FanHouse Sam Maresh

Minnesota linebacker Sam Maresh has not had many things go his way ever since he decided to play football at Minnesota in 2007. Before Maresh was ever able to step foot on a football field as a Gopher he found out he was going to have to undergo open heart surgery, a procedure doctors told him would end his career before it started.

Maresh didn't listen, and after recovering from the surgery he was on pace to play for the Gophers this year when he was knocked down yet again by a tumor found in his left calf. Well, Sam underwent a biopsy on the tumor over the weekend and he finally got some good news on Monday morning. It's not cancerous. Hell, it's not even a tumor.

You may recall the strange, sad story of Minnesota linebacker recruit Sam Maresh, a burly young man who seemingly saw his nascent football career ended by a heart defect that required open-heart surgery.

Doctors said he'd never play again, but Maresh vowed he would. A couple of months ago it seemed like he'd make good on that vow. Happy times for all. Then this happened:

Less than a year after undergoing heart surgery, Minnesota linebacker recruit Sam Maresh has a tumor in his calf.

With the start of a new season in the Big Ten comes new faces. Whether they're the hot new freshman on campus, the juco transfer, or the new head coach, here are five new faces in the Big Ten guaranteed to have a large impact on how this season will play out.

1. Rich Rodriguez-Head Coach-Michigan: Everybody's favorite snake-oil salesman hits Ann Arbor this fall and he has quite a task ahead of him. Say goodbye to Lloyd Carr's mind-numbing vanilla offense and say hello to Rich Rodriguez's spread option that made the West Virginia Mountaineers one of the best teams in the Big East year in and year out.

Now, obviously installing a whole new offense at Michigan and teaching his players how to run it isn't something that can be done in spring practice. Especially when you're not just installing a new offense, as the Big Blue defense will be switching from a 4-3 scheme to the 3-3-5. It's going to take time, and the Wolverines are likely to struggle early, but thankfully their first two conference games are in the Big House this season.

So while there are going to be some bumps in the road in Ann Arbor, the Wolverines shouldn't worry too much. After all, the last time they hired a new head coach from the state of West Virginia things worked out pretty well. All Fielding Yost did was go 165-29-10 while winning six national titles.

I wouldn't expect Michigan to win any national titles in 2008, but if Rich can get this team together and playing well enough to beat Ohio State in Columbus on November 22nd, I can guarantee you fans will pay the $1.5 million he still owes WVU for him.

Minnesotan Sam Maresh was a four-star linebacker who signed with the home-state Gophers last year. His signing is probably Tim Brewster's second-biggest accomplishment (recruiting or otherwise) in his dismal first year at Minnesota, with the first being the inexplicable acquisition of Indiana dual-threat quarterback and Army All-American Marqueis Gray.

Maresh was a real threat to step directly into the starting lineup on Minnesota's beleaguered defense. Unfortunately, now Maresh has bigger things on his mind:

Sam Maresh, a top Gophers football recruit from Champlin Park, needs open heart surgery to repair or replace his aortic valve, his father, Bill, said this morning in an e-mail to the Star Tribune. The defect could potentially be career-ending.

Sad. Gopher Nation has a comprehensive recap of the situation, with extra details on the likely outcomes.