National Football Foundation

The most decorated receiver in Gopher history, Eric Decker owns the Minnesota record for career receptions and career yards. He is the fourth Gopher named an NFF National Scholar-Athlete, following Greg Eslinger in 2005.

Already having graduated with a B.S. in Business and Marketing Education, the three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection worked towards his Master's Degree in Sports Management. In 2008, Decker earned ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District honors and is a three-time scholar-athlete award winner at Minnesota. 

A Biletnikoff Award finalist as a junior, he was a consensus First Team All-Big Ten selection and named All-America Honorable Mention by SI.com. During his sophomore season, he was named recipient of the Bruce Smith Award, given to the team's outstanding offensive player. Decker set a Minnesota record for single season receptions with 67, a record he broke the next year with 84 receptions. This season, the two-time captain has caught 50 passes for 758 yards and five touchdowns, currently ranking second in the Big Ten in receiving yards. Decker boasts a 37-game streak of at least one reception and has hauled in 227 receptions for 3,119 yards and 24 touchdowns in his career. 

A native of Cold Spring, Minn., Decker is extremely active around the community and has frequently worked with HopeKids, which provides a unique support community for children with cancer and other life-threatening medical conditions. He also frequently visits local hospitals and reads to elementary school students. Decker was selected in the third round (87th overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos and caught 222 passes for 3,070 yards and 33 touchdowns in four years with the Broncos. In 2012, he led the AFC with 13 touchdown catches. 

Decker signed with the New York Jets following the 2013 season, which ended in the Super Bowl for Decker and the Broncos. In 2014, he caught 74 passes for 962 yards and five touchdowns. He significantly contributed to Hall of Famer Peyton Manning's final season in 2013 before signing with the New York Jets. After eight seasons in the NFL, Decker retired before the 2018 season.