Goldy Gopher smiles, then steamrolls youth footballer

MINNEAPOLIS – University of Minnesota mascot Goldy Gopher, usually so huggable, turned out to be anything but soft when a youth football player got in his way during a halftime exhibition at the Minnesota Vikings’ game this weekend.

Goldy plowed through the helmet-wearing young defender during the game that pitted mascots against youth players Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium. WCCO-TV reports no one was hurt.

New Gophers coach P.J. Fleck sounded the Gjallarhorn before kickoff of the Vikings game against Tampa Bay, and several Gopher football players attended.

Goldy linked to a video of the play on his Twitter feed . The buck-toothed maroon-and-gold mascot urged Fleck to put him in Minnesota’s lineup, saying “I think I still have some eligibility left!!!”