Midweek Nugz: Former Gopher Deandre Mathieu Stanford Hates Iowa Too

It isn't quite #TBT yet but Amelia has a cool profile on former Gopher Deandre Mathieu who is still trying to continue his playing career after his stint with Minnesota.

But after getting his degree, nothing went as planned. Mathieu signed with an agent, but work never came. Not in the states, not overseas. While former teammates Mo Walker, Austin Hollins and Andre Hollins all took jobs internationally, Mathieu sat at home, wondering what had happened.

It felt like a flashback to the start of his career, when as a walk-on at Morehead State, Mathieu battled to be seen as a scholarship athlete. Later, at a junior college, Mathieu hungered for the next stop, which ultimately came with the Gophers. Along the way, many told him he was too small and not talented enough to make it.

Man, he thought again, after graduating, I should be playing.

A good story about life after playing basketball for 20 years.  This was a good profile piece, worth the read.

• Pro Football Focus gives some real love to Jalen Myric. 
  

  It’s natural to expect a significant drop-off in play at a position the year two starters depart for the NFL (Eric Murray was drafted in the fourth round by the Chiefs and Briean Boddy-Calhoun was an undrafted free agent of Jacksonville), but the reality is that when healthy, Jalen Myrick was the most productive CB on last year’s roster.

• I don't know how I ever missed this, but in this last year's Rose Bowl the Stanford band trolled Iowa HARD.  Farmer's Only was the theme.  Lots of Iowa fan boos, a random cow wandering around the field and it is just awesome.  (for those of you unaware, the Stanford band is notorious for pissing people off.  I'm pretty sure they are forever banned from Notre Dame after classically running around with pregnant nuns during one half-time show in South Bend).
• Rule of Tree has T-shirts if you are interested.
• Gopher Baseball, now those who just wrapped up their NCAA Regional experience move on to play summer ball all over.  The Cape Cod League, out East, is one of the premier summer leagues to be a part of.  Matt Fiedler and Lucas Gilbreath will participate out East.  The rest of the team can be round around the state or Midwest.
• Finally, ESPN Insider asks Big Ten coaches to anonymously talk about the rest of the Big Ten.  Interesting article but this was the money line when a Big Ten coach was asked about Minnesota's speed.
  

  "That team doesn't look to be built for speed. I mean, their punter, their kicker, their holder are bigger than half the guys on a lot of teams. Everybody was big." -- Big Ten defensive coach