Golden Gopher Football Seniors And Team Award Winners

I was thinking the other day that I never recognized the senior class. These guys have been through a lot and I think when the bowl game later this month is over, they will be able to look at their career and say it was a success.

   

It is interesting to note there are only 9 guys, 10 if you include Brandon Owens and I do:

   

3      Bryan Cupito   QB  Cincinnati, OH
4      Trumaine Banks   DB  Columbus, OH
11    Mike Frankberg            QB  Detroit Lakes, MN

20    Brandon Owens            S    Delray Beach, FL

48    Mario Reese   LB  Mableton, GA

56    Tyson Swaggert            OG  Buffalo, MN

78    Joe Ainslie                        OT  Minnetonka, MN

84    Logan Payne            WR Lutz , FL                               
89    Matt Spaeth  TE  St. Michael, MN

90    Eric Clark              DT  Tampa Bay, FL

   

   

At the team banquet the following awards were given:

   

BRONKO NAGURSKI AWARD (presented to the team’s most valuable player):
Matt Spaeth (Sr., TE, St. Michael, Minn.)
   
BRUCE SMITH AWARD (presented to the team’s outstanding offensive player):
Logan Payne (Sr., WR, Lutz, Fla. )
   
CARL ELLER AWARD (presented to the team’s outstanding defensive player):
Mike Sherels (Jr., LB, Rochester, Minn.)
   
BOBBY BELL AWARD (presented to the outstanding special teams player):
Tom Hennessey (Fr., FB, Somerset, Wis.)
   
BUTCH NASH AWARD (for competitiveness on the field and in the classroom):
Dominic Jones (So., CB, Columbus, Ohio)
   
PAUL GIEL AWARD (for total unselfishness and most concern about the University of Minnesota):
Dom Barber (Jr., FS, Plymouth, Minn.)
   
NEIL FREDENBURG AWARD (courage and love for the game):
Mike Sherels (Jr., LB, Rochester, Minn.)
   
DEFENSIVE DEMO (for outstanding performance on the defensive demonstration team):
Mike Hart (Fr., LB, Pewaukee, Wis.)
   
OFFENSIVE DEMO (for outstanding performance on the offensive demonstration team):
Matt Krueger (Fr., OG, Maple Plain, Minn.)

   

There are two people who should have an award named after them.

   

Bryan Cupito was the leader of this team. Cupito is the one who ran the offense, who called plays at the line of scrimmage, who checked to plays that made stars out of Marion Barber, Laurence Maroney and Matt Spaeth.

   

Brandon Owens, who is no longer on the official roster, had a career ending shoulder and neck injury against Penn State in 2005. He had a growing reputation as being a team leader and physical player. He was on the sideline for every home game since the injury with his arm in a sling.

   

Mike Sherels, will be a senior LB, and Tony Brinkhaus, will be a senior center, were named 2007 captains.