Gophers' McDonald takes a circuitous route home

Article by: PHIL MILLER , Star Tribune

Staying put and playing for the Gophers became the best decision for former Hopkins star Andre McDonald. With the help of others, he had already overcome so much to lay down roots.

Andre McDonald vividly remembers the day it began to sink in that Minnesota, and the Gophers football team, might be the best home for him. How could he forget? It was the day he told Jerry Kill that he planned to play somewhere else.

The Hopkins wide receiver, considered by many to be the best raw football talent in the state, committed to Kill 16 months before he graduated high school. But four months later, he called back to say he preferred Vanderbilt.

"It was hard. I didn't know what to say. I don't like disappointing people," McDonald said. And how did Kill and his staff react? "They stayed in contact, kept calling, not to say, 'Oh, we've got to have you back,' but just to talk," he said. "They told me ... that no matter where I went, they just wanted me to be a good person, a young man and a student first, and a football player later."

Eight months later, McDonald signed a letter of intent not with the Commodores but with the Gophers -- and is one of the jewels of Kill's 2012 recruiting class.

"Give the kid credit," said Kill's offensive coordinator, Matt Limegrover. "When it came down to it, it was simple. This is his home."

McDonald can be forgiven for needing some time to figure that out. See, it's not the first time he has had to search for a home.

Jenny Blomgren was a single mother at 28 back in 2009, working two jobs -- as a mortgage broker and owner of a cleaning service -- to support herself and her son Tyrell, then 11. One night, the mother of one of Tyrell's basketball teammates invited her out to dinner, but Blomgren didn't have a babysitter. That's OK, the friend said; I know a great kid who can watch them both.

The sitter was McDonald, and he connected with Tyrell immediately. Blomgren hired him a couple more times, then noticed McDonald, despite being four years older, was there every weekend, playing hoops, throwing the football, and staying for dinner. And one Friday night, Blomgren received a phone call from the teenager, who was clearly upset.

"He said his mom had kicked him out of the house, and he asked if he could stay at our house," Blomgren said. "I said OK, that's fine, but I need to talk to your mom. ... She said she didn't care. So he came to the house. And he never left."

• • •

Blomgren never meant to unofficially adopt a second son, and feared she wasn't ready to parent a teenager.

But she quickly realized she didn't have much choice; McDonald needed her. He needed support, discipline and love.

"I never got any of that at home," said McDonald, who lived with his mom and stepfather. "I had a mom that had her own troubles, too much to pay attention to me."

McDonald said he still experiences a strong, instinctive response to being yelled at, a product of being constantly berated. He also dealt with other forms of abuse, he said -- including simple neglect.

Blomgren cared. She just wasn't sure what she was getting into. As it became clear her house guest's stay would last longer than a few days, Blomgren discovered McDonald's troubled home life had manifested itself in several ways. He is unusually serious for a teenager, and not especially comfortable teasing and being teased by friends. He is also particularly eager to please, which made recruiting a burden because saying "no" to a coach was excruciating.

"Sometimes in recruiting, you almost have to be rude, because some of these recruiters are pretty pushy," Hopkins football coach John DenHartog said. "And being rude, that's just not Andre."

Being a good student wasn't Andre either, at the time. One year into high school, McDonald's grade-point average was below 1.0, he was already falling several credits behind a graduation track. Though McDonald was one of the most athletically gifted freshmen in the metro area, his future was far from certain.

Soon after McDonald moved into her house, Blomgren went to DenHartog for advice. "The first thing he said to me was, 'Andre has the potential to go all the way,'" Blomgren said, meaning graduate, play college football, even earn a scholarship, " 'but he's never going to make it.' "

Blomgren insisted upon changes. "I said, 'All right, if you're going to stay here, we're going to make sure you graduate. I don't care about football, but we're going to make you a good student,'" said Blomgren, who drove both boys to and from their schools every day. By his junior year, McDonald was bringing home report cards with nothing but A's and B's.

And he was still bringing them to Blomgren's house, an informal arrangement that essentially became permanent eight months after he left home, when McDonald's mother called him to say she was moving to Atlanta that afternoon. When he texted that information to Blomgren, she became frantic, because she had no legal standing as the teenager's guardian. The next day, officials at Hopkins arranged a conference call, with counselors and teachers gathered as witnesses, in which McDonald's mother verbally gave her consent for Blomgren to make decisions regarding his schooling, health care and other situations.

Just like that, Blomgren's two-person family was a trio.

"That's when I realized, well, I guess I'm keeping him. But by that point, I loved him like he was my own child. He's Tyrell's brother, in my eyes," Blomgren said.

"I'm really happy with how things are," said McDonald, whose mother and biological father are both in the Twin Cities now but remain on the fringes of his life. "This is what I've always wanted -- someone to be there when I do good things and correct me when I don't. It's nice to have somebody who cares."

• • •

Actually, plenty of people care when you can play football like McDonald.

He is tall and fast, and DenHartog says he is unusually nimble. Though few defensive backs could cover him downfield, the Royals frequently ran a jailbreak screen play for their all-state wideout, allowing him to pick his way upfield behind a phalanx of blockers. "A 6-3 kid, that's not a kid you typically throw a screen pass to," DenHartog said, "but he's got scat-guy moves."

McDonald scored 39 touchdowns during his Hopkins career, and recruiters flocked; every school in the Big Ten, and several more around the country, at least contacted McDonald -- which isn't as much fun as it sounds. "It wasn't what I expected at all, actually," McDonald said. "It was a lot of stress. I thought I could handle it myself, but I really couldn't."

Some recruiters, too, backed away over concerns about McDonald's overall grades -- and the perception that he showboated too much after big plays.

When Kill hired Limegrover a few days after being hired himself, the coordinator sat down to evaluate tapes of potential local recruits. McDonald's was the first one he watched.

"I just loved him on film. He's got the potential to be special," Limegrover said of McDonald, who could play as a true freshman for the Gophers, a team in need of playmaking wide receivers. "But as we dug into his story, what was neat was, Andre was a kid who at first just slid by doing the bare minimum. But at some point, a light bulb went on and finally he realized -- and Jenny had a lot to do with this -- that he was going to squander it all if he doesn't get himself turned around."

Kill was impressed that, rather than decline to run a 40-yard dash for coaches, as highly rated recruits sometimes do, McDonald ran it repeatedly, "just trying to beat his time." McDonald was impressed with Kill and his staff, too, and said yes right away. But then he visited Iowa and then Vanderbilt, and wanted to commit to both. Finally, he chose Vandy, deciding that he felt comfortable in Nashville. But when his primary recruiter, Chris Beatty, accepted a job at Illinois, McDonald backed away.

As he reconsidered, he realized the Gophers staff had never given up on him. Blomgren and DenHartog allowed McDonald to make up his own mind but quietly hoped he would choose Minnesota. "He needs structure in his life. He needs to be held accountable. Look at what a big difference it's made in his life already -- I don't think I've ever seen a kid come this far, and I've been teaching for 21 years," DenHartog said. "Coach Kill and his coaches, they're exactly what he needs."

It took a while, but McDonald eventually reached the same conclusion. A week before National Signing Day, the Hopkins star told Kill he was coming to Minnesota, and made a promise to himself: "I don't want to fumble the ball, not one time," he said.

He feels like he didn't fumble his most important decision.

"I didn't always have a stable support system. It's something I crave. I need it," he said. "I'll get it with Coach Kill."

That's Kill's thinking, too. "Jenny's done a tremendous job with Andre. She's passing him to us, and now we go to work to help the young man be successful," Kill said. "You know, football has saved a lot of people's lives."

HOPKINS WENT UP AGAINST ST. PAUL JOHNSON IN A BOYS' BASKETBALL GAME

Hopkins went up against St. Paul Johnson in a boys' basketball contest. Going into the game Hopkins had a record of 12-1. Johnson had a record of 6-5.

Both teams looked to get the ball down the court as quickly as they could. They each wanted to set the tempo early.

Hopkins took their time of the offensive end. They passed the ball around the three-point line. Hopkins looked to get the ball into the hands of Siyani Chambers. Chambers was all over the court.

Hopkins Andre Travaris McDonald was all over the floor. He hit shots and strongly drove to the basket.

Marcus Marteze Marshall took the ball hard to the basket. He was not afraid to shoot the ball.

Both teams did a good job of pushing the ball down the court. The pace was quick.

Hopkins moved the ball well on offense. Zachary Stahl had a nice slam dunk that gave his team energy. On the defensive end he was able to slow down the guys he defended.

The score was close throughout the first half. Neither team went on a run.

Hopkins switched between man-to-man and zone defense. They were able to keep Johnson guessing at what defense that they were playing.

At halftime the score was Hopkins 44 and Johnson 39.

At 16:04 left in regulation there was a huge shoving match that broke out. After order was restored the game went on as normal.

The game was very physical on both ends of the floor. Both teams gave it everything that they had.

Hopkins went on a little run midway through the second half. Johnson had a hard time making shots for a period of time.

Jamal Dale Davis for Hopkins made shots. His teammates knew where he was on the floor and they got him the ball.

I thought that both teams played well throughout the whole game. Johnson didn't back down to Hopkins.

Hopkins came away with the 99-83 victory over Johnson. 

 

MILWAUKEE RIVERSIDE WENT UP AGAINST HOPKINS IN A BOYS' BASKETBALL GAME

Milwaukee Riverside went up against Hopkins in a boys' basketball game. University of Minnesota head men's basketball coach Tubby Smith and his assistant coaches were in the building watching the game.

Hopkins started the game in a man-to-man defense. They looked to set the tempo of the game from the start.

Hopkins got the ball into the hands of Jamal Dale Davis. Davis was all over the court. On the offensive end he was able to get to the basket.

For Riverside Shomari Triggs took the ball hard to the basket. His teammates knew where he was on the floor and got him the ball where they knew he could make it. He hit both the two and three-point shots well.

Hopkins was able to bother the Riverside players with their smothering full court press.

Andre Travaris McDonald for Hopkins took the ball hard to the basket. He knew where his teammates were on the floor and got them involved in the offense.

Hopkins Kamali Chambers knocked down some deep three-point shots to keep his team in the game.

Hopkins went on a run midway through the first half. Riverside had trouble hitting shots.

Hopkins Zachary Stahl was all over the court on the offensive end. He hit his shots.

At halftime the score was Hopkins 64 and Riverside 25.

Hopkins started the second half on fire. They kept on hitting shot. Riverside didn't back down. They were tough and fought hard.

Both teams dove on the floor for loose balls. There were many tie jump balls.

Jacob Wright for Hopkins hit shots. He was not afraid to shoot the ball. His teammates found him and he was able to knock down shots.

Hopkins came away with the 91-58 victory over Milwaukee Riverside.

The leading scorers for Milwaukee Riverside were Phillip Nolan with 13 points, De'Andre Downey with 9 points, and Bakari Triggs and Jalen Currie both with 8 points. The leading scorers for Hopkins were Siyani Chambers with 20 points, Jacob Wright and Zachary Stahl each with 18 points, and Demitrius Martin with 17 points.

SIOUX CITY EAST TOOK ON HOPKINS IN A BOYS' BASKETBALL GAME

Sioux City East took on Hopkins in a boys' basketball game at the Target Center. Sioux City East came into the game with a record of 8-1 and were ranked number 5 in Iowa. Hopkins came into the game with a record of 10-1 and were ranked number 2 in Minnesota class AAAA.

Hopkins came out on fire. They were able to build a 13-2 lead with 14:00 left in regulation.

Hopkins got everyone into the offense. They made sure everyone touched the ball before they shot it.

Siyani Chambers for Hopkins was all over the court. He found his jump shot and was able to make it from anywhere on the floor. He was also able to make layups with ease. Demetrius Martin also was able to knock down some mid-range jump shots.

Hopkins was able to make easy baskets in transition. They got the ball out of the net and got the ball down to the other end with layups.

Hopkins used their tough man-to-man defense to take away the shooters’ looks. Sioux City East had a hard time makings shots in the first half.

J.C. Fuller made some nice shots in the first half for Sioux City East. His team looked for him to shoot the ball.

At halftime the score was Hopkins 52 and Sioux City East 33

Hopkins Andre Travaris McDonald played well throughout the game. We was able to get his teammates involved in the offense.

Sioux City East continued to run their offense through Fuller. Fuller was a quick guard and he was able to get his shot going.

Hopkins was too much for Sioux City East to handle. Hopkins ran away with the 97-74 victory over Sioux City East.

The leading scorers for Sioux City East were Adam Woodbury with 23 points, J.C. Fuller with 22 points and Alex Imming with 11 points. Sioux City East shot 31-59 from the field that included going 4-10 from behind the three-point line. They were 8-10 from the free throw line. They grabbed a total of 32 rebounds, 23 of them on the defensive end.

The leading scorers for Hopkins were Zach Stahl with 21 points, Siyani Chambers with 18 points, Demeetrius Martin with 16 points and Jake Wright with 12 points. Hopkins shot 37-76 from the field that included going 12-28 from behind the three-point line. They were 11-12 from the free throw line. They grabbed a total of 38 rebounds, 20 of them on the defensive end.

BRAHAM TOOK ON HOPKINS IN A BOYS' BASKETBALL GAME

The Minnesota Breakdown which is a Minnesota basketball publication hosted a girls basketball showcase. As part of that showcase there was also two boys’ games. The same publication will host a boys’ tip-off classic in the following weeks.

Braham took on Hopkins in a boys' basketball game. It was part of the Breakdown Classic. Hopkins got out on a quick on a 20-6 run to open the game.

Hopkins got the ball into the hands of Andre Travaris McDonald. McDonald was able to drive the ball hard to the basket. He was also able to get his teammates involved in the game.

Braham was able to get their shots going midway through the first half.

McDonald did a good job getting the ball down the court. He also was able to find his shot.

Braham didn't back down. They were able to get the ball into the hands of Tyler Vaughan. He was all over the court. His teammates found him when he was open and took good shots.

At halftime the score was Hopkins 48 and Braham 35.

Hopkins went on a run to open the second half. Braham had trouble making their shots. Hopkins was able to get the ball into the hands of Jamal Dale Davis.

Hopkins continued to shoot the ball well. They didn’t give up. They were hitting all of their shots that they were putting up.

Hopkins was too quick for Braham. Hopkins came away with the 102-67 victory over Braham.

HOPKINS BASKETBALL AND FOOTBALL STAR ANDRE TRAVARIS MCDONALD IS HEADED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA

According to Sid Hartman of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Hopkins basketball and football player Andre Travaris McDonald will be going to the University of Minnesota to play football.

McDonald has revived national attention because of his football skills. He caught 64 passes for 1,144 yards in his junior season.

McDonald will graduate from Hopkins High School in 2012. 

MINNESOTA FURY TOOK ON ECI PROPSPECTS IN A BOYS’ BASKETBAL GAME

Minnesota Fury took on ECI prospects in a boys’ basketball game. ECI got off to a quick start as they

gained a 6-3 advantage with 12:28 in the first half.

Minnesota Fury looked to get the ball into the hands of Andre Travaris McDonald. McDonald was all

over the court. On the offensive end he took the ball hard to the basket. He was able to find his shot and

shoot the ball in transition.

Minnesota Fury switched between man-to-man and zone defenses. That gave ECI some problem trying

to figure out how to guard them.

ECI looked to get the ball into the hands of Kelvin Mackey. Mackey did a good job of getting the ball

out of the net and getting it up the court. He knew where his teammates were on the court and was able

to direct them to where they were supposed to be.

ECI got everyone involved in the plays. They moved the ball around the three-point line well as they

tried to take as much time off the clock as they could.

Will Johnson for Fury got his teammates involved in the play. Fury used a lot of motion offense.

At halftime the score was Fury 36 and ECI 32.

McDonald lead the pack in the second half. He took a good charge and went after the ball.

The score went back and forth throughout as neither team was able to go on a run.

Tyler Moore for Fury knocked down some deep three-point shots.

Minnesota Fury came away with the 67-60 victory over ECI.

HOPKINS HOSTED MINNEAPOLIS SOUTHWEST IN A REGIONAL FOOTBALL PLAYOFF CONTEST

On a cold and blustery night in late October, the Hopkins Royals hosted the Minneapolis Southwest Lakers in a regional football playoff contest. Hopkins came into the game with a 5-3 record and was seeded 3 in the region. Southwest came into the game with a 6-2 record and were seeded 6 in the region. This was the first meeting of these two teams this season.

Southwest kicked off to Hopkins to begin the game. Hopkins started with the ball on the 34-yard line. Hopkins got a first down on the first play of the game. They were looking to run the ball early in the game. Billy Gregg got a 10-yard touchdown with 9:47 left to go in the first quarter. The extra point attempt was no good.


With 9:47 left in the first quarter the score was Hopkins 6 and Southwest 0.


Southwest got the ball back after the Hopkins touchdown. Southwest kept the ball on the ground in the early part of the first quarter. Southwest had to punt the ball back to Hopkins because Southwest couldn’t convert on fourth down.


Hopkins got the ball back. Dami Mafe got the ball for Hopkins. Hopkins was able to grind out a first down. They were successful on short drives. Southwest was not able to slow Hopkins down late in the first quarter. Trevon Smith came up with a few good runs for Hopkins to set up a touchdown by Billy Gregg with 3:15 left to go in the first quarter. The two-point conversion was no good.


With 3:15 left to go in the first quarter the score was Hopkins 12 and Southwest 0.


Hopkins kicked off to Southwest after the Hopkins touchdown. Southwest got the ball into running back Evan Gray’s hands. Southwest was not able to come up with a first down. So they had to punt the ball back to Hopkins.


Hopkins fumbled the ball and Southwest was able to come up with it.


At the end of the first quarter the score was Hopkins 12 and Southwest 0.


Southwest got the ball to begin the second quarter. Aryton Scott was able to hook up with Evan Gray for a few nice receptions. Southwest fumbled the ball back to Hopkins and then on the next play Hopkins fumbled the ball and Southwest got the ball back.


Southwest’s Aryron Scott ran a 22-yard touchdown with 9:55 left to go in the second quarter. The two-point conversion was no good.


With 9:55 left to go in the second quarter the score was Hopkins 12 and Southwest 6.


Southwest kicked off to Hopkins after the touchdown. Hopkins continued to keep the ball on the ground. Andre Travaris McDonald of Hopkins got a nice reception. Hopkins marched down the field. Southwest’s defense came up big and they were able to stop the Hopkins offense. They had to kick the ball back to Southwest with 4:56 left to go in the second quarter.


Southwest got the ball back but they were picked off by Hopkins’ Ben Christopher on the 25-yard line. Hopkins turned the ball over to Southwest late in the quarter. Rodney Pierce Tyler came up big for Southwest in a 42-yard touchdown reception. The extra point attempt was good.


With 30.3 seconds the score was Southwest 13 and Hopkins 12.


At halftime the score was Hopkins 12 and Southwest 13.


Southwest got the ball to begin the third quarter. They looked to air it out to begin the third quarter. They were not able to convert on fourth down and they had to kick the ball back to Hopkins.


Hopkins got the ball back and they looked to air the ball out. Dami Mafe picked up a big reception to bring Hopkins into the red zone. Andre McDonald came up with a 6-yard touchdown reception.


With 8:39 left to go in the third quarter the score was Hopkins 18 and Southwest 13.


Southwest got the ball after the Hopkins touchdown. Southwest went on it on fourth down but they were not able to convert. Hopkins got the ball back on the turnover.


Hopkins got the ball on their 41-yard line. Andre McDonald came up with a big touchdown run. With 6:46 left to go in the third quarter. The two-point conversion was good.


With 6:46 left to go in the third quarter the score was Hopkins 26 and Southwest 13.


Hopkins kicked the ball off to Southwest after the touchdown but Southwest fumbled the ball and Hopkins came up with the ball.


With 6:43 left to go in the third quarter Southwest’s Daniel Obermiller was injured on a play. He was helped off the field by the Southwest coaches.


Hopkins looked to score again. Andre McDonald came up with another big touchdown reception with 5:43 left in the third quarter. The extra point attempt was good. With 5:43 left to go in the third quarter the score was Hopkins 33 and Southwest 13.


Hopkins kicked off to Southwest after the touchdown. Hopkins got the ball near midfield. They looked toward the end zone late in the quarter. Hopkins was not able to convert on fourth down on their one-yard line and they turned the ball over to Southwest.


At the end of the third quarter the score was Hopkins 33 and Southwest 13.


Southwest got the ball to begin the fourth quarter. Southwest was not able to convert on fourth down and they had to punt the ball back to Hopkins.


With 10:30 left in the fourth quarter Hopkins Dami Mafe scored a 5-yard touchdown run. The two-point conversion was good. With 10:30 left to go in the fourth quarter the score was Hopkins 41 and Southwest 13.


Southwest got the ball back after the Hopkins touchdown. Southwest wanted to look to score late in the fourth quarter. They were not able to convert on fourth down and they gave the ball back to Hopkins.


Hopkins got the ball back after the turnover on downs. They kept the ball on the ground and they wanted to march down the field to try to score again. Michal Moore scored a touchdown with 3:24 left to go in the game. The extra point was attempt was no good.


I thought that Hopkins’ Andre Travaris McDonald played very well. He came up big in the third quarter with three touchdowns. He knew what he was doing on the offensive end and he really played well.


Hopkins came away with the 47-13 victory over Minneapolis Southwest.

I was joined by Jeremy Daves of SPNN, after the game he helped me interview Hopkins head coach John DenHartog and wide receiver Andre Travaris McDonald.

Jermey Daves also put together a highlight package of the game. Check out his video clips of the Southwest vs. Hopkins game here.

GET TO KNOW ANDRE TAVARISE MCDONALD

Get to know Andre Tavarise McDonald. Andre was born in North Minneapolis but has grown up in Hopkins. He has one sister and three brothers.

He is involved in sports at his school. He plays football, basketball and baseball at Hopkins high school. He will graduate in 2012.

He wants to go to college to play football. His dream school is USC. He says that he loves the program there.

He says that that basketball is starting to mean more to him. He first picked up his first ball when he was in 6th grade and since then he has just been working as hard as he can to get better. He has found himself spending most of his time with a basketball in his hand lately he think it’s starting to become very important in his life.

This summer he plans to just get his basketball skills better and have a great season with the Howard Pulley program. He loves the program and says it’s such a great basketball experience.

When he is not playing basketball he plays football. He is he starting receiver on the varsity football team at Hopkins high school.

He comes from a pretty harsh background. He hasn’t had the best life as other people but became a stronger person because of it. Sports probably consume three-fourths of his life because it’s his way of getting away from all the negative things around him. It’s basically his stress reliever. He also doesn’t know where he would be right now if he didn’t have his stepdad Jeffery Watts. He was the one that got Andre into sports. He is so very thankful for that.

Knowing Andre Tavarise McDonald I can tell you that he is one of the funnier and overall is a nice person. I am happy to have him as one of my friends.