For a lot of NFL players, the first football memories come from a TV screen, a backyard, or a game played with brothers. That was the case for a handful of Vikings players, who were asked to name the pros they admired most when they were kids.
Safety Josh Metellus went with a choice that could raise a few eyebrows in Minnesota.
“You guys are going to get a kick out of this,” Metellus said. “A-Rod was my favorite national football player.
For the longest, I was a big Packers fan. Something about 12 in Madden, he always gave me the dub against my brothers.”
Tight end T.J. Hockenson traced his own football path back to a former star at his position.
“My favorite NFL player growing up was Dallas Clark,” Hockenson said. “Hawkeye tight end, won a couple of Super Bowls.”
Cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. said Patrick Peterson was one of the players he studied closely, along with the LSU defenders who made a big impression on him.
“Patrick Peterson and them LSU guys were dogs in college,” Murphy said. “That was the DB-U when I was growing up. Those guys I watched every single day.”
Christian Darrisaw pointed to another player with deep ties to his own background.
“Trent Williams,” Darrisaw said. “I grew up in the Upper Marlboro area.
That was my squad. Having a guy like that from your hometown, going to see him play live.
The way he played the game, it’s not like your average offensive lineman. He got that swagger to him.
Anybody that lines up against him, he’s going to dominate them.”
Not every childhood favorite came without a little conflict. Carson Wentz said that was exactly the case with Brett Favre.
“I was a big Brett Favre fan growing up, which was conflicting because I was a Vikings fan,” Wentz said. “Very conflicting.
I just loved watching him play. The energy and passion he played with.
The gunslinger mentality. Ultimately bringing joy to that field, playing, running around, slapping guys, just being fun.”
Blake Cashman, a Minnesota native who grew up in Eden Prairie, named two former Vikings who stood out to him.
“My favorite Viking of all time was Adrian Peterson,” Cashman said. “Growing up in Eden Prairie, so many of those guys lived in the community. Antoine Winfield Sr. was a role model, being close to the Winfield family.”
It all circles back to the same place: the players on the field now were once kids watching the game the same way the next generation does today.
In Other News...
Vikings Face A Tough J.J. McCarthy Decision No One Expected
J.J. McCarthys standing in Minnesota has taken an unexpected turn, and the next move could be shaped as much by business as football. The Vikings are reportedly expected to seek playing-time conditions on any draft pick they receive in a potential trade involving the quarterback, a sign that the team would want any return tied to how much the next stop actually uses him.
McCarthy has already lost the starting job to Kyler Murray and is also dealing with an ankle injury, which has only fueled questions about where this goes from here. Kevin OConnell has said he wants to keep working with McCarthy, but there have also been rumors about a difference in how invested OConnell and former general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah were in the quarterback, adding another layer to a decision the Vikings did not appear to expect this soon. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Lose Tight End Depth At Worst Possible Time
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For now, Minnesota will lean on its veteran pairing of T.J. Hockenson and Josh Oliver to handle the tight end load while it waits to see when Yurosek can return. The hope inside the building is that he can be back later in the season, but the timing is less than ideal for a team trying to keep its offense and supporting pieces steady right out of the gate. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings May Have Found Demond Claibornes Fastest Path To The Field
The Vikings didnt use a premium pick on Demond Claiborne, but they may have given him a clearer route to playing time anyway. Drafted in the sixth round, the rookie running back enters a crowded backfield behind veterans Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason, so Minnesota has been looking for ways to make his speed matter right away. His preseason work has only strengthened the idea that he can help sooner rather than later.
Kick return duties could be the quickest way for Claiborne to get on the field, and that would fit the kind of multi-purpose value teams want from a late-round pick. The Vikings are still sorting out how he might fit into the offense as well, but special teams offers an immediate opening and a chance to turn his explosiveness into something more tangible while he waits for a bigger role in the backfield. [Read more 🡒]