Where are they now according to Google? Preston Gruening

We need to stay on the lighter side in this blog.  The Gophers' last couple of games have forced Swan into hiding I think.  I checked the usual spots: liquor stores, bars, dumpsters, Taco John's, etc. He's out there somewhere, you guys, and I can't find him.  He's scared and alone and sad.  Hopefully he still has access to the internet to read this blog and cheer himself up.  Speaking of tacos, it's apparently National Taco Day.

Here's what Betty White tweeted on the subject:  "Happy National Taco Day! I just made some with a juicy mango salsa. Who wants to eat my juicy taco?"

You there Swan?

 The latest edition of WATNAG? is on Preston Gruening.  If you don't know Preston, you should. He's one of just 33 Consensus All Americans to play football for the maroon and gold.  He's also in one of the most amazing pictures I've ever seen: the 2001 Playboy All-American team.  I mean, what in the hell is going on here?  It was 2001, so maybe that awful Will Smith cowboy movie? (Wild Wild West was 1999, so no.) Was this when Tupac and Dre did California Love? (nope, 1996)  If anyone has a clue what this was about (or better yet the issue), let me know.  Here's the pic:

Preston is in the lower left - Ed Reed is sitting right next to him.

Gruening was the Gopher punter from 2000-2002 and had a whopping 45.2 average as a sophomore in 2000. That mark led all of college football.  He also threw at least one pass each year and was 4-4 for 126 yards and a touchdown as a fake passer.  You may recall Gruening's 45 yard touchdown pass to Elvin Jones in that brutal game against Northwestern that the Gophers lost on a final Hail Mary heave, 41-35.  He also ran for a TD in 2002.

The real question is: Where is Preston Gruening now? (according to Google)

Well, Preston is up to a few things that I could tell.   First of all, he has a facebook page.  This is key.  I sent him a friend request, btw.  Will advise if we friend it up.  (UPDATE: We're FB friends now! WOOT!) Facebook lists his current employer as The Olive Garden.  Among his interests, he lists Buffalo Wings and Rings in Weston, WI.  This place looks pretty kick-ass.  I'd drink there if I knew where the hell Weston was.

There's a Preston Gruening LinkedIn account as well that says he's a "Distributor Sales Consultant at Reliable Salon Resource Group" in Wausau.  He does have dreamy hair, so I suppose this could be THE Preston Gruening as well.  Preston also appears to be involved in real estate.  If you're in the middle of Wisconsin and looking to buy or sell I suggest you contact him.  It appears he may have expertise in mobile homes

This one is a cool $29,000.  Contact Preston for more info.

So, to summarize, Preston Gruening appears to be somewhat of a renaissance man in north-central Wisconsin.  He's in the restaurant industry and he's a real estate mogul.  He likes to keep the ladies looking fresh-from-the-salon good.  He even enjoys a few beers and wings at the local watering hole.  I hope he's not working too hard with all of these jobs.  Preston, if you're reading this, keep on hustling and be sure to friend me so we can grab a beer.  Love, TRE.