Gophers' Athan Kaliakmanis on his Kobe Bryant mentality

Gophers' Athan Kaliakmanis on his mentality

At Minnesota Gophers media day on Wednesday, Athan Kaliakmanis talked about his mentality and embracing the mamba mentality.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Athan Kaliakmanis is entering the 2023 college football season as the starting quarterback for the Minnesota Gophers, and he's bringing along a new mindset for the upcoming season.

With a picture of Kobe Bryant on his iPhone screensaver, Kaliakmanis says he's working toward having a Mamba mentality.

"No matter what you go through in life, you always get back up," Kaliakmanis told reporters at Gopher Football Media Day on Wednesday.

In the Pinstripe Bowl against Syracuse, Kaliakmanis went down with an injury and didn't return to the game. He says at that moment he felt like he let his teammates down, and fans who paid to watch his team.

Everyone knows in sports the best ability is availability, and Kaliakmanis is working to make sure he's always there for his guys in 2023.

Last season he played he started the final six games for an injured Tanner Morgan, tossing three touchdowns and 946 yards passing and leading the Gophers to a second straight win over Wisconsin to retain the Paul Bunyan Axe.

Gophers celebrate on field after beating Wisconsin 23-16, keeping Paul Bunyan's Axe

The University of Minnesota football team celebrated on the field Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium after beating Wisconsin 23-16 to keep Paul Bunyan's Axe for the second straight year.