Minnesota Golden Gophers fifth-year senior Jah Joyner reminds true freshman Koi Perich how to answer probing questions from media. Credit: University of Minnesota

If you need a good laugh, look no further than the University of Minnesota’s postgame press conference following an upset win over USC over the weekend.

Humor can be subjective, but this instance shows exactly why head coaches like PJ Fleck often hesitate to let freshmen speak to the media.

It’s a bit of a balancing act—players making an impact on the field are always allowed to represent themselves to the press, which can stir up debate. On the flip side, many programs have a policy that you’re ready for interviews once you play.

It’s not that they are incapable, but they often put their foot in their mouths and say things that make coaches wince. True freshman Koi Perich, an anchor for the Golden Gophers’ offensive unit, had one of those moments during the postgame press conference.

Following the Golden Gophers’ 24-17 win over the Trojans, there was a lot of discussion over a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that nearly derailed Minnesota’s upset victory. As seen below, senior cornerback Justin Walley was called for “Simulating brandishing a weapon” in celebration of forcing an incompletion.

While that’s become a point of emphasis, according to the broadcast and the officiating around the country, it’s a subjective call to make with the game on the line. Since the Golden Gophers overcame said penalty, the question was asked more in jest during the postgame press conference, imploring if either Perich or Jah Joyner had heard of a “brandishing the weapon penalty” before.

Perich took the lead — which he probably shouldn’t have — and answered like a true freshman would.

“That was terrible,” he exclaimed. “That was terrible.”

“Joyner, a fifth-year defensive lineman, gave Perich a look like he couldn’t believe what his young teammate was saying before reciting the company line, showing his five-plus years of media training while in Minneapolis.

“Um, we can’t control what the refs say,” Joyner said.

“Oh, yeah,” added Perich, as he remembered where he was and who he was speaking with.

Perich’s response was definitely a rookie mistake, but honestly, it’s these unscripted moments that make athletes’ interactions with media members worth paying attention to.

Whether you’re a freshman or a veteran, a little personality is bound to show through, even if it makes the coaches or Sports Information Director(s) cringe. It’s part of the learning curve of being a college football player under media scrutiny.

And hey, at least he’ll know next time to let the older guys handle those questions.

[Chandler Elsbecker]

About Sam Neumann

Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.