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MINNEAPOLIS -- Mitch Leidner has returned to lead the Minnesota huddle with a finally healthy left foot.Hes bringing 35 games of experience with him.After enduring his share of struggles with accuracy and injury over the first part of his career, Leidner turned a corner during the second half of his junior season despite playing through the pain and limitation in his left foot that essentially dogged him since the third game of his sophomore year. Now hes one of the Big Tens most seasoned players, getting national acclaim as one of the top NFL draft prospects at his position.As a native of the Twin Cities area, having played at Lakeville South High School, Leidner has occasionally bristled about the complaints from fans that have come with the job as the quarterback of the states only major college. Leading the Gophers to victories over rivals Iowa and Wisconsin and a spot in the conference championship game would be a sweet way to finish as a fifth-year senior.Id probably just retire right after that. Go move up to northern Minnesota and never talk to anybody the rest of my life, he said, jokingly. But I guess on a serious note, it would just feel really good.Leidner, who has a 16-13 record as a starter, first hurt his left foot Sept. 13, 2014, in a loss at TCU.My big toe was basically floating around in my shoe, he said Thursday, as the Gophers prepared to begin fall practice.The injury was aggravated early in the 2015 season, and Leidner had surgery to repair torn ligaments right after the Quick Lane Bowl win over Central Michigan. He sat out of spring practice to recover, but his presence around the program this year has been as large as any player since, probably, quarterback Adam Weber concluded his career in 2010.All Ive got to say about Mitch is thats a man on a mission, said tight end Brandon Lingen. Ive never seen a guy more dedicated to a cause in my life. Its definitely been infectious, too.Leidner, a bruising scrambler with 1,129 yards and 23 touchdowns rushing in his career, used a diet change to drop about 20 pounds. The goal is to play this season at around 230 pounds.Hes put a tremendous amount of effort in, coach Tracy Claeys said.Leidner spent another summer at Peyton Mannings passing camp, picking the brain of the now-retired NFL star. He met again with a sports psychologist offered through the athletic department. He connected with new offensive coordinator Jay Johnson, who grew up in the same suburb as he did. The back-to-normal lower body will undoubtedly be the biggest boon, helping him better avoid pressure in the pocket.Its going to make a huge difference, Leidner said.Down the stretch last year, he often wore a walking boot all week, taking it off only for practice.I always knew I was going to play in the back of my mind, no matter what condition I was in, Leidner said. At practice, throwing on the run and things like that sometimes was just impossible for me, but I knew that in the game Id get enough adrenaline pumping that Id be good to go.Particularly at wide receiver and on the offensive line, the Gophers have some areas that will be watched closely this month and next. Theres no concern about the quarterback, though.I think its comfortable for other guys on the team to know that Ive played in that many games, to know theyre stepping into the huddle with a guy whos been there before, whos played Michigan before, whos played Ohio State a couple times, and they know that I can get the job done in those certain situations, Leidner said. Billige Nike Air Max . Duchene scored two goals and had an assist, helping the Colorado Avalanche beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2 on Friday night to match the best 10-game start in team history. Nike Air Max Tilbud Danmark . Once again, DeLaet finished tied for second at a PGA Tour stop on the weekend, this time at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. The pride of Weyburn, Sask. http://www.danmarkairmax.com/ . Thousands of Southern California fans enveloped the Trojans to celebrate an improbable win secured by an interim coach, an inconsistent kicker and a thin defence that wouldnt break. Nike Air Max Danmark Billig . The Swede became the first golfer to win the PGA Tours FedEx Cup and European Tours Race to Dubai in the same season. "It is still taking a little time to sink in what Ive achieved this week as was the case when I won the FedEx Cup but then it just kept getting better and better as the days went on and I am sure this will be the same," he said. Nike Air Max Udsalg . -- Nate Robinson has played for seven teams, so beating one of them is no longer a rare occurrence. Amid horrific crashes and the occasional overzealous fans halting the race, a record 175 of 198 total riders completed the 103rd event yesterday. Highest single payout: $549K ($2.5M total). Heres how that compares with other big sports competitions.Individual Winners PursesThe podiums top rider, Chris Froome, earned the biggest chunk of cash, while daily stage winners each took home $12,000. The Tours best climber, Rafal Majka, was crowned King of the Mountains and earned a tidy $27,400, as did Peter Sagan, the indomitable top sprinter. But their take-home pay pales in comparison to other recent sports winners.*Does not include prize money for stage wins and days holding on to the yellow jersey.Team Winners PurseMovistar repeated as team champion this year thanks to Nairo Quintana of Colombia and his stellar third-place overall finish time.*Total excludes Movistars prize money for seven team stage wins equaling $21.5K.Getting a WorkoutRiders burn 5,000 to 7,000 calories per stage, depending on whether theyre racing on flat or mountain terrain. The 2016 route eqqualed the driving distance from New York City to Phoenix.dddddddddddd*Based on 2,224-3,593 caloric burn of marathon runners weights ranging between 130-210 lbs.Total Event TimeThe best riders spend an average of 4.3 hours in the saddle per stage, with middle-of-the-pack guys taking a little longer. That doesnt include time spent on stationary bikes warming up and cooling down. How Froome stacks up against other recent champs.Keeping PaceRiders speeds vary over mountainous and flat terrain, but the average hovers around 25 mph. During Stage 9 this year, Marcus Burghardt of the U.S.-based BMC Racing Team clocked over 81 mph on the descent of the first climb.Photo credits: Chris Graythen/Getty Images, Lionel Bonaventure/AFP/Getty Images, Tim de Waele/Corbis via Getty Images.Research by Daniel Hajducky and Sachin Dave ChandanStats courtesy: Cybexintl.com; Cyclingweekly.co.uk; Letour.com; Livestrong.com; Moneynation.com; Telegraph.co.uk ' ' '