Gophers football boosted by returns of Rodney Smith and Antoine Winfield

MINNEAPOLIS -- For all the success Rodney Smith and Antoine Winfield Jr. have had with the Minnesota Gophers, they shared a simple objective in preseason camp: Make contact and remember what football feels like.

Smith and Winfield saw their 2018 seasons ended abruptly by injury in September.

“I won’t say I’m 100 percent until I get tackled,” Smith said as preseason camp began in July. Added Winfield, “I haven’t had contact in a while. Some contact would be nice.”

By now, Winfield and Smith have hit a variety of their teammates in practices. Head coach P.J. Fleck reported the pivotal pair are unscathed and ready for Minnesota’s season opener against South Dakota State at 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 29, at TCF Bank Stadium.

One of Winfield’s prove-it moments was when the free safety ranged to the sideline to make an interception over star receiver Tyler Johnson on Aug. 8. One of Smith’s came when the running back caught a 15-yard pass and was knocked out of bounds by Minnesota safety Calvin Swenson on Aug. 16. Offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca nodded his head in approval.

These simple reminders of their skills are an encouraging sign for the Gophers’ upcoming season. To finish 7-6, Minnesota won three of their last four games — including victories at Wisconsin and over Georgia Tech in the Quick Lane Bowl — and did it without two of its best players.

As a fifth-year senior in 2018, Smith said he felt like he was the team’s “grandpa.” Granted a sixth year of eligibility, he said his new nickname is easy: “Great-grandpa.”

Winfield remains a redshirt sophomore, but this is his fourth year at Minnesota. He played as a true freshman in 2016 and his 2017 season was also curtailed by a hamstring injury. “I feel like I’ve been here forever,” Winfield said.

Fleck is glad he has elder statesmen on a mostly young roster.

“They bring so much experience and knowledge,” Fleck said Thursday. “I just think we are better when they are on the field. I think they bring a little peace and a calmness to our team.”

But last September was tumultuous for Smith and Winfield. Smith tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in the first drive of the season’s second game against Fresno State. In the fourth game, Winfield suffered a Lisfranc injury in his left foot in the Big Ten opener at Maryland.

Smith posted a photo on Instagram of the two of them walking back onto the field after halftime in College Park, Md. The caption read: “Always had to hustle/ In love with the grind/ Time to get back to work lil bro/ It’s shake back time.”

“We talked when we were doing treatment and stuff, and we had that mindset that we were going to come out here and grind, go through treatment and just come back next season and have a great year,” Winfield said.

Winfield’s 2017 season ended after four games when he aggravated a hamstring injury suffered in camp, but he doesn’t feel like he has to prove he can stay healthy.

“Not necessarily,” Winfield said. “The last injury (to my foot) was just a freak injury. It wasn’t anything I could control.”

Smith thought last season was his final run in Dinkytown.

“It’s never easy getting hurt, especially when you think it’s your senior year,” Smith said. “But I appreciated everybody being there for me. I appreciate the NCAA giving me another opportunity and fulfill that last year of eligibility.”

Smith has 2,959 career rushing yards and is 975 away from moving past Laurence Maroney for second on the program’s all-time list. (Darrell Thompson’s record 4,654 looks untouchable.)

Smith will share at least some carries with Mo Ibrahim, who led Minnesota with 1,160 yards last season. Tailback Shannon Brooks dealt with two ACL tears in the 2018 calendar year. Brooks, who has 1,882 career yards, also returns this year.

Meanwhile, Winfield will be counted on to carry Minnesota's safeties. Winfield, who has 89 career tackles and two interceptions, won’t have veteran Jacob Huff next to him. Winfield will likely play alongside sophomore Jordan Howden, who replaced Winfield a year ago and true freshman Tyler Nubin, who has impressed in camp.

The Gophers have more experience at cornerback with Coney Durr, Kiondre Thomas and Terell Smith, but Winfield will be helpful to them, too.

“With Winfield behind me, I feel secure,” Smith said. “I know he’s going to do his job and I’m going to do my job. I don’t want to let him down.”