For four former Gophers, life didn't slow down when the season ended at the Outback Bowl about two months ago.
In fact, everything accelerated.
From signing with agents, to taking off for sunny training locales, to heading to the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis, Carter Coughlin, Tyler Johnson, Kamal Martin and Antoine Winfield Jr. have immersed themselves in preparation for the big leagues. It's all in an effort to ensure a pro team reads out their names in late April at the NFL draft.
With the Gophers coming off an 11-2 season, fan interest in the team's NFL prospects has piqued. The last time the Gophers had four players drafted was 2016, with Maxx Williams (second round), Damien Wilson (fourth), David Cobb (fifth) and Cedric Thompson (fifth). Before that, it hadn't happened since 2006.
The combine — which stretches through next Monday — might be the best chance to impress league scouts, the other being the Gophers' own Pro Day, usually in late March. Coughlin, Johnson, Martin and Winfield will go through measurements, weightlifting, medical and psych exams, team interviews and on-field workouts, the latter of which will air on the NFL Network. They have to be ready for scoring high on the vertical jump and drawing up a defense if an interviewer asks.
Coughlin and Martin, best friends and linebackers, signed with the same agency and have been training together in Santa Ana, Calif. Johnson, a receiver, has been an hour southeast in Carlsbad, Calif., while Winfield, a safety, has trained near Fort Lauderdale, Fla. But Coughlin says they all share a group chat to update each other on their progress and keep in touch.
"It's just going to be a blast to see those guys kill it because I know they're going to," Coughlin said. "We're going to be repping a school that's given us so much over the last four years, and I know that all four of us are going to make everybody back home proud."
Here's what to expect from the quartet:
