Gophers football coach P.J. Fleck spoke from his heart after the 23-10 season-opening win over Buffalo on Thursday.
His nearly 3-minute opening statement didn’t have anything to do football; he wanted to address the mass shooting that killed two children and injured 18 at Annunciation Catholic Church in south Minneapolis on Wednesday.
“We’ve been through a demonic tragedy over the past few days, and that’s felt by every single person in our city, in our state,” Fleck said. “I’m a husband and a father first, so are our coaches. Our players are sons. And I think I speak for everyone when we say that our thoughts, our hearts, our prayers are with every single family that is going through an unthinkable, horrific tragedy. Unimaginable.”
The Gophers football team discussed the tragedy after the win at Huntington Bank Stadium.
“We said that we’re playing for so many more people than just our locker room and our fans,” Fleck continued. “We’re playing to give hope to people, for maybe a minute.”
Fleck created his “Row the Boat” mantra after the death of his infant son, Colt, passed away to a heart condition in 2011. It remains a part of his program at Minnesota.
“Row The Boat is about putting your oar back in the water and rowing,” Fleck said. “And that’s what this community and the state has always been about. That’s why I have fallen in love, and (my wife) Heather has fallen in love with this community and this state.”
Then Fleck’s voice cracked.
“It’s unthinkable to know what those families are going through,” he continued. “And I’m sure that this doesn’t make anybody feel any better, but I truly hope that we brought a little glimpse of hope with our backs against the wall, to our city where they can excel for a minute and smile with a Gopher football win.”
Fleck stopped short of offering specific solutions to the tragedy.
“I’m not a politician, nor do I act as one, but there’s a lot of things that need to happen and should happen, and we need to hold people accountable to make sure that happens,” he said. “These are our kids. So I’ll leave it at that, and just know that we’re thinking about all of you.”
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