It's a Kirksey family reunion, with Floyd at stake

The offer of a free lunch wasn't enough to get students to TCF Bank Stadium early, even on a sunny day. Only a few dozen students were on hand when servers began handing out hot dogs and chips, a gesture that was the idea of Coach Jerry Kill, so there will be plenty left for late-comers.
After the wall-to-wall red outside the stadium last week before the Nebraska game, it was noticeable how few fans were on the plaza early today. Not sure if that necessarily translates to a smaller crowd -- I imagine Cornhusker fans, most of whom were making their first trip to TCF Bank Stadium, just tended to show up several hours early. Normally the battle for Floyd of Rosedale, the bronze pig that will be displayed on the Gophers' sideline during the game, is a sold-out affair.
There will be plenty of fans here today from one family in particular. Brandon Kirksey's family from St. Louis is here to see the Gophers' defensive tackle, and his uncle -- Iowa linebacker Christian Kirksey. (Brandon is his nephew, but is actually three years older than his mother's brother.)
Brandon is proud of his uncle's success -- "They really love him in Iowa," he said this week -- because he feels at least a little bit responsible for it. Christian Kirksey didn't play football until he was 11 years old, because his mother (Brandon's grandmother) was worried that he would get hurt. Brandon played youth football at age six, "and I always pushed him to start playing," Brandon said. "He's got an attitude like me -- we just don't quit. We keep going, keep attacking. He has a good motor. He's always determined to get the ball."
When it came time to choose a college, however, "he wanted to go his own way," Brandon Kirksey said. "We went to the same high school, and he always had to hear about how good I was. I tried to get him here, but he wanted to make a name for himself, and that's good."
He's done it, too. Only a sophomore, the younger Kirksey leads the Hawkeyes, and is second in the Big Ten, in tackles with 70.
"He's really hard on himself, always thinks he's not playing good," Kirksey said. "But he's got a great future in football. I'm really proud of him. ... It's going to be great to beat him."