

GopherSports.com will be posting interviews with many of the newest Gophers from the 2012 signing class throughout the remainder of the spring. The next profile in our series is a conversation with running back James Gillum of Pearl River, La. and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.

Gillum enrolled in school in January so he could take part in Spring Practice. As a prep, Gillum led the state of Louisiana in rushing as a sophomore and was recruited out of high school by Coach Kill and his Northern Illinois staff in 2010, before heading to junior college. Rivals.com rated Gillum as a three-star prospect, while Scout.com listed him as a two-star player.

GopherSports.com: How are you enjoying your first few months at Minnesota?
James Gillum: It feels great to be here. It's a great place to be, so I'm happy about my decision. I feel good about the Twin Cities. It's a great place. Everybody treats you nice out here.

GopherSports.com: When did you know you wanted to be a Gopher?
James Gillum:  have a pretty good relationship with the coaching staff, so I felt pretty good about signing here. The coaches are a good fit for me, they want players who want to come out here and play for them.  I knew when I took my official visit.

GopherSports.com:  How much playing time do you expect to get next season?
James Gillum: I'm looking to play right away, but I'm going to have to work hard, learn the plays and show them I'm ready to play. I'm hoping for a lot of playing time, that's my goal -- to play.

GopherSports.com: Why did you decide to enroll early?
James Gillum: I graduated from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in December, so I wanted to get a head start here and learn the system.

GopherSports.com: Do you have a planned major yet?
James Gillum: Business and Marketing.

GopherSports.com: What kind of runner would you characterize yourself as?
James Gillum:  I feel like I'm an every-down runner. I can carry the ball through the middle, I can come out of the backfield and catch the ball, so I feel like I'm an every-down back.

GopherSports.com: What are your goals for next season?
James Gillum: My goal is to come out here and compete and bring my all. I want to come in and make it all happen from the first season and have a winning season.

GopherSports.com: What are your goals for your college career, where do you want to be when it's all said and done?
James Gillum: Plan A is to play professional ball and my plan B would be to get my business degree.

GopherSports.com: Is there a particular athlete you try to model yourself after?
James Gillum: My favorite running back was Walter Payton. I like Adrian Peterson too.

GopherSports.com: How do you feel about the new uniforms?
James Gillum: I like them. They look good. I like all the different colors and I can't wait to wear them. I like the white-on-maroon and the maroon-on-gold.

GopherSports.com: What is your favorite TV show?
James Gillum: My favorite TV show is The Game.

GopherSports.com: Who is your favorite music artist?
James Gillum: I would have to go with Lil Wayne.

-Interview by Mitch Praxl, Athletic Communications Student Assistant

The Minnesota Chapter of the National Football Foundation will be holding its annual awards dinner Sunday, April 22. This year's event will have numerous ties to the Golden Gopher Football program.

Legendary Golden Gopher great Bobby Bell - a college and professional football Hall of Famer - will give the keynote address. Bell was one of the most feared defensive players of all time and played on Minnesota's 1960 National Championship team.

In addition to Bell's involvement, current Gophers head coach Jerry Kill will be on hand to present the Murray Warmath Legendary Team Award. The award is named after Warmath, the former Minnesota head coach who led the Gophers to their last Big Ten and National Championships. The award will go to Minnesota's 1960 National Championship team and numerous members of that squad will be in attendance.

The Fifth Annual Honoring Legends, Inspiring Leaders Awards Dinner will take place at the James B. Woulfe Alumni Hall in the Anderson Student Center at the University of St. Thomas. The event is open to the public, but seating is limited. To purchase tickets, visit the NFF Minnesota Chapter website.

Photo Gallery: Tony Dungy, Ben Hamilton Visit Gophers

The University of Minnesota football team probably gained some extra motivation - and definitely some extra wisdom - before they took to the field for Tuesday's spring practice session. The Gophers were visited by one of the most well-known and well-respected of M Men.

Super Bowl winning player and coach, best-selling author and former Gopher quarterback Tony Dungy spoke to the team and answered some questions from the current Gophers for more than 30 minutes at the Gibson-Nagurski Complex Tuesday afternoon. Dungy was joined by former Gopher All-America center Ben Hamilton, who shared some thoughts with the team as well.

"That was huge for Coach Dungy to come back to his alma mater and talk to the team about the tradition here when he was here, life in the NFL and being a positive influence in the community," quarterback MarQueis Gray said. "I think some of the younger guys - and the older guys - are going to take that to heart and be positive influences."

As a young man growing up in Indianapolis Gray said Dungy was someone he always looked up to. The current Gopher signal-caller certainly came away impressed by his predecessor.

Head coach Jerry Kill has had the team reading Dungy's book Uncommon through this winter and spring. The team has really embraced the theme of being Uncommon heading into the 2012 season and having Dungy there to drive the message home was important, Kill said.

"We talk about being uncommon and we're different," Kill said. "In my opinion, he's what you should be in coaching the game of football. It's great for our kids to hear from somebody of their own. His message was to do things the right way and be uncommon. The same message we've been talking about for a long time. It's also reassuring when it comes from Coach Dungy."

Dungy told the Gophers he believes they have what it takes to be the foundation for great things at Minnesota. Within that portion of his talk, he also reminded the group of student-athletes that they are role models and he encouraged them to be people parents would be proud to have their children emulate.

"You aren't going to win the national championship every year," Dungy said. "But you can be that person who everyone looks to, to follow. I'm not sure if this year's team will get to a national championship or not. But I do know this. You can lay the foundation. You can make it such that kids in the next five or six years say 'You know what? I want to go to Minnesota, because I want to be like those guys. I want to play like those guys.' Three or four years from now, then the team is even better than it was this year because you've attracted those guys to come. That's the challenge.

"You can get that done," Dungy said. "I know you can get that done. Whether we win a national championship here next year or two years from now or five years from now, you can feel like you laid the groundwork. That's important."

The legendary coach also told the squad that it isn't always the most talented team that wins. He emphasized the importance of heart and desire.

"Talent is great," Dungy said. "But it's not always the most important thing. It's not about talent. It's not about athletic ability. But playing together, having a goal and not being denied ... now that's important. That's how you win. And I can tell you, you have what it takes here to win."

See highlights of Dungy's talk with the Gopher players in the video below and listen to Coach Kill and MarQueis Gray talk about his visit with the team in the Audio Boo players below.

GopherSports.com will be posting interviews with many of the newest Gophers from the 2012 signing class throughout the remainder of the winter and spring. The next profile in our series is a conversation with quarterback Philip Nelson of Mankato, Minn.

Nelson enrolled in school in January so he could participate in Spring Practice. CBS Sports' Tom Lemming ranked Nelson as the 2^nd best pro-style quarterback in the country and tabbed him as his "National Sleeper of the Year." He was ranked as the 15^th best pro-style quarterback in the nation by Rivals.com, the 46^th best quarterback overall by Scout.com. Both Scout and Rivals rated Nelson as a three-star prospect.

GopherSports.com: How does it feel to officially be a Gopher?

Philip Nelson: It's really fun. I love working with the team and getting better every single day as a team.

GopherSports.com: When did you know you wanted to be a Gopher and what was the experience like when you informed the coaches you'd be coming to Minnesota?

Philip Nelson: I knew that I wanted to be a Gopher probably a week before I committed. When I officially committed, my whole family was there. It was a pretty special moment.

GopherSports.com: Why did you decide to enroll early?

Philip Nelson: It was just the right situation for me. I love the whole coaching staff and the offense really fit into what I needed to do. All my faith is in these coaches and I really believe that everything is going to turn around and it'll be really special to be a part of that turnaround.

GopherSports.com: What are your thoughts about next season, whether you play or red-shirt?

Philip Nelson: It's a win-win situation for me. Either I get to learn more about the offense and what the Big Ten is really about or I get to play. Whatever the coaches want to do, it'll be fine with me.

GopherSports.com: What are your goals for next season?

Philip Nelson: I want to continue to get better and to give it my all in practice. A more specific one is to get that Axe back where it belongs.

GopherSports.com: What are your goals for your college career? When it's all said and done, where do you want to be?

Philip Nelson: I want to win a Rose Bowl. I mean I want to win any bowl games to start off. I want us getting over .500 and eventually getting up to the point where we could get into the Big Ten Championship Game. Personally, I want to get my degree and maybe get a shot to make it to the next level.

GopherSports.com: Is there a particular athlete that you try to model yourself after?

Philip Nelson: Not really, to be honest. I'm just kind of my own person I guess.

GopherSports.com: How do you feel about the new uniforms?

Philip Nelson: They're really sharp. It's nothing crazy like an Oregon or a Maryland which is a good thing. They're sharp and they have a lot of meaning and tradition to them. That's really special and something a lot of other schools don't have, so that's pretty unique on our part.

GopherSports.com: What is your favorite TV show?

Philip Nelson: Probably SportsCenter.

GopherSports.com: Who is your favorite musical artist?

Philip Nelson: I'd have to say Brad Paisley.
Interview by Athletic Communications Student Assistant Mitch Praxl

GopherSports.com will be posting interviews with many of the newest Gophers from the 2012 signing class throughout the remainder of the winter and spring. The next profile in our series is a conversation with defensive back Martez Shabazz of Trinity Valley Community College. 

The intensity was through the roof at the Gibson-Nagurski Football Complex at 6 a.m. Friday morning. There were spectators. Cameras were rolling. The Rose Bowl and the Capital One Bowl were taking place on the indoor practice field at the University of Minnesota.

Wait a minute. Those bowl games were played back in January. And they certainly aren't played at the Gopher football complex. True enough. But for the Gophers, the competitions that took place on the turf at the indoor complex Friday morning were about as important as it gets in mid-March.

""This morning was probably the most awesome atmosphere for a 6 a.m. workout you could have," Klein said. "There were probably 30 or so alums, lettermen who were out there watching. There were all kinds of people out there. We had cameras rolling."

Friday morning was the culmination of the Gophers' winter workouts. The Minnesota squad was broken down into eight different teams at the beginning of winter conditioning. Each week, these teams competed against one another in the weight room and on the field in events designed by head strength and conditioning coach Eric Klein. Points were tallied, as were wins and losses.

The top four teams advanced to Friday morning's "bowl games." Each Friday's "game" consisted of an obstacle course, a tire-flip-and-carry competition, a speed obstacle course and individual, one-on-one tug-of-war battles.

"Each week, the captains got to pick their matchups," Klein said. "They had their game, so they had to pick their lineup and talk with the other team captain and figure out who was going to match up against whom."

The idea of competition during the off-season isn't new to Klein or head coach Jerry Kill. But it was tweaked a little bit this year.

"At Southern (Illinois) and at Northern (Illinois), we used a team competition," Klein said. "It had the weight room, it had academics, it was kind of an overall competition. I talked to Coach (Kill) and I said I just want one simple thing here. Let's just make it a weight room and conditioning type of competition.

"I'd heard of other places using trophies and awards," Klein continued. "So I said, 'What's the two biggest bowls the Big Ten can get into?' You've got the Rose Bowl and the Capital One Bowl. So ... we got similar trophies to what you'd get if you win that game. We told the guys that's what you're playing for. That's what we play for in the season, that's what we're going to play for right now."

Going into Friday, Team Accountability and Team Pride qualified for the Rose Bowl. Accountability was captained by offensive lineman Ed Olson, while Pride was led by quarterback MarQueis Gray.  Accountability came out on top in a hotly-contested battle.

"We've been competing all winter for this," Olson said. "We put everything we had into it and it was a great competition today."

Notes:

> There was a bit of a sub-plot in Accountability's win over Pride, as well. Team Accountability was captained by the starting left tackle and included two other offensive linemen - the men who are charged with protecting the quarterback. Meanwhile, Gray - the starting signal-caller - did not select an offensive lineman for his squad.

"(Offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Matt) Limegrover kept telling us all winter that he wanted us to beat MarQueis' team because he didn't have any o-linemen," Olson said. "We just tried to prove it to him today and we did a good job and came out with the 'W.'"

Gray told me late this morning that he had targeted Ed's brother Tommy to be on Team Pride, but Ed picked him before Gray had a chance. He also told me he felt not having any linemen on his team might have been the difference in the competition.

> Overall, Klein said he was happy with the way winter conditioning played out. He believes the team is in much better physical condition. Klein also said the conditioning sessions had a positive effect mentally, as well. Hear his comments about that below.

> Klein also had positive reports on a number of other guys and their hard work in the winter conditioning period. To hear what he had to say about the offensive line, some of the junior college transfers, as well as comments about Troy Stoudermire, listen below.

GopherSports.com will be posting interviews with many of the newest Gophers from the 2012 signing class throughout the remainder of the winter and spring. The next profile in our series is a conversation with defensive back Jeremy Baltazar of Blinn Junior College.

Baltazar enrolled in school in January and will participate in spring practice. Both Scout.com and Rivals.com rated Baltazar as a two-star prospect.

GopherSports.com: What does it feel like to be a Gopher?
Jeremy Baltazar: It feels good. It's a really good program.

GopherSports.com: When did you know you wanted to be a Gopher and what was the experience like when you informed the coaches you were coming to Minnesota?
Jeremy Baltazar: The experience was great. They were really excited about me coming. I knew I wanted to come here after I took my visit during the game against Wisconsin.

GopherSports.com: Why did you decide to enroll early?
Jeremy Baltazar: I was graduating from junior College. I didn't have any other classes to take there, so I decided that I was going to come straight here.

GopherSports.com: Do you have a planned major?
Jeremy Baltazar: I plan on majoring in Communications.

GopherSports.com: What are your goals for next season?
Jeremy Baltazar: To help the team win as many games as possible and to try to get to the Rose Bowl. I know there will be competition, so I plan on competing for a starting spot.

GopherSports.com: What are your goals for your college career? When it's all said and done where do you want to be?
Jeremy Baltazar: When it's all said and done I'd like to go to the NFL if I'm blessed enough to get that opportunity. If not, then I am going to get my degree and get a job.

GopherSports.com: Is there a particular athlete you try to model yourself after?
Jeremy Baltazar: I don't really model myself after any athlete. My favorite athlete is Barry Sanders, but I don't model myself after him. He's just my favorite athlete and a great role model.

GopherSports.com: How do you feel about the new uniforms?
Jeremy Baltazar: I like them. They give a little pro combat look.

GopherSports.com: What is your favorite TV show?
Jeremy Baltazar: I haven't really been watching too much TV lately. I just watch SportsCenter and ESPN when I am watching TV.

GopherSports.com: Who is your favorite musical artist?
Jeremy Baltazar: My favorite music artist right now would have to be Soulja Boy.

-Interview by Athletic Communications Student Assistant Mitch Praxl

Nine Golden Gophers who wrapped up their collegiate careers with the conclusion of the 2011 season had their opportunity make a case for professional careers Monday morning as Minnesota held its annual Pro Day at the Gibson-Nagurski Football Complex.

Gopher seniors from last season taking part included Duane Bennett, Chris Bunders, Anthony Jacobs, Brandon Kirksey, Eric Lair, Da'Jon McKnight, Kim Royston, Gary Tinsley and Ryan Wynn. They were joined by roughly 20 athletes from other area schools to work out for a handful of National Football League scouts. The student-athletes were put through their paces in numerous drills, all mirroring the testing which took place at the recently-completed NFL Combine.

While Pro Day is the equivalent to one of the biggest job interviews these young men will encounter in their lives, the level of anxiety varied from player to player.

"I was pretty nervous, shaking at the line," Eric Lair said, talking about preparing to run the 40-yard dash. "It was pretty nerve-racking at the beginning."

"The process is always fun," Duane Bennett said. "The biggest thing I came in with was just not to stress about anything, just to come out here and have fun. I was walking around telling guys it's just another day in the office. Some guys come in thinking they have to do a certain amount of things ... but it's just like go out there and play ball. Ball hasn't changed since you've been seven years old."

Each of the Gophers who took part in Monday's testing said they were happy with their performances. But there was definite buzz around defensive tackle Anthony Jacobs' performance. Lair and Bennett also seemed particularly pleased with how they performed.

While official results were not available, Jacobs reportedly ran a very good 40-yard dash time for a near 300-pound defensive lineman. There were reports of Jacobs hitting 35.5 inches on the vertical leap and going over 10 feet in the broad jump. Jacobs worked out on campus with Minnesota strength and conditioning coaches Eric Klein and Chad Pearson in preparation for the Pro Day and he gave them plenty of credit.

"The coaches have trained me hard," Jacobs said. "We go every single day. I was just blessed to have an opportunity to show what I can do. The coaches just told me to go out there and do the same things they've trained me to do. That's what I did. I was relaxed and I happened to get some decent numbers."

While he put up "some decent numbers," Jacobs had no idea what those numbers were. He was so focused on performing, he didn't even pay attention to that stuff. He was so locked in on doing well, he couldn't even remember what he weighed in at Monday morning.

"I didn't ask or pay attention," Jacobs said. "I just did what they told me to do and then I was getting ready for the next one."

Bennett said he recorded a personal best on the bench press. He ripped off 28 repetitions with 225 pounds on the bar.

"I was banking on anywhere at 25 or greater," Bennett said. "When I knocked out the first 15, I was like 'Oh, wow. I'm really going up there.' I kind of caught myself off guard.

"There's always room for improvement," Bennett added about his overall performance. "But I think ... the numbers I put up, from what I've been hearing, I think it's been pretty satisfactory."

For every college football player who takes part in a Pro Day, the goal is simple. Just get at least one team interested enough in you to get to camp.

"20 percent of the league is drafted players," Lair said. "Everybody else is undrafted free agents. So (being drafted) really doesn't matter ... as long as you are productive."

Just a couple evenings later, Coach Kill made a four-hour round trip to speak in Preston. He was the keynote speaker at the Preston Area Community Foundation Dinner and Celebration. Coach Kill was very well-received at the event. Nearly 200 Gopher fans showed up and were there for hours in advance of Coach Kill's arrival at the Branding Iron restaurant.