When Eric Decker first set foot on campus at the University of Minnesota, he was a two-star recruit without any substantial fanfare beyond the state of Minnesota. A three-sport athlete out of Rocori High School who dreamed of playing at the U, Decker promptly accepted a scholarship when offered, setting in motion what will go down as one of the great receiving careers in school history.

Since arriving in the fall of 2005, Decker’s emerged as one of the premier wide receivers in the Big 10, if not the entire country. His gaudy statistics, reliable hands and knack for making the big catch under pressure have made him a standout for the Gophers, inspiring an army of No. 7 jersey-clad followers all around campus.

On Tuesday most of the questions for Decker revolved around how he handles the hype around his senior season, what he feels the Gophers will need to do in order to upset Cal this weekend and what it was like to take the field for the inaugural game at TCF Bank Stadium.



On if playing better competition this year to start the season has the team more prepared for an opponent as strong as Cal…

ED: Definitely. Both (Syracuse and Air Force) were great opponents and posed certain things against us that exposed our weakness, which we’re obviously going to get better at. We’re excited about the opportunity. We watched the film, we saw a lot of things that we left on the field and that we can get better at, and if we keep working at it, we’re going to be a great team. This week especially is going to be a fun week for us and a very good challenge.

On the opportunity to show off his own skills playing against another top-tier player like Jahvid Best…

ED: I know [Cal] has a great defense, they’ve got some good cornerbacks. It’s going to be a challenge for me, and that’s what I need – the opportunity to showcase myself against some of the nation’s top DBs. To have [Cal] offensively at the top of their game, we need to bring out the best of our game, too.

On if there’s a special level of excitement for this game against such a marquee opponent…

ED: I think so. To play on national TV and to play against a top-10 team gives you an opportunity to showcase your university and your program. I think we’re going to prepare a little extra hard just to come into the game knowing we’re confident in our game plan and what we have to do to execute and win.

On what the Gophers will have to do to beat Cal…

ED: I think offensively, coming out in the first half and getting more consistent drives put together. Obviously putting points on the board will help. You know, we finished well in both games; (we) had to come back from behind to win those games. That shows a lot of character about this team.

On why he feels the offense is starting slowly this year…

ED: I don’t know. We’re trying to find that answer. I think that maybe either we’re not getting the consistent drives because we’re not doing our jobs or maybe it’s just lack of confidence, but we’re all right. We all see the adjustments at halftime. We just have to make the adjustments in the first half.

On Coach Brewster saying the offense is a “work in progess”…

ED: I think it’s a newer offense and we’re just trying to get used to it. Obviously we’ve got the guy to do it, we just need to execute better. And that’s on the players. That’s taking it to practice and getting better every day, every week, and that’s what we’re striving for.

On how he stays humble and hungry despite all the media hype and seeing an his No. 7 jersey all around campus…

ED: You always have to prepare like you’re No. 2. I obviously know that there are a lot of things I need to work on and I push myself to get better every week. It’s a mental game, you know? You can’t take a backseat to anyone.

On what he needs to work on and improve…

ED: There are a lot of things. Blocking in general, being more consistent in that aspect. Getting in and out of routes. Catching the ball more consistently. I had a few drops in the last game that I shouldn’t have. Just leadership, on and off the field, in practice, being consistent at that. There are a lot of things. There are always little details, every week.

On being able to play for the Gophers after growing up in a small town in Minnesota…

ED: It’s special. Growing up in a small town, I always dreamed of coming here and playing for the University of Minnesota. Same story for (Nate) Triplett. Just to get an opportunity to come here and showcase our talents and the hard work we put in, with where we’re at right now, it’s fun to know the path we took together to finally get here. We’ll share these memories forever.

On any specific memories from the opening day at TCF Bank Stadium…

ED: The opportunity to run out of the tunnel was pretty tremendous. It’s something you’ll always cherish and talk about when you get together with players after 10 or 15 years from now. That’s something I’ll always remember.

On the noise-level on the field during the Air Force game…

ED: At times it got really loud. Right away it was loud and on third downs. That really makes a big difference. Just being a home team, having the student body behind you, having the rest of the fans behind you, it gives you that extra confidence and motivation when they’ve got your back and they’re really pulling for you.

On the actual playing surface itself in TCF Bank Stadium…

ED: Oh, it’s great. The overall environment, the atmosphere the fans created was tremendous. The field itself is just like any other field, but to finally be on campus and to get those “oohs” and “aahs” out of us, I think we’re really excited coming in this week and playing a great team in Cal



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