It’s been a long season for Eric Decker.

From the start of training camp until Decker wound up having post-regular-season knee surgery, the Gophers star wide receiver has paid his dues for being quarterback Adam Weber’s top target.

“It felt like two seasons all together, with the injuries,” Decker said. “Every day was a battle to wake up and come in here.”

Mornings were the worst. Decker would wake up and ask himself, “What are you doing?” Then he would drag himself to the shower, turn on the hot water and try to stretch out.

There was a victory over Indiana when Decker was knocked cold, concussed. He got up and finished the game with 13 receptions. A week later, at Illinois, Decker sprained his left shoulder making a first-half touchdown catch and later bruised a rib. He still finished the game with nine catches.

And then, Northwestern. On a third-quarter run inside the 10 an awkward tackle sprained his left ankle and left knee. He finished the game but was never the same. Neither was the Gophers offense.

Decker tried to play a week later against Michigan but was pulled early. Then he sat out a disappointing loss at Wisconsin. Decker returned to play in the regular-season finale, but he still wasn’t right, and neither were the Gophers. After the season ended he had arthroscopic surgery on the knee.

As the Gophers opened the season 7-1 — including a 3-1 start in Big Ten Conference play — Decker averaged 8.2 catches and the Gophers averaged 28.3 points per game. After that? Decker was hurt against Northwestern and appeared in only two of the final three games. The Gophers averaged fewer than 14 points over the final four games.

But Decker has progressed well since knee surgery. As the Gophers were preparing to head down to the Phoenix area for the Insight Bowl, Decker’s body was beginning to approach 100 percent. But here’s a good question:

Why keep this up?

Decker has a year of football eligibility left. He might be a graduate of the school of hard knocks, but he’s a junior at the U. But remember this: Decker returned to baseball last season and played well enough in left field to be selected by Milwaukee in the 39th round of the baseball draft. Another standout spring could push Decker — a fast, able fielder with power at the plate — into the top five rounds. That could mean a six-figure signing bonus.

Weber has asked Decker the same question.

“Seeing him going out there, knowing the position that he’s at, he’s the focal point of our offense, to see him sacrificing his body the way he does, it’s honorable,” Weber said. “But as a friend and as a human being, it’s, ‘Eric, are you stupid? You have a baseball career ahead of you if you want it. You have a great chance in the NFL. Be smart about your body.’ But that’s not the type of person he is.”

Choices do loom for Decker. At 6-2 and 215 pounds, he is rock-solid, physical off the line, fast enough to create separation and willing to go across the middle to make a catch. Another year like this and Decker would be high on NFL draft boards as well.

“Nobody paid more of a price this year,” Gophers coach Tim Brewster said. “Football is the game we play. We understand injuries are a part of the game, particularly when you’re a high-profile player who is identified by the defense each and every week.”

But Decker loves baseball as well.

“There will be a decision,” Decker said. “It’s exciting to have options like that. But I still have to get to that point. When it comes I’ll make that decision. But, right now, I’m not worrying about it.”

That’s about as far as Decker will go on the subject. He has said many times this season — and said it again last week — that he plans on returning for his senior season. He wants to lead the Gophers onto the field for the first time at TCF Bank Stadium.

This despite knowing what it costs to play football.

“To me, I think it comes down to, what do you love?” Brewster said. “Where is your heart? I know this: Eric Decker loves Minnesota football, he loves the fact we’re opening up an on-campus stadium next year. To me, for Eric Decker from Cold Spring, it’s not about a $500,000 signing bonus, it’s about what he loves to do.”

Right now, all Decker can think about is Wednesday’s Insight Bowl. Football. A productive season lost some of its joy as the injuries mounted, but Decker played on.

“It’s an attitude I grew up with,” he said. “It’s the personality I adopted from my parents, I guess. Give everything you’ve got. You have an opportunity to come out here and play for the University of Minnesota, which I dreamed about for my whole life, and I’m not going to let something hinder me.”

The future, Decker said, can wait.

“You only have so many opportunities to do this,” Decker said. “When I look back in 20 years, am I going to be happy with the decisions I made? I think so. I try to do everything I possibly can do.”