Gophers' star Koi Perich wears WWE-style championship belt at media day
Koi Perich wears WWE belt at Gophers media day
The Gophers football team held media day Wednesday on campus, and star safety Koi Perich walked up to the podium wearing a WWE-style championship belt.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The University of Minnesota football team held its local media day on campus Wednesday.
What we know:
Several players got their chance to speak with media before Big Ten Media Days next week in Las Vegas, Nevada, and look ahead to the 2025 season. Koi Perich was one of the highly-touted players to return to the Gophers this season, and he came to media day sporting a WWE-style championship belt.
He says he’s flaunting it because of a winning streak on Fridays in the weight room.
"This is the weight room champ. We do for every Friday, you’ve got a competition. You’ve got to hold 405, move plates as fast as you can and a five-yard sprint. I’ve won it for the past couple weeks. I thought it looks cool," Perich said.
‘I would just skip college if I could’
What they're saying:
Perich was refreshingly and brutally honest in a little more than six minutes with local reporters on Wednesday. The Esko native says it wasn’t his lifelong dream to play for the Gophers, like many Minnesota natives. His dream is to play for the Vikings, and if he had his way, he wouldn’t be in college at all.
He was asked if he watched the Gophers growing up.
"No, I didn’t watch college football. My dream was to play for the Vikings, I would just skip through college if I could," Perich said. "But you’ve got to do your three years, I’m willing to do it."
Dual jersey in spring camp
Why you should care:
Some eyes popped during spring football when Perich was wearing a half maroon, half white No. 3 jersey, indicating he was getting plays both at safety on defense and at receiver on offense. That started towards the back half of the 2024 season, and expect more of it 2025.
"Whatever I can do to help the team win, that’s what I’m going to do," Perich said.
The Gophers are expecting big things from Perich in his sophomore season. He was First-Team All-Big Ten pick at safety with five interceptions. He was also a Second Team All-American.
What's next:
The Gophers will soon start fall camp, and their 2025 regular season opener is Thursday, Aug. 28, against Buffalo at Huntington Bank Stadium.