13 Minnesota Athletes Now On Local Pro Teams
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Minnesota sports fans are obsessed with their local athletes, especially if they take their talents out of state with other teams.
The Minnesota sports fan is a rare breed: One that hopes for the best but expects the worst, yet still somehow still manages to be devastated at the end of the day. But when a Minnesota athlete has a chance to come home and play for a team, we salivate like sharks that smell blood. Especially if it's a professional athlete.
It's called the "One of Us" concept, and it came full circle at last Thursday's NBA Draft. The Minnesota Timberwolves sent their two second round draft picks and a future second-rounder for the rights to Apple Valley native Tyus Jones. He'll be the back-up point guard to Ricky Rubio. He was the best Minnesota high school point guard since Khalid El-Amin, and local fans were crushed when he went to Duke to play basketball.
All is forgotten now that he's with the Timberwolves. Now every major pro sport in Minnesota has at least one local athlete. Here's the current list.
Lindsay Whalen
Lindsay Whalen is the pride of Hutchinson and got Gophers women's basketball on the map after a Final Four run. The Minnesota Lynx made a trade to bring her back to Minneapolis in January of 2010. She won a WNBA title with the Lynx in 2011, and through nine games this year, she's averaging 13.4 points and 4.1 assists per game.
Zach Parise
We're coming up on the three-year anniversary of the biggest free agent signing in Minnesota Wild history. The Wild signed Orono native Zach Parise, along with Ryan Suter, on July 4, 2012. They each signed 13-year contracts. He's led the Wild to consecutive playoff berths and led the team in scoring with 62 points this season. He combines unbelievable skill with a tireless effort on the ice.
Jordan Schroeder
Jordan Schroeder is originally from Lakeville and signed with the Wild as a free agent last July. He played 25 regular season games with Minnesota, scoring three goals and recording five assists. He was a prep star at St. Thomas Academy and played for the Gophers.
Jordan Leopold
One of the best stories of the Wild's season was the team's trade for Golden Valley native Jordan Leopold after his daughter wrote a letter to the team, asking to bring him home. He played in 27 games, including 18 playoff games, this season. He won a Hobey Baker Award with the Gophers the same year they won a national championship.
Keith Ballard
Keith Ballard is originally from Baudette, near the Canadian border, and signed with the Wild as a free agent in July of 2013. He played 14 games with the Wild this season and had one assist. He also starred at the University of Minnesota.
Nate Prosser
Nate Prosser is an Elk River native whom the Wild claimed off waivers from St. Louis last October. He scored two goals and recorded five assists this season. He signed a two-year deal on Wednesday to stay with the Wild.
Mike Reilly
Mike Reilly is a Chanhassen native who starred at Holy Angels and was a Hobey Baker Award finalist last year with the Gophers. He signed a two-year contract with the Wild on Wednesday, becoming the latest local hockey player to stay home and play for the Wild. He led the Gophers with 42 points this past season, including a team-high 36 assists.
Tyus Jones
Apple Valley native Tyus Jones won a state title as a junior, helped lead Duke as a freshman to a national title and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament in March. His NBA dream became real last week after the Timberwolves traded three second-round draft picks to Cleveland for his draft rights. He'll soon be playing in front of thousands of Timberwolves fans at Target Center.
Glen Perkins
Glen Perkins is a Stillwater native who is now one of the best closers in baseball with the Minnesota Twins. He was an All-Star last year with the game at Target Field and got the save for the American League. He's a perfect 25-for-25 in save opportunities this season and is a logical candidate to be an All-Star again.
Joe Mauer
Joe Mauer is from St. Paul and starred at Cretin-Derham Hall in three sports before becoming the Twins' No. 1 overall pick in 2001. He's won batting titles, an MVP award and has a .315 career batting average. Despite struggling so far in 2015, he still has a chance to lead the Twins back to the playoffs after four straight 90-loss seasons.
Adam Thielen
Adam Thielen is one of the great stories of the Minnesota Vikings. He's originally from Detroit Lakes and was a wide receiver at Division II Minnesota State University, Mankato. He earned his way onto the Vikings roster through special teams and emerged as a wide receiver by the end of last season. He played in all 16 games last year, starting twice, and had eight catches for 137 yards and a touchdown.
Marcus Sherels
Marcus Sherels is another feel-good story for the Vikings. He's a Rochester native in his fifth NFL season who scratched and clawed his way to Minnesota's roster. He earned his spot on special teams, primarily as a punt returner, and filled in on defense when it was depleted by injuries. He finished last season with eight tackles, but emerged in 2013 with a career-high 46 tackles, and interception and two fumble recoveries.
Paul Molitor
St. Paul native Paul Molitor spent most of his MLB career with the Milwaukee Brewers. But his last three years in the big leagues were with the Twins, where he recorded his 3,000th career hit. Molitor finished with 3,319 hits and was a seven-time All-Star. He'll be a Hall of Famer and replaced Ron Gardenhire as manager after spending several years as a minor league instructor.
Minnesotans are obsessed with the "One of Us" concept, and now every major Minnesota professional team has at least one local athlete on its roster.
