The piece of artwork is prominently displayed inside the home of former Gophers linebackers coach Mike Sherels.

It’s a custom painting that shows Sherels standing alongside a collection of his former players who have gone on to reach the NFL. It was given as a gift by former Gophers linebacker De’Vondre Campbell as a way to express how much Sherels meant to him during his time with the program.

When a visitor asked about the custom painting in his home last year, Sherels was happy to go down memory lane. He spent roughly 30 seconds talking about each player depicted, finishing up with an ode to former Gophers linebacker Blake Cashman.

“I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t maybe put a little bit of an added emphasis on him,” Sherels said with a laugh. “I kind of knew what I was doing in that moment.”

Former Gophers linebacker coach Mike Sherels received this painting by artist Ryan Fors as a gift. It commemorates the Minnesota players he helped recruit and develop before they went on to the NFL. From left, Jon Celestin, Damien Wilson, Blake Cashman, Kamal Martin, De’Vondre Campbell and Carter Coughlin. (Courtesy of Mike Sherels)

As he retold the story to the Pioneer Press this week, Sherels confirmed the visitor was none other than Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores. They got to know each other last year because their kids go to the same school in Eden Prairie. They have since built a friendship that transcends their shared love for football.

“I’m not texting him, like, ‘Hey great job on Sunday,’” Sherels said. “He did text me on Sunday, though, being, like, ‘Thanks again for the recommendation.’”

The conversation between Sherels and Flores last year set off a chain reaction that led to the Vikings signing Cashman to a 3-year, $22.5 million contract in free agency. After asking Sherels about the custom painting, Flores cued up the film and found himself drawn to the way Cashman played the game.

“I do a little digging I find out he’s going to be a free agent,” Flores said. “I kind of have my eye on him from that point on. You never know what’s going to happen in those scenarios. He was available and now he’s here.”

The impact of Cashman, 28, was palpable last weekend as he finished with 13 tackles, a sack, and a trio of pass deflections to helped lead the Vikings to a 23-17 win over the San Francisco 49ers.

That performance from Cashman garnered a ton of praise from his teammates after the game, whether it was safety Josh Metellus saying, “He played a hell of a game,” or safety Cam Bynum saying, “He has been balling ever since he got here.”

Never mind the injuries that slowed Cashman after starting his career with the New York Jets and Houston Texans. The dominant display that he has put forth with the Vikings so far is exactly what Sherels always believed Cashman could become.

The talent was undeniable when Cashman passed on scholarship offers from smaller schools to walk on with the Gophers. After making the switch from safety to linebacker, Cashman slowly started to make a name for himself.

“The biggest thing that set him a part is that he thought he was a scholarship player,” Sherels said. “He thought he was better than other people, and he didn’t hide it. He was almost kind of annoyed that he had to walk on because he believed in himself so much. That’s exactly the type of kid that we wanted.”

There’s an anecdote that Sherels loves to reference that he feels perfectly encapsulates Cashman’s drive. After a heated exchange during practice, Cashman sat down to watch film with Sherels. They came up with a plan that was supposed to result in more playing time.

“I told him if he did everything we were asking him to do I would find a way to get him onto the field,” Sherels said. “That’s exactly what he did, and when I didn’t get him onto the field, he called me on it. I looked at him and I told him he was right. The next game I got him onto the field.”

Naturally, Cashman rewarded Sherels for his belief, finishing with a pair of sacks.

“That was his moment,” Sherels said. “He earned some playing time and he made the most of it.”

Just like how Cashman is making the most of his moment with the Vikings right now.

“He’s a prototypical linebacker roaming the middle,” Sherels said. “He can fly around and control the game.”

As soon as the Vikings signed Cashman in free agency, Flores texted Sherels, essentially thanking him for helping him connect the dots. Thank goodness Flores was listening after he asked Sherels about that custom painting.

“He was right,” Flores said with a laugh. “He’s brought a lot to the team.”

The excitement that Sherels felt for Cashman stemmed from the fact that he knew he was going to play for somebody that was going to maximize his talent.

“It all worked out,” Sherels said. “I’m just happy to have played a very small part in putting those guys together.”

Blake Cashman #51 of the Minnesota Vikings sacks quarterback Brock Purdy #13 of the San Francisco 49ers during the third quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sept. 15, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images)

Related Articles

The Loop Fantasy Football Report Week 3: Kickers putting best foot forward

‘I trust him with my life’: Vikings have full confidence in rookie kicker Will Reichard

Dane Mizutani: The secret for Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson? His relentless determination

Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson isn’t too worried about quad injury

Here are five takeaways from Vikings’ 23-17 win over 49ers

After longtime TV anchor Pat Miles’ husband Charles “Bucky” Zimmerman died of pancreatic cancer in 2018, Miles found herself dealing with myriad decisions and legal issues.

Miles began interviewing other widows and learned she wasn’t alone. She decided to write a book, “Before All is Said and Done: Practical Advice on Living and Dying Well” as a way to help others navigate “the practicalities of death while experiencing shock, loss and grief,” according to one review.

Cathy Wurzer and Pat Miles (Courtesy of Chris McDuffie / MPR News and St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church)

On Sept. 30, Miles and Cathy Wurzer, host of Minnesota Public Radio’s “Morning Edition” and co-host of Twin Cities Public Television’s “Almanac,” will be the featured speakers at an event at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church in Mahtomedi.

During “A Conversation with Pat Miles and Cathy Wurzer: Practical Advice for Living and Dying Well,” which will be 6:30-8:30 p.m., the duo will share their advice “for navigating the oft-ignored problems that run in tandem with the loss of a loved one,” event organizers said.

The evening also will feature music by Bill Chouinard and Sara Renner, with light refreshments following the main event. A resource fair will showcase vendors who offer services applicable to the topic.

Cost for the evening is $25 per person or $40 per couple; all registrants will receive a complimentary copy of Miles’ book. For more information or to register, go to saintandrews.org/event.

Related Articles

Luke Stormwater? Sweepwood Mac? Finalists picked for name of Woodbury’s new street sweeper

Oakdale prop fabrication company behind well-known advertisements acquired by Minneapolis marketing firm

I-94 ramp, lane closures begin Wednesday between Oakdale and Woodbury

Author Jim Lammers headlines Washington County Historical Society meeting

Woman dies in Hugo home and, after search, sheriff’s office takes her 45-year-old son into custody

A jury on Wednesday convicted a man of murder in the brutal stabbing of a housemate at a mental-health group home in West St. Paul more than four years ago.

Dakota County jurors deliberated for less than an hour before finding John C. Adams, 43, guilty of second-degree intentional murder in the Feb. 17, 2020, death of 68-year-old David Eugene Rahn, who was found with stab wounds to his face, neck, back and upper extremities.

The guilty verdict followed a four-day trial before Dakota County District Court Judge Michael Mayer. He scheduled Adams’ sentencing for Dec. 20.

Adams’ attorney, Alex Rogosheske, declined to comment on the verdict.

Court records show that Adams was first committed as mentally ill and dangerous out of Hennepin County in October 2000. At the time of the murder, he was on a provisional discharge from the Minnesota Security Hospital in St. Peter since November 2018, when he moved into the group home.

Court proceedings on the murder charge were suspended in May 2000, when a medical evaluation found Adams was incompetent to stand trial. Proceedings resumed last October when he was deemed competent following years of treatment at the state hospital.

According to the criminal complaint, a staff member heard a disturbance in Rahn’s bedroom and then Rahn screaming for help. The staff member tried to get inside, but Adams blocked the door and said it was “okay.”

While on the phone with a 911 dispatcher, the staff member said that it had become quiet in Rahn’s room and that “something isn’t right.”

When the first responding officer arrived at the state-run group home at 1546 Christensen Ave. shortly after 4 a.m., he saw a shirtless man — later identified as Adams — running from the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses building across the street and into the home.

The parking lot of the Jehovah’s Witnesses Kingdom Hall across the street from 1546 Christensen Ave. in West St. Paul, where a man was fatally stabbed early Monday, Feb. 17, 2020. (Scott Takushi / Pioneer Press)

Officers and medics gave CPR to Rahn, but he was pronounced dead. His injuries also included at least 20 knife wounds to one of his hands, which were consistent with defensive wounds, and blunt force trauma to his head.

Adams, who was in his bedroom, told officers that Rahn had “busted into his room” and attacked him. They wrestled, Adams said, before he ran and grabbed a knife to defend himself.

Adams said he threw the knife into a garbage can near the Jehovah’s Witnesses building. Officers found a bloody, badly bent serrated knife in a white plastic bag that had electrical tape around the top of it. Bloody gloves were also found.

John C. Adams II (Courtesy of the Dakota County Sheriff’s Office)

During an interview at police headquarters, Adams’ story changed. He said he had gone to bed sometime between 11:30 p.m. and midnight. Around 1:30 a.m., when he got up to use the bathroom, Adams said, he saw Rahn standing in Rahn’s doorway holding a knife.

According to Adams, Rahn told him to come inside, which he did. Adams told investigators that Rahn said he had nothing to live for and began stabbing himself. Adams said he tried to get the knife from Rahn but could not and that he believed Rahn was going to attack him.

Adams said he waited in a corner of the bedroom while Rahn kept stabbing himself before running out of strength. Adams said he then grabbed the knife, went across the street and cried before returning back to the group home.

Prior calls to the home

West St. Paul police records showed that officers responded to seven previous calls to the group home beginning in early 2014, when it first became licensed by the Department of Human Services. Calls included disturbing the peace, damage to a vehicle and two missing person reports.

Related Articles

St. Paul man pleads guilty to swiping pricey dog from woman on walk

Boy, 14, wounded in shooting outside St. Paul high school

Driver in Chisago County crash that injured girl claimed he wasn’t driving, complaint says

Lawsuit settled after murder victim’s parents say Ramsey County, others didn’t properly supervise boyfriend

Argument between man and woman led to Minneapolis hit-and-run that killed 16-year-old girl, charges say

Adams was reported missing on June 23, 2019. That led to DHS filing a request that day in Hennepin County mental health court to revoke Adams’ provisional discharge. The request, however, was rescinded the next day by DHS after Adams was located and returned to the group home.

In the court filing, Soniya Hirachan, who at the time was the DHS medical director of forensic services, direct care and treatment, wrote that her team would follow up with Adams.

“It is my expectation that (Forensic Community Support Services) and additional supports will ensure Mr. Adams returns to compliance with his provisional discharge plan so he can continue to be successful in his community reintegration,” she wrote.