n the first start of his college career last year, Minnesota running back Tellis Redmon made a statement as loud as the smack he talks with his cousin, Golden Gophers free safety Jack Brewer.
Then a sophomore, Redmon helped lead the Gophers to a 47-10 victory over Louisiana-Monroe, gaining 101 yards on 27 carries and scoring two touchdowns.
But Redmon’s strong debut was no surprise to Brewer.
“Both me and Tellis knew his talent level,” Brewer said. “He was, if not the best, the second-best running back coming out of Texas when he was in high school.”
Entering a new environment located far away from his hometown of Grapevine, Texas, Redmon sliced through the blanket of hype surrounding Thomas Tapeh, a former St. Paul, Minn., high school star, and diligently worked his way into Minnesota’s starting tailback role.
Naturally, Brewer was with him every step of the way.
“He helps me out a lot because we’re a thousand miles away from home and I have somebody to talk to,” said RedMonday, 22. “I can’t just talk to anybody.”
Redmon and Brewer both grew up near Dallas, where they had played football together since they were 7-year-olds. The pair played on the same Pee Wee, middle school and high school teams.
“We’ve always been on the same team and we always said we would go to the same college,” Brewer said. “It’s nice having family right here with you. He’s my brother, really.”
But the tandem isn’t all smiles and high-fives — they have competed against each other as well. Brewer recalled the days they used to play, among other things, kickball and basketball at a local park with their entire family, most of which lived in Grapevine as well.
Their faceoffs have helped them learn each other’s strengths and weaknesses on the gridiron.
“He always gives me advice because he’s on defense and sees what I’m doing wrong on offense,” said RedMonday, adding that he also gives Brewer advice from time to time.
“If I make a tackle on him (in practice), I tell him why I got it,” Brewer said. “We’re competitive with each other, we’re critical of each other, but we’re also each other’s biggest fans.”
Redmon needed his cousin’s support more than ever last season, when he was battling then-freshman Tapeh for the starting tailback job. Tapeh, heralded as a hometown hero in St. Paul, had been a highly touted All-American coming out of high school and was expected to be “the guy that was the savior of the program,” said Minnesota running backs coach Vic Adamle, brother of former NU running back and Chicago sports television personality, Mike Adamle.
But injuries sidelined Tapeh, allowing Redmon to carry the load.
“As much as anything, that has enabled Tellis to become the starter,” Adamle said. “And a little bit like Lou Gehrig, he kept the job by playing well.”
With 411 yards on 72 carries, Redmon is currently sixth in the Big Ten in total yardage. His 102.8 yards per game is fifth in the conference.
Both Redmon and Brewer started their careers at halfback and were by far the best players on their Pee Wee team, Brewer said. But as they grew and got to high school, things changed. Redmon stayed at running back while Brewer moved to safety and wideout.
“I stayed skinny and he got big, so I moved to wideout,” Brewer said.
In 1996, when Brewer was a senior and Redmon a junior, they led Grapevine to a perfect 15-0 record and the Texas 4A state title. Brewer received All-State honors that year, while Redmon was an All-State selection during his senior season.
Redmon’s motives at Minnesota extended much further than being a standout player. He wanted to help the team win at all costs.
“He was going to go and compete for the job and do the best he could,” Adamle said. “If he wasn’t good enough to win the job, then so be it. He wanted to do whatever he could to help his team.”
Redmon came out strong in 2000. He received honorable mention All-Big Ten honors, amassing 1,368 yards on 293 carries for the third-highest single-season rushing total in school history. Redmon’s yards-per-game average was sixth-best in the Big Ten and ranked 25th nationwide.
