Hands of Maroon and Gold: A Talk with Former Gophers Receiver Ron Kullas

It’s a big leap from high school football to major college football. The players in major college football are simply bigger, faster, and more athletic.

But in the mid-1970s, Ron Kullas made that big leap—impressively. He went from being an All-Metro football player at Columbia Heights High School to eventually being named an All-Big Ten receiver—twice—with the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

The best receivers in football are said to have “hands of gold,” but in Ron’s case, as a wide receiver for the Gophers, one might say that he had the hands of "maroon and gold." When a pass was thrown Ron's way, he usually caught it—and it was usually for a first down. And sometimes, for a touchdown.

Success in the college game didn’t come immediately to Ron, but his hard work and dedication eventually paid off. During his junior season, Ron set three team records in pass receiving, and he was named an All-Big Ten receiver in both his junior and senior seasons.

In this podcast with host Bob Edholm (who also grew up in Columbia Heights), Ron shares stories and memories of his four years as a student athlete on scholarship at the University of Minnesota, including:

· The steps Ron took to make the leap from high school football to major college football, where virtually every player had been an All-Conference, All-Metro, or All-State star in high school

· How Ron learned to balance classroom and study time with football

· His favorite wins and most frustrating losses with the Golden Gophers

· The other Big Ten football stadiums that Ron liked—and disliked—the most

· How a back injury that Ron sustained in one game forced him to miss a game the following week-the only time he missed a game due to injury

· His lifelong friendship with Tony Dungy, the former Gophers quarterback who threw all those passes to Ron