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On Campus Blog
Alex Friedrich

UMN coach Jerry Kill: I’ve talked about my epilepsy enough already

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I'll talk about that "at the appropriate time." (MPR Photo / Alex Friedrich)

University of Minnesota head football coach Jerry Kill told reporters today he's not answering questions about his epilepsy.

At his weekly noon press conference, he said he appreciated the public's concern for him over the weekend. He suffered an epileptic seizure during Saturday’s game against Western Illinois.

But he said the press conference -- his first since the game -- was going to be about the team, its performance Saturday and its upcoming game against San Jose State:

"I think I’ve done talked about those other things enough."

Kill pushed aside a question about how his players are reacting to his condition, saying he would talk about the matter "at the appropriate time."

He said he's open to talking about it with reporters, but "it needs to be on my time a little bit, because I've got to get ready for a game."

An Athletic Department spokesman said Kill may not take questions until after the season.

Saturday’s seizure has raised awkward questions -- mostly among local and national pundits in the sports-news media -- about whether Kill’s health will keep him from succeeding at his job. They cited concerns that he can’t complete games, and that his condition could demoralize fans and hurt the program’s ability to recruit players.

Athletic Director Norwood Teague has told reporters yesterday that he fully supports Kill and that he’s “confident” in Kill’s ability to work through his condition.

He echoed Teague's statement that "winning takes place during the week" -- not just on game days -- and that his coaching staff's cohesiveness enabled them to win in his absence.