Gophers’ Danny Striggow accepts late call to Senior Bowl
Minnesota Golden Gophers defensive lineman Danny Striggow (92) celebrates getting a tackle on North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Max Johnson (14) during the college football game between North Carolina Tar Heels and the Minnesota Golden Gophers on ((Photo by Bailey Hillesheim/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images))
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - University of Minnesota pass rusher Danny Striggow got a call around 11 p.m. Wednesday for an opportunity he couldn’t pass up.
His agent called and told him a roster spot had opened up at the Senior Bowl, a showcase for NFL Draft prospects and hopefuls. It was his if he wanted it, but Striggow had to get to Alabama for Thursday’s practice. So he hopped on not one, but two planes, and was in Mobile, Alabama about 12 hours later.
He went essentially straight from the airport to practice.
"It was awesome. Agent called me and asked if I wanted to play in the game? Yeah, it kind of took a second for me to register. Here I am about 12 hours later," Striggow told ESPN.
He joined Gophers' teammates Cody Lindenberg, Aireontae Ersery and Jah Joyner in Alabama. It didn’t take long for Striggow to make an impact, as he got a sack on one of his first reps. He's expected to play in the showcase game on Saturday, which will air on NFL Network.
Striggow’s 2024 season
By the numbers: The Long Lake native and former Orono standout was fourth on the Gophers this season with 52 tackles. He had 5.5 tackles for loss, five sacks, six quarterback hits, a forced fumble and fumble recovery.
In 50 career games, Striggow had 124 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 14.5 sacks and one interception.
What’s next
The future: The NFL Combine starts Feb. 27 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. There will also be other workouts and Pro Days for players looking to be seen by NFL scouts. The NFL Draft is in late April.