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PostPosted: Thu Dec 29, 2005 10:16 pm
by NDSportsFan
An article from the StarTribune:

Editorial: Eslinger is a treat to watch
Last update: December 09, 2005 – 4:50 PM

We watch a lot of college football, but never have we seen an offensive lineman as consistently impressive as Minnesota's Greg Eslinger, who last week won the Outland Trophy as the nation's best interior lineman.

Most of the glory goes to players who touch the ball, and the Heisman Trophy (this year's shoo-in winner is Southern California running back Reggie Bush) has become the glory award in the college game. But even Bush couldn't run far without blocks from the big guys. And blocking -- especially down field -- is where Eslinger is eye-popping.

Keep in mind, he's a center, perhaps the game's hardest position. You'll see him snap the ball. You'll see a fast Gophers running back -- say, Laurence Maroney -- racing 20 yards down the sideline. And suddenly -- boom! -- there's Eslinger delivering a block. How did a guy so big get down field so fast?

Speed is not the 285-pound Eslinger's only asset. He uses eye contact to deceive defenders who don't know quite when or where his block is coming.

Few colleges noticed Eslinger at Bismarck (N.D.) High School, but the senior now joins only two other Gophers ever to win the Outland award.

Fans have one last chance to see Eslinger play as a collegian: on December 30 in Nashville against Virginia. We recommend it.

 

Also from the Startribune:

The honors keep coming for Eslinger and Gophers

Dennis Brackin, Star Tribune
Last update: December 13, 2005 – 9:50 PMIt might be time for the University of Minnesota to start a new building project: a Greg Eslinger wing on the school's football trophy case.


Eslinger on Tuesday earned first-team Associated Press All-America honors, adding to an offseason honor haul that includes the Outland Trophy (best interior lineman) and Rimington Award (best center) and a sweep of the major All-America teams (AP, Walter Camp and Football Writers Association of America).

"He's gotten every award an offensive center could get this year," Gophers coach Glen Mason said Tuesday. "The thing that makes it special for me is that he's truly an All-American. When I think of the term All-American, I'm thinking great, clean-cut kid, hard worker, tremendous teammate, never in trouble, community service, good student -- you name it. He's all of that. I've never heard anyone ever utter a negative thing about Greg Eslinger."

PostPosted: Mon Mar 20, 2006 4:33 pm
by NDSportsFan
 Kiper has Eslinger ranked the #3 center in the draft on ESPN insider.  It'll be intereseting to see where he goes in the draft.

PostPosted: Mon Mar 20, 2006 5:22 pm
by Ming01
Some are predicting him to not even be a first rounder.

PostPosted: Mon Mar 20, 2006 7:29 pm
by ndfan
He won't be a first rounder. He's a great player but undersized, I'd say earliest he goes is somewhere in the second round to somewhere in the third or fourth round. The third and fourth round picks are the picks that will make or break your draft. It's great to see we will have another kid from North Dakota be drafted. Second center in two years :clap:

PostPosted: Mon Mar 20, 2006 7:32 pm
by 1337
[user=20]ndfan[/user] wrote:
He won't be a first rounder. He's a great player but undersized, I'd say earliest he goes is somewhere in the second round to somewhere in the third or fourth round. The third and fourth round picks are the picks that will make or break your draft. It's great to see we will have another kid from North Dakota be drafted. Second center in two years :clap:


I concur, the only reason that would change is if some team all of a sudden loses a center and has to fill that spot quickly.

The ND boys in the big leagues makes it all the more fun to watch!

PostPosted: Fri Mar 24, 2006 10:29 am
by Honus355
I think that if it weren't for his lack of NFL lineman size that he would be a high first rounder b/c he's got the real skills.