Gopher's Keanon Cooper on Success

There are a wide variety of teams in society; sports teams, work teams, debate teams, etc. There are many key qualities that are essential in the development of a successful team; including things like (but not limited to): teamwork, communication, sportsmanship, ethics, trust, inclusion, commitment, goals, responsibility, accountability, vision, etc.

SNN (sportsnewsnightly) is interviewing athletes, coaches, and staff ask the following three questions about creating a successful team. Here is our interview with Keanon Cooper.

What do you think are the 5 most important qualities in creating a successful team?

Cooper: Trust, accountability, communication, respect, and commitment

How would you define those qualities in your own words?

Cooper: Trust – knowing that the person next to you is going to hold up their responsibilities. Accountability – doing your assignment or fulfilling your role knowing that there are others that are depending on you. Communication – talking and being on the same page with your teammates. Chemistry – everyone accepting their roles. Commitment – buying in to accomplishing the overall goal.

Keanon Cooper Interview

Keanon Cooper is a linebacker for the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers.  Cooper will be returning in 2011 for his Junior season, hoping to help turn the program in the right direction under new coach Jerry Kill.  You can follow Keanon on Twitter here.

In high school you played safety among other positions, when did the transition to linebacker take place?

I actually only played safety spring ball of my sophomore year. I started out my junior season in the secondary, but was back to played linebacker by the start of the season. Then, was moved to defensive end by the fourth game of the season, and finished out the season there.

If you played on the offensive side of the ball, what position would you see yourself playing?

I really feel like I could play running back. I have above average speed for a running back, and I also have the size for the position. The other characteristics of a good back, such as vision, cutting, and awareness would come along with experience.

What Big 10 game do you look forward to the most every year?

I would have to go with Wisconsin. I love the buzz the game creates, and the challenge they bring with defending the Ax. It’s also one of those games that’s easy to prepared for because you know what they’re going to do, but you have to dig deep down inside to endure the pounding. It’s a game of will. Who’s going to break who’s will first?

A New No. 1?

Auburn's Nick Fairley

With last weeks surprising news that Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck will return for his junior season, the Carolina Panthers now have to decide who to select with their number 1 pick in April's NFL Draft.  The likely candidates are Auburn defensive tackle Nick Fairley, Clemson defensive end Da'Quan Bowers and Georgia wideout A.J. Green.

Fairley, in particular, seems to be an interesting option given the recent success of Ndamukong Suh with the Lions.  Similar to Suh, Fairley would be joining a struggling defense that is in desperate need of a top flight talent to build around.  At 6'5", 298 lbs, Fairley definitely has the size and toughness to be an elite force at the NFL level.  And while he may not have the playmaking appeal of an A.J. Green (widely considered the best wide receiver prospect since Randy Moss in 1998), he could become a steady force to build a strong defense around.

Additionally, Fairley is simply a better fit than Green or Bowers.  Green, while undoubtedly talented, can only be so effective while playing for a Panthers team that has no answer at quarterback.  Bowers, an ideal 4-3 pass rusher, is unproven in the 3-4 system Carolina runs, and would likely be less effective due to his size and skill set.   Given the likely $40+ million in guaranteed money, its also hard to imagine they would reach for a player like Prince Amukamara or Blaine Gabbert, despite having needs at the positions.

Only time will tell who will go first, but if the Panthers are willing to take the best fit, rather than the 'sexy pick', they will take a serious look at the young man from Auburn.

MarQueis Gray Interview

Golden Gopher Star MarQueis Gray (5)

We would just like to thank MarQueis for answering our questions. We wish him the best next season in Minnesota and in his future endeavors.

MM-When you made the switch to wide receiver this season, how long did it take for you to get all of the routes down, or did you have most of them memorized from your time studying the playbook as a QB?
MG-Yes, It was very easy to remember the routes because last year we ran a numbers offense which means a certain number told a WR what route he had to run so that was really easy. The hardest thing was keeping the wind in me because I wasn’t use to all that running but i got the hang of it at the end of the season, haha!

MM-What Big 10 game do you look forward to the most every year?
MG-I look forward to playing all of the trophy games because those are the games that mean the most to us.

Bowl Results - As of 12/24/10

Here's some updated results from the bowls played this week:

Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl: Louisville 31 - Southern Mississippi 28
MAACO Bowl Los Vegas: (10)Boise St 26 - (19) Utah 3
Poinsettia Bowl: San Diego St 35 - Navy 14
Sheraton Hawaii Bowl: Tulsa 62 - (24)Hawaii 35

Bowl Results

Day 1 Bowl Results

New Mexico Bowl: BYU 52 - UTEP 23

Humanitarian Bowl: Northern Illinois 40 - Fresno St 17
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl: Troy 48 - Ohio 21