Seth Green got ready for the shotgun snap, standing beside the blue star at midfield of the Dallas Cowboys' AT&T Stadium. After transferring into one of the nation's premier high school programs, the 6-4, 215-pound Woodbury native was right in the thick of the Texas Class 6A playoffs.
The Allen Eagles owned a 54-game winning streak and were ranked second in the nation by USA Today. But rival DeSoto had rallied to tie the score in the third quarter before Green took over for Allen.
He came off the bench and burst for a 67-yard touchdown, outrunning two cornerbacks, including one wearing fluorescent green shoes. Then Green grabbed that shotgun snap by the iconic blue star and heaved the ball 50 yards in the air — touchdown.
Gophers fans can watch those highlights online and dream of Green's future in maroon and gold. He's one of the marquee recruits Minnesota officially will unveil Wednesday, on national signing day.
Green graduated high school early and enrolled at the university in January, making him eligible for spring practice. With senior-to-be Mitch Leidner recovering from foot surgery, Green and sophomore-to-be Demry Croft will each get long looks this spring, competing to become Leidner's long-term replacement.
Green has tried keeping a low profile the past 11 months, making him somewhat of a mystery as this new journey begins. He declined to be interviewed for this story but granted a rare interview to the Star Tribune's Sid Hartman last month and was asked why he switched from Oregon to the Gophers.
"I felt as if [Oregon] wasn't as good of a situation or ideal place, and then Minnesota was my top choice," Green said. "I felt very at home here, obviously."
Triumphant return
Green has returned to a place where he already built a stockpile of memories. He emerged as a budding football star in ninth grade, after transferring to East Ridge from Hill-Murray.