Jerry Kill's Legacy Will Go Far Beyond Gridiron
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- There is something about Jerry Kill, the enthusiasm in his voice or the passion in his heart, that won over the most jaded Gopher fans.
In his five years as head Gophers' football coach, his teams have generated Saturday excitement again - replacing seasons of disappointment with optimism and hope.
"I think no ego and what you saw is what you got," former football great and current Gopher broadcaster Ray Hitchcock said.
As a former player, Hitchcock's had a front row seat. He's watched Kill's teams bring back the coveted football trophies Floyd of Rosedale and the Little Brown Jug.
He also witnessed the incredible wins over Michigan, Iowa and Nebraska. But along with the most memorable games, including the first New Year's Day bowl game in more than 50 years, what Kill inspired in the classroom is equally as important.
Kill's football players have scored among the highest academic rates in the program's long history.
"That reflection on academics, he had a huge academic mess when he got on campus and that's no longer," Hitchcock said.
Perhaps it was the way Jerry Kill interacted with the public that won him such adoration. His appearances at the Minnesota State Fair and various charitable functions drew large and vocal crowds.
At one recent event for the Epilepsy Foundation, Kill said, "They saved my life and it's time to step to the plate help others in this great state."
His very public struggle with epilepsy brought him to the front lines of the fight for understanding and funding. His support for the foundation gave others in his medical situation a sense of importance and recognition.
"The battle always has been creating awareness," Epilepsy Foundation Board President Brett Boyum said.
Boyum says that coach Kill's help with his Chasing Dreams Fund brings badly needed financial assistance and public understanding.
"He's going to do amazing things in this new direction. He's going to continue to change the world for those of us with epilepsy, I just know it," Boyum said.
Wednesday's surprise announcement by Kill caught even his closest friends off guard.
"It's sad but we're also happy for Jerry," Hitchcock said.
Coach Kill's health challenges go back to 2005, when he overcame a scare with kidney cancer.
That experience caused Kill to create the Coach Kill Cancer Fund to raise money for people without the financial resources for their cancer fights.
