Tim Brewster saluted Gary Tinsley's growth as a person as he reflected on the news that the former Gophers football player had died Friday, April 6, in his University of Minnesota campus dormitory room.

"Gary had so much passion for life," Brewster, who coached Tinsley during the linebacker's first three seasons at Minnesota, said in a telephone interview from his Chapel Hill, N.C., home. "There's nothing more painful in life than losing a son, daughter or child. You know how close I was with Gary. He was like a son to me. We've gone through so much together.

"He was the consummate teammate. We had bumps in the road. He made some poor decisions along the way, but it was just amazing how he grew from those experiences."

Tinsley was one of several players who had off-the-field problems during Brewster's three-plus seasons as Gophers coach. Tinsley's issues included two alcohol-related arrests. But Brewster said that even before Tinsley overcame those incidents, "There wasn't a more beloved player at Minnesota."

"He wasn't perfect, but he didn't pretend to be," Brewster said. "As the years went on, he was a tremendous inspiration to the younger players on the team."

Brewster was told of Tinsley's death in calls from several players he coached at Minnesota, including senior quarterback and team captain MarQueis Gray. Tinsley, Gray and Gophers senior linebacker Keanon Cooper were members of Brewster's high-profile 2008 recruiting class at Minnesota.


Cooper, who was Tinsley's roommate, found Tinsley unresponsive in their dorm room Friday morning.

"The one thing about that group of kids is that they're extremely close-knit, and they'll lean on each other to help get through a tough situation," said Brewster, now a Fox college football analyst. "It's hard enough to lose a teammate, but it's even harder for Keanon to have to find his teammate."

Brewster developed a strong relationship with Tinsley's family during the recruiting process. Brewster said he offered condolences by phone to Tinsley's mother, Ronda, whom he described as a "very special, God-fearing" woman.

Tinsley was a standout player at First Coast High School in Jacksonville, Fla., but at 6 feet 1 and 220 pounds, he was not offered scholarships by many major college programs because he was an undersized defensive tackle. But he had 25 sacks as a senior while earning all-state honors for an 11-3 district championship team.

First Coast coach Marty Lee said Tinsley help "put our football program on the map" when he led the Buccaneers' defense in a victory over Berkeley High School of Moncks Corner, S.C., in a game televised on ESPN in 2007.

Tinsley, Lee said, also was a "jokester" and "always had a smile on his face." He recalled when Tinsley put on a dress while participating in the team's "Mr. Ugly Contest" as a senior.

"He was the life of our football team," Lee said. "When Minnesota's coaches came in, they felt like they were getting a football player - they did. He had a great (college) career. He was excited about the upcoming NFL draft. He was working out. He was getting ready. He said, 'I feel like if I don't get drafted that I can walk on as a free agent.' He was going to do what he needed to do to make a football team. That's how Gary was."

Lee was shocked to learn of Tinsley's death because he had no knowledge of any major medical problems when Tinsley was in high school. First Coast's assistant football coaches spoke with Tinsley's father, Gary Sr., on Friday. Tinsley also has a sister who attends First Coast.

"I try to make a joke, if there's a way to make a joke, and I say, 'God must have needed a linebacker, so he came and got Gary,' " Lee said.

"He always came back to visit with us in the summertime. The guys knew who Gary Tinsley was. It's just very sad. It's a difficult thing, that's for sure. His picture is hanging in our fieldhouse along with other kids'. But we'll probably do something special to remember him more."

Follow Marcus R. Fuller at twitter.com/GophersNow.