Training Camp 2012

The Foundation of a New Era

Will Adrian Be Ready Week 1?

Full Roster & Depth Chart INSIDE

Offseason Grades & NFC North Preview

Page 2 • MSU Reporter

Minnesota Vikings Issue

TABLE OF CONTE NTS

Better The Second Time Around.................................... 3 The Other First Rounder................................................16 The Most Solid Of Them All...........................................29

Grading The Vikings Offseason Moves.......................... 4 Lifelong Teammates Find Each Other Once Again....17 Will It Ever Be His Time?................................................30

The Road To Being A Franchise Player.......................... 5 Back At Home.................................................................18 “Just Ready To Play Football”........................................31

Overcoming The Injury..................................................... 6 The South Bend Connection.........................................19 Looking To Rebuild.........................................................32

Face Of The Future Looking Bright................................. 7 Can Potential Prevail?....................................................20 Speed Over Size..............................................................34

New Leader On The Line.................................................. 8 Coming Into His Own......................................................21 2012 NFC North Preview...............................................35

Taking Over The No. 1 Spot............................................. 9 Alone In The Kicking Department................................22 Vikings Put $5 Million In Mankato Economy..............37

Mentor And Leader To All..............................................10 Simpson Looking To Jump In As No. 2 Wideout........23 Getting Back To The Top................................................38

Fresh Faces In The Slot..................................................11 Full Roster & Depth Chart.............................................24 Vikings Village A Hit Once Again..................................39 Going For Greatness.......................................................12 NFC North Schedules.....................................................25 On The Way To Stardom?..............................................40

Putting The Past Behind Him........................................13 Ready For The Joob........................................................26 The Most Important Viking You Don’t Know...............41 Leader of The ‘D’.............................................................14 Key Position Battles For 2012......................................27 2012 Viking Fantasy Predictions.................................46 Looking For His Place....................................................15 Outside The Spotlight.....................................................28

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Training Camp 2012

MSU Reporter • Page 3

Better The Second Time Around After a team-wide struggle last season, Head Coach Leslie Frazier is hoping for improvement out of everyone this year.

shannon rathmanner • msu reporter If Frazier wants to keep any sort of job security for next season, he needs to get over that three win hump that he could not do last season.

REECE HEMMESCH sports editor Simply put, Leslie Frazier’s first full year as head coach of the Minnesota Vikings was not quite what you would call getting off on the right foot.

After achieving three wins in the final six games of his interim season in 2011, Frazier led the Vikings to the same amount of wins in the entire 2012 season.

More and more key players were plagued with injuries, less and less people filled Mall of America Field on Sundays and the fans hopes of the Vikings achieving greatness any time soon slowly dwindled away with each agonizing defeat.

But last year was last year and this year brings new optimism from Frazier, who is hoping to return the Vikings to prominence again after two years of ugly football.

His first step: signing fourth overall draft pick Matt Kalil to an impressive four-year contract the day before training camp began.

“I’m very excited we were able to get that done,” Frazier said the day he reported to camp in Mankato. “I don’t know who

is happier, [Kalil] or Christian Ponder.”

The Vikings ended last season fifth-worst in passing offense mainly due to a lackluster line, as Ponder was sacked 30 times in 10 games. All things considered, I think Christian is most happy.

Frazier is mostly known as a defensive-minded head coach, but even he could not help but notice the staggering Vikings offense last season under firstyear offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave.

The struggles on the offensive side of the ball in 2011 prompted Frazier and the rest of the front office to go get some new weapons to revitalize the offense and possibly help take some pressure off All-Pro running back Adrian Peterson.

Kalil was one of those guys, along with receivers Jerome Simpson, Greg Childs and Jarius Wright, who hope to help the Viking offense get back on track and put a few more points on the board while possibly turning the team into a potential playoff contender.

“This is a very fluid league, the teams that are sometimes favored in the beginning of the year are not the favorites in the

end; and sometimes the teams that are counted out can flip the script.” said Frazier.

The playoff talk might be a little too far-fetched, but with a healthy Peterson and an integrated Jerome Simpson postsuspension, this team might be able to turn some heads within the NFC. Another big move on the opposite side of the ball came not from a key free agent signing or a top draft pick, but instead the move of hiring former Indianapolis defensive backs coach Alan Williams as the new defensive coordinator.

Williams takes over for Fred Pagac, who stayed on with the Vikings as a linebackers coach alongside Hall of Famer Mike Singletary.

Williams will implement Frazier’s cover-two defense as Frazier hopes to be a little more involved with the defense than he was last season, even though he knows it’s Williams’ side of the ball to run.

“I have a lot of confidence in Alan,” Frazier said. “Part of it is because we have worked together before, but I know he is going to do a great job.”

Frazier/ page 42

Page 4 • MSU Reporter

Minnesota Vikings Issue

Grading The Vikings Offseason Moves

The Minnesota Vikings didn’t steal many headlines this offseason when it came to additions and subtractions, but the organization shored up many weaknesses in the NFL Draft and made some key free agent signings. Just in case you missed out on any of the new faces in Purple, here are the moves the organization made along with their corresponding grade.

LEE HANDEL special to the Reporter

2012 NFL Draft The Vikings made both a safe and necessary pick when they drafted USC left tackle Matt Kalil with the fourth overall selection of the 2012 draft.

Kalil was by far and away the best offensive lineman in the draft and Minnesota had a hole to fill ever since parting ways with Bryant McKinnie last year during camp in Mankato.

Kalil has a chance to become an All-Pro from the get-go while protecting Christian Ponder’s blind-side after the quarterback was sacked at an alarming rate last season.

The Purple traded up to make another first-round selection in the draft, selecting Notre Dame safety Harrison Smith with the 29th pick overall.

This filled another position of need, although many experts thought Smith might have fallen to the Vikings in the second round. Still, in a draft short on quality safeties, the Vikings made sure to address their porous secondary by taking Smith.

Minnesota continued to address its weak secondary in the third round, taking speedster Josh Robinson out of Central Florida.

Robinson’s 4.33 40-yard dash time was the best at the combine, but questions remain

as to whether he is tall enough and strong enough to cover the huge receivers found in the NFC North, especially.

The Vikings added some depth to their wide receiving corps in the fourth round when they selected Arkansas teammates and good friends Jarius Wright and Greg Childs. There is no telling if both, one or neither player will pan out, but wideout was another position of need.

The front office took Kalil’s teammate from USC, Rhett Ellison, as well in the fourth round.

Ellison was pretty much selected to become “Jim Kleinsasser’s Replacement” as both a blocking fullback and tight end.

The other player drafted of note, one who could have the most impact on how many games the Vikings win this season, is Georgia kicker Blair Walsh, a sixth-round choice.

Walsh was one of the best kickers in the nation through his junior year, but was just 21-for35 last Fall and might have a shaken confidence.

Overall Draft Grade: A-

Jerome Simpson Simpson became somewhat of a household name for NFL

fans last December when he made a leap into the end zone as a member of the Cincinnati Bengals that became a viral sensation.

What some fans may not know, however, is that Simpson also had the best season as a professional with a career-highs in catches (50), yards (725) and touchdowns (4).

Simpson, entering his fifth season, didn’t make much of a splash before last season, but that was primarily because the Bengals had Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Terrell Owens blocking his path all those years.

At $2 million over one year, the Vikings probably didn’t overpay for a guy most famous for just one play. That being said, his three-game suspension to start the season is not ideal at all.

Simpson Grade: B

John Carlson The Litchfield, Minn. native and Notre Dame standout impressed in his first two seasons in the NFL with the Seattle Seahawks, hauling in 106 passes for 1,201 yards and 12 touchdowns from 2008-09.

Grades / page 47

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Training Camp 2012

MSU Reporter • Page 5

The Road To Being A Franchise Player

Christian Ponder has his NFL first-year jitters out of the way, and now it’s time for Christian to take over.

RYAN LUND staff writer Second-year Minnesota Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder had few things going for him following his selection, 12th overall, in the 2011 NFL Draft.

A lockout-shortened offseason meant that training camp and preseason workouts were cut down to a few precious weeks, while the rapid fall of veteran quarterback Donovan McNabb, brought in to tutor the young Florida scholar, proved less than ideal for his development.

Still, Ponder has plenty of reasons to be optimistic, despite an abysmal Vikings campaign in 2011 that saw the team compile one of the worst records in franchise history.

The Vikings landed the third overall draft pick in 2012 thanks to their 3-13 record, drawing USC tackle Matt Kalil away from his prominent position along Matt Barkley’s blindside.

Kalil should address a glaring hole in the Vikings offensive line, a hole that the team’s opponents used to great effect last season, sacking Ponder a combined 30 times.

Thankfully, the Vikings have brought in a strong supporting cast to supplement the athletic young quarterback in his sophomore campaign.

With Kalil keeping opposing defenses at bay, Ponder will have plenty of time to focus his

attention downfield, where a few new weapons will be waiting for him.

The team drafted receivers Jarius Wright and Greg Childs out of Arkansas, before signing highlight reel darling Jerome Simpson and hometown boy John Carlson.

Ponder spent much of the offseason building relationships with the new crew, establishing a chemistry that last year’s lockout didn’t truly allow for.

“I think it’s important for us to build those relationships off the field and get to know each other on a personal level,” said Ponder. “It makes things so much easier when something is going wrong or when something is going right, to talk about different things that are going on on the field and everything.”

The extra time spent in training sessions and minicamps has helped as well, an opportunity unavailable to Ponder a year ago.

“It’s helped a lot. Getting those extra practices in, getting that extra time spent in the film room and talking with the coaches, getting a better feel for my guys, for my offense, it helps a lot,” Ponder said.

The second-year quarterback also knows what to expect out of the NFC North, labeled one of the toughest divisions in football by a number of industry veterans, and rightfully so.

The black-and-blue division is home to a Packers team just two years removed from a Super

shannon rathmanner • msu reporter Ponder, who threw for 1,853 yards and 13 touchdowns last season looks to take advantage of having a full training camp unlike last seasoned lockout-shortened time in Mankato.

Bowl title, a Bears squad that has made significant upgrades since missing the playoffs in 2011 and the newly resurgent Detroit Lions.

Ponder, however, remains positive, emphasizing the huge difference between his first day at training camp a year ago and his first day without the rookie label.

“It’s a huge difference. My first day last year compared to this was horrible, I didn’t even get that many reps,” he said.

“This year I just feel so much more comfortable with my teammates, my surroundings, this offense, it just has a completely different feel to it.”

Ponder’s experience has brought with it more confidence,

a fact not lost on teammate and frequent target, wide-out Michael Jenkins.

“It’s just confidence really,” said Jenkins following the team’s first afternoon practice of camp. “I think that the game is kind of slowing down for him.

He’s finding the open guys and not rushing, and when things

Ponder / page 42

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Minnesota Vikings Issue

Overcoming The Injury

Adrian Peterson’s biggest obstacle his entire life was the opposing team’s defense, but after a season-ending knee injury last season Adrian not only has to get healthy but stay healthy if the Vikes’ want to win.

TIGE HUTCHESON staff writer

shannon rathmanner • msu reporter Peterson’s injury shortened season last year was the first time in his career he did not achieve 1,00 yeards in a season. If the Vikings don’t want to fall too far behind in the standings, A.P. will need to get healthy fast.

You could feel a cold shiver tremble through the hearts of Vikings fans everywhere on December 24, 2011 when Adrian Peterson was helped off the field after what appeared to be a potentially catastrophic knee injury.

With a 2-12 record (at the time of the injury), Peterson had been one of the only things Vikings fans could smile about during the 2011 season.

He was still considered by many to be the premier running back in the NFL and allowed the Vikings to compensate for one of the worst passing offenses in the league with a consistently hard-to-defend rushing attack that was near the top of the league.

Even better was the fact that, just three months earlier, Peterson signed a seven-year contract to remain in purple and gold. He was the cornerstone of the franchise and the one captain that was keeping the Vikings’ ship from capsizing completely.

Fans’ fears were confirmed two days later when the announcement was made that Peterson would be shut down for the remainder of the season with a torn ACL and MCL. Even though the injury would only cost him the final game of the season, Vikings fans everywhere had bigger things on their mind.

They needed Peterson to return quickly, but also take care of himself enough to honor that contract extension and continue to be the Vikings go-to guy for a very long time. To most NFL running backs, even the most elite, that would really be asking a lot.

But what everyone forgets is that Adrian Peterson isn’t like most other elite running backs.

“To be honest, I’m full go.”

Peterson said after arriving in Mankato last Thursday. “I’m pretty much doing everything, cutting, running, jumping. What I really want is to get out there and get involved.”

As he’s done with every other aspect of his career, Adrian Peterson has been aggressive and attacked the injury from day one.

After his surgery was deemed a success in late November, Peterson wasted no time on hesitation. He’s been seen racing teammates in the offseason and seems to be on an accelerated track back to the field. The hardest part is already over.

“You go through so many different emotions; you’re up and you’re down, you’re doubting yourself then you’re back to positive,” Peterson said. “In a sense, some of my previous injuries have given me a better outlook on attacking this. And that is what I have done: I have stayed focused.”

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Peterson has put in on his own over the last seven months, but there’s still a lot of work to do. As with most leg injuries, regaining speed isn’t nearly as hard as making cuts and retraining your leg muscles to support your weight again. And while Peterson says he’s feeling pretty comfortable making cuts, it can be a completely different story on the football field.

“It is easy to go out and do sprints or cutting drills but it’s not like putting the pads on and really going through the motions,” Peterson said. “I feel like that is the only thing I’m missing now, and I think that will help me a lot with where I’m at and my mindset and just feeling more comfortable.”

While it remains to be seen how Peterson will ultimately bounce back from the injury, if nothing else, he’s proven over the offseason that he’s as serious as any other superstar in the league about doing what he can to help his team.

Who knows how the injury will end up affecting Peterson in the long run, but in the same way he’s made a career out of blowing past defenders, he’s certainly not about to slow down and stop trying.

“On my earphones it says “Faith Walker,” so I walk by faith,” Peterson said. “I have faith that I will be able to play the first week of the regular season and I feel like that is how it’s going to be.”

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Training Camp 2012

MSU Reporter • Page 7

Face Of The Future Looking Bright

The Vikings did not feel much pressure in the 2012 NFL Draft when they selected top lineman Matt Kalil with the fourth overall pick. Now that he’s signed and in camp, the pressure is on Kalil to perform right out of the gate.

TIMOTHY FAKLIS staff writer Calm, cool and collected.

Those three words encapsulate just about everything that offensive tackle Matt Kalil brings to the table on and off the gridiron.

Kalil, the fourth overall pick in last April’s NFL Draft out of USC, appears ready to make an instant impact on the Vikings’ offensive line right out of the gate.

But he also seems to understand the long road he has ahead of him if he ever wants to reach his lofty goals in Minnesota.

The importance of Kalil signing his first NFL contract before the first day of practice at Minnesota State University, Mankato was apparent the minute he got to camp.

“It was really important, especially being a rookie, you want to play next to the guys you’re going to play next to,” he said. “You want to get in sync with the offensive players and learn everything you can.

Any day missed could have hurt me; you always need an extra practice to work.”

Along with the ability to practice is the thrill and challenge of going up against, as Kalil put it, “the best defensive end in the NFL” on a daily basis in All-Pro Jared Allen.

“He’s the guy who was half

a sack away from breaking the all-time sack record, so obviously I have a lot to learn from him,” Kalil said. “I’m looking for him to give me his best effort, and I know he will.”

Allen seems to feel the same way.

“I know everybody thinks it’s an internal competition, but I need him to be the best player he can be so I can win a championship,” said Allen.

Simply put, both players have one common goal in mind, and that is to turn around the fortunes of this organization and go from there.

Everything else comes second.

A proven stud in the run and pass-blocking departments with quick feet and great drive blocking form, Kalil is expected to start immediately at left tackle for the Vikings, who collectively struggled while allowing the fifth-most sacks in the NFL last season.

Kalil has played in plenty of high-pressure situations in the past, blocking for future NFL draft pick Matt Barkley at one of the loudest and most widely-revered stadiums in sports, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, home of the USC Trojans.

Kalil helped lead Southern Cal to the best record in the Pac-12 conference in 2011, but was not able to participate in a bowl game due to past recruiting violations. That didn’t stop

him from playing in plenty of big games with plenty of national exposure, as it comes with the territory of playing for such a high-profile football program.

Despite his experience and success in the national spotlight, he continues to remain humble, recognizing his need to continue his steady improvement.

“I need to go out there and make mistakes and learn from them,” Kalil said. “I’m looking to get better every day.”

Kalil is already known for being calm, and has already shown his poise and patience in getting his contract figured out in a timely-enough manner to get to training camp on time.

He’s cool, despite knowing he has to face a freight train in human form in Jared Allen on a daily basis for the duration of his time in Mankato. He’s also collected, and understands that all professional athletes need to improve.

While mentally it seems as if he should be adequately prepared for the challenges that lie ahead, Kalil is also very gifted physically, and has all the skills to be an instant star in the NFL. So what is running through his mind as he takes part in his first-ever training camp?

“Excited. I’m ready to get out here and play some football.”

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shannon rathmanner • msu reporter The Vikings expect Kalil to become a franchise cornerstone protecting Christian Ponder’s blindside. Going up against All-Pro defensive end Jared Allen every day in practice should help him progress quickly.

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Page 8 • MSU Reporter

Minnesota Vikings Issue

New Leader On The Line

In his fifth year on the team, John Sullivan is slowly making the transition from youngster to leader.

JOEY DENTON staff writer

shannon rathmanner • msu reporter Sullivan has started every game he has played in for the last three years as a Viking.

Coming off a season that included a new rookie quarterback stepping into a starting role and a star running back getting injured, it gave the Vikings organization a good look at just how good their offensive line really was.

After drafting an offensive tackle in the first round in Matt Kalil, it showed the team is trying to improve its O-line.

As center John Sullivan enters his sixth season in the NFL, he wants to take on more of a leadership role for the Vikings offensive line.

Coming into camp, Sullivan knew that with his experience and the departure of All-Pro Steve Hutchinson, it is now his time to take the reins of the line.

“Center is the position where you kind of have to embrace the leadership role,” Sullivan said. “It’s more off the field in between periods now. I’ve got to step up in that capacity. We have some new personnel; obviously playing with new guards is an adjustment. It’s a young group who are willing to work.

We want to be a good football team, and we know that starts up

front.”

One of the key parts in being a good leader is noticing how all the other players are doing, whether they are improving fast enough or what the best positional fit is for them.

With the arrival of rookie tackle Kalil, the coaches want to try to take tackle Charlie Johnson and transform him into their left guard for the future.

After the first few practices of training camp, Sullivan has noticed Johnson improving since the team’s decision to move him in April.

“He’s done a great job so far,” Sullivan said. “He’s a very smart guy and he will be successful with a spot on the line, and I’m happy to have him play next to me.”

Another good quality of a leader is being able to pick out your strengths and weaknesses.

Despite the Vikings averaging the second-most yards per carry behind the Carolina Panthers with 5.2 per carry, Sullivan has noted they need to improve their protection for quarterback Christian Ponder. The Vikings were fifth among all 32 teams giving up the most sacks in the league with 49 sacks allowed.

Ponder was asked about the number of sacks he absorbed

last season and answered a good number of them by saying they were his fault, but Sullivan knows it’s the line’s responsibility to protect him.

“Plenty of them were our fault,” Sullivan said. “We need to play better is what it comes down to. The message you try to get across is that it takes all 11 guys.”

After graduating from Greenwich High School in Greenwich, CT, the same high school as Steve Young, the sixth-year center got the opportunity to play center for the one and only Notre Dame.

Sullivan went on to play for Notre Dame for five years, starting all 13 games at center his senior year. After graduating with a degree in marketing, Sullivan was drafted by the Vikings in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft.

For his rookie season, Sullivan watched the Vikings’ starting center Matt Birk and how he lead the team. Once Birk left in 2009 for free agency, it was Sullivan’s time to take the starting role, and he got to work every day with a legend in Brett Favre.

Being the center of the line, you have to have a good relationship with your quarter-

Sullivan / page 42

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Training Camp 2012

Taking Over The No. 1 Spot

MSU Reporter • Page 9

After an impressive rookie campaign, Kyle Rudolph is looking to reach new heights in his sophomore season.

TIMOTHY FAKLIS staff writer The 2011-12 NFL season was one that saw a major development when it came to the involvement of tight ends. A position once known more for blocking became a prominent part of the offensive schemes of some of the upper-echelon teams in the league, much more so

than in years’ past.

Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez and Jimmy Graham all rose to prominence last year, just as Antonio Gates and Tony Gonzalez did a few years prior.

During this year’s training camp in Mankato, Kyle Rudolph of the Minnesota Vikings is working to become an equally impactful player for the betterment of the Vikings.

The nearly unstoppable combination of Gronkowski and Hernandez for the Patriots sparked the interests of executives and coaches around the league, and Rudolph and fellow Notre Dame alum, as well as Minnesota native, John Carlson have similar goals in mind.

“This is a copycat league.

We feel like we have a bunch of good tight ends in the pass

shannon rathmanner • msu reporter If Bill Musgrave’s tight end-friendly offense involves Rudolph more this season, he should have a breakout year and dwarf the 26 receptions, 249 yards and three touchdowns he posted his rookie campaign.

game. We feel like we can get it done.” Rudolph said. “As an offense, getting the tight end involved is where we’re going with this game”.

The history of Rudolph and Carlson is pretty rich. While they never played together, Rudolph explained how Carlson was one of the key recruiters that got him to commit to the Fighting Irish.

Both had storied careers at Notre Dame, and were both able to get drafted into the NFL in the second round of their respective draft years.

“John recruited me, and anytime I visited their campus I was with John.”

It was apparent that their friendship goes back well before they became teammates in Minnesota.

As a rookie last season, Rudolph was one of the few bright spots in the Vikings’ meek 3-13 2011 campaign. Finishing with 26 receptions, 249 yards and three touchdowns as the team’s backup tight end, Rudolph impressed the team enough that it let long-time starter Visanthe Shiancoe leave in free agency, making Rudolph the assumed No. 1 tight end on the depth chart.

Like most rookies, Rudolph was as nervous as they come.

This year, not so much.

“My comfort level is night and day from last year to this year, it’s a much different and more comfortable experience this year,” Rudolph said. I’ve grown as a high school player and throughout college, and now here with Minnesota.”

Rudolph is taking his confidence well past his individual goals and he is looking at the big picture: the team concept. The Vikings struggled for a second straight season, but Rudolph doesn’t seem to be looking into the past. All that matters to him is what happens this year.

“The sky is the limit with the offense, with the guys we have this year,” Rudolph said. “We’re very happy with the core group of guys we have here. We feel like we can succeed with the guys we have here.”

Training camp is where that all begins, and Rudolph has the utmost confidence in the offense, and the team as a whole.

Young, optimistic players are easy to find, but what is hard to find is a young, optimistic player with the budding potential of Kyle Rudolph.

Rudolph / page 42

Page 10 • MSU Reporter

shannon rathmanner • msu reporter Winfield missed most of last season due to injury but returns to his role at cornerback where he is known as one of the more physcial corners in the league.

Minnesota Vikings Issue

Mentor And Leader To All

Antoine Winfield begins his 14th season in the NFL and will need to play guru to the many youngsters in the defensive backfield.

RYAN LUND staff writer At 35 years old, Minnesota Vikings cornerback Antoine Winfield has been to his fair share of training camps.

The Vikings’ elder statesman enters his 14th season in the NFL and his eighth in Mankato, leading a young secondary that includes players nearly half his age.

Winfield has embraced his new role as a player-coach, giving advice and guidance to the team’s next generation of talent.

“I’ve been doing that for a while. If a young guy has a question and comes to me I’ll help them in any way that I can,” Winfield said.

Winfield missed much of the 2011 season thanks to a broken collarbone, still managing to haul in one interception while also collecting one forced fumble through five games.

After eight seasons with the Vikings, however, the team knows what to expect out of the three-time Pro Bowler.

After being drafted by the Bills in 1998, Winfield spent the next five seasons in Buffalo before signing a five-year, $36

million contract with Minnesota.

Winfield has been a productive presence since the signing, recording at least one interception in each of his eight seasons, several of which have been shortened by injuries.

Those injuries can likely be attributed to his physical, fearless style as a corner willing to challenge pretty much any opposing player who has the football.

The veteran will hopefully be able to pass some of that style on to his recently drafted protégé, rookie cornerback Josh Robinson.

Robinson, who stands just an inch taller than Winfield at 5’ 10”, faced criticism throughout his college career as a player incapable of physically challenging receivers, despite his lightning speed.

Who better to teach him then than a man who has been burning NFL receivers since Robinson was in grade school.

Winfield was optimistic about the Vikings influx of youth following the first day of training camp.

“A lot of guys got open and a lot of guys made plays. I thought it was a really good first day,” he said.

The Vikings’ oldest player also remained cautiously optimistic about the coming season, emphasizing the abilities of a team currently in the throws of a rebuild.

Despite their promising new stable of talent, the elephant in the room remains the ultra-competitive NFC North, where the Chicago Bears come equipped with a new set of teeth, Detroit’s offense continues to blossom and the shadow of budding dynasty Green Bay looms.

Winfield will have his hands full in Chicago as Jay Cutler’s favorite target in Denver, wide receiver Brandon Marshall, re-enters the fold, while Greg Jennings continues to fire on all cylinders in Green Bay and the man called “Megatron” continues his dominance in the Motor City.

Still, Winfield says the team is ready for the challenges of the new season.

“We’re flying under the radar,” he said. “I see on Sportscenter and in every paper we’re picked to finish last in the NFC North, maybe win three or four games. We like that.”

The veteran corner

Winfield / page 42

Training Camp 2012

Fresh Faces In The Slot

MSU Reporter • Page 11

After an abysmal passing assault last season, the Vikings revamped their game with a new guys who hope to take over the attack RYAN LUND staff writer In 1984, Dolphins legend Dan Marino accomplished a feat that was considered unthinkable.

Marino set the NFL record for single season passing yards, accumulating 5,084 yards through the air.

Oh how the times have changed.

Flash forward to 2011 and a 5,000 yard season, while still an

impressive feat, is no longer the legendary mark that it once was.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees broke Marino’s mark last year, airing the ball out for a whopping 5,476 yards, while Patriots icon Tom Brady and Detroit’s Matthew Stafford finished north of 5,000 as well.

Seven other quarterbacks finished with over 4,000 yards, firmly signaling the arrival of the passing era in professional football.

While running backs like Adrian Peterson and LeSean McCoy can still dominate a defense, the game is now very much won and lost in the air.

It makes sense then that the Minnesota Vikings, who finished 2011 with one of the league’s worst passing attacks would want to upgrade their aerial arsenal in any way possible.

Second year quarterback Christian Ponder is firmly entrenched as the starter, for now,

shannon rathmanner • msu reporter Key draft picks and top free agent signings have shown the Vikings attempt to improve something in the passing department after last season.

allowing the Vikings brass to shift their focus to finding new weapons with which the young gunslinger can work.

Few positions amongst the Vikings receiving corps are set in stone. Percy Harvin has established himself as one of the best slot receivers in the game, but beyond Harvin’s skills in the short game the battle for the other starting jobs is anyone’s game.

Veteran Michael Jenkins and fifth year pro Devin Aromashodu, both signed prior to the 2011 season, return as potential threats to stretch the field, although questions remain about the former’s health.

Jenkins suffered a torn meniscus in his knee during a game against the Falcons last year, missing the final five games of the season. His health was a question mark as recently as late May, when members of the team initially reported for workouts.

Jenkins however is not the only player competing for the title of number two receiver. The Vikings signed highlight reel darling Jerome Simpson, whose front-flipping antics made headlines in Cincinnati last season.

The acrobatic wideout is the current favorite to assume

the role, although the Vikings complicated the question even further during this year’s draft.

The team used its fourth round selections on Arkansas rookies Jarius Wright and Greg Childs, whose well-documented history predates even their highschool careers.

Wright’s skills as a slot receiver might be dwarfed by those of Percy Harvin, but Childs figures to compete for a roster spot this year.

Childs’ draft stock dropped considerably following a knee injury during his junior season, but the 6’3” wideout has the speed to lose defenders when necessary, a trait that the Vikings have sorely lacked in recent years.

For Childs to realize his starter potential however, the Vikings will need to be patient, which might be good news for Jenkins, still Childs figures to factor into the team’s plans this season.

The Vikings’ other options include Emmanuel Arceneaux and Stephen Burton, both of whom saw limited action in 2011, as well as former Charger Bryan Walters.

The team also added rookie

Receivers / page 42

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Page 12 • MSU Reporter

Minnesota Vikings Issue

Going For Greatness

He barely missed the all-time sack record last season. Does Jared Allen have a 23-sack season left in the tank?

ADAM KRIESEL

staff writer

Training camp this year is a lot quieter than in years past, with no drama surrounding the Minnesota Vikings.

Two seasons ago, the Brett Favre saga surrounded camp even though he was absent throughout, and last year all eyes were on newly acquired Donovan McNabb. This time around, no such storylines exist, and that’s how Jared Allen likes it.

“I think this is the first year where there are no real expectations going into camp, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing,” Allen said. “Our expectations as a team are always the same. It’s always to win the North and get into the playoffs that route, but as far as preseason hype, there is none.”

It is the absence of high expectations that will allow this young team to stay focused, and not get caught up in any distractions surrounding camp.

“We have a completely new team and a lot of young guys, but that’s a good thing,” Allen said. “As cliché as it sounds, you can come into camp and focus on the team, focus on where we have to get to day-by-day and

week-by-week and go out there and just play football without any of this outside pressure.”

The only major distraction that could have been present in camp was contract negotiations with fourth overall pick Matt Kalil, but his recent signing pushed that cloud away.

“As we were going through negotiations with Matt, that was the one player that we weren’t sure if things were going to work out,” head coach Leslie Frazier said. “It’s important to have everybody here and eliminate some of the drama when you don’t have everybody here.”

With so many new faces in camp this year, the veterans will be heavily relied on to get the less experienced players up to speed. As one of the unquestioned leaders of this team, Allen knows that he and his fellow veterans need to set an example for the younger players.

“As veterans, we’ll show you how to be pros and how to work and set a level of how I always practice, of a standard that we expect around here,” Allen said.

“But at the end of the day, it’s your job to come out here and work. It’s your job to get yourself ready to play, and if you’re not that guy, we’ll find out and

david bassey • msu reporter Allen led the entire NFL in sacks last season with 22, coming up a half of a sack short of Michael Strahan’s record set in 2001.

we’ll go on without you.”

Frazier also expects a leadership role from Allen and his fellow veterans this season.

“Jared is a pro. We are going to need his leadership with the

young ball club that we will have,” Frazier said. “We count on his leadership in the midst of what we are trying to get done.

He is not the only one that wants to win a championship; every-

one wants to win a championship.”

Although Frazier has only one full year as Vikings head

Allen/ page 42

Training Camp 2012

MSU Reporter • Page 13

After some self-imposed trade rumors plagued his offseason, Percy Harvin is ready to rumble and lead the Viking offense.

ADAM KRIESEL

staff writer

shannon rathmanner • msu reporter Harvin led all Vikings receivers last season in both receptions and receiving yards. If Percy can keep the migraines away for the entire season, it is safe to say he will be Ponder’s main target again in 2012.

A lot of attention has been surrounding Percy Harvin ever since he demanded a trade from Minnesota and failed to show up for a mandatory minicamp practice at Winter Park in Eden Prairie over a month ago.

Shortly after this request, Harvin backed off his stance and vowed to show up at training camp ready to play. Holding true to his word, Harvin is here and insists that he has ironed out his issues with the organization and moved on.

“I’m glad to be out here with my teammates, getting ready to kick off the season,” Harvin said after the first day of practice in Mankato. “Where else would you want to be?”

Head coach Leslie Frazier certainly wouldn’t want him to be anywhere else, and is happy Harvin was able to straighten things out. The two of them claim to have a special relationship with one another, and having the ability to sit down and

talk things out played a large role in convincing Harvin to reconsider his trade request.

“We’ve always had a good relationship and that will continue,” Frazier said. “He is an important person in a lot of ways. I respect him as a person and as a player. Obviously we need his talents on our football team.”

When speaking about his head coach to reporters, Harvin had nothing but kind words.

It makes one wonder why he would want to leave a team with a coach he thinks so highly of, but Harvin promises that is a dead issue now.

“Being able to go in there open doors, being able to lay it all on the line, being able to get feedback was great,” Harvin said. “And that’s the thing you like out of your coach. That’s why most of the team loves him.”

With this issue now in the past, Harvin is already looking forward to this year. Coming off a season in which he recorded career highs in both receptions

(87) and yards (967), he is feeling good about the upcoming campaign, and is ready for all of his hard work in the offseason to pay off.

“I’m feeling great, hopefully I can keep rising,” Harvin said.

“I’ve been working extremely hard this offseason and studying myself and teammates. Talking with coach, the offensive coordinator, we’re all on the same page. I’m here to do whatever the team needs me to do.”

As for the progress the offense is making under secondyear coordinator Bill Musgrave, Harvin is ready to keep improving and show opposing defenses that they need to worry about more than just Adrian Peterson and the running game.

“I’m liking the steps we took last year,” Harvin said. “I feel like we started improving toward the end of last year. Christian (Ponder) has gotten head over heels better, and we got a lot of receivers coming into camp that are ready to play.”

With Harvin being one of

Harvin / page 43

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Page 14 • MSU Reporter

Minnesota Vikings Issue

Leader Of The ‘D’

Linebacker Chad Greenway is coming off the best season of his career and will need to keep up the pace in order to keep the Vikings in games.

TIGE HUTCHESON

staff writer

shannon rathmanner • msu reporter Greenway collected 152 tackles last season alonmg with two sacks, getting him to his first pro bowl of his career.

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Chad Greenway has had perhaps the most under-the-radar career of any Pro Bowler in the history of football.

After growing up in South Dakota before playing for the University of Iowa, Greenway has made a name for himself in the NFL despite being a guy that’s easy to forget about without a stat sheet in front of you.

But his attitude is what makes him so unforgettable and so important. While Greenway didn’t exactly explode out of the gates or take the league by storm, his steady growth and smooth emergence hasn’t been by accident.

He has it all figured out, and the Vikings need him to start passing his secrets down to the rest of the defense.

“For us it’s about leading by example and showing the right way to practice and the right way to do things. When something needs to be said, you say it, but for the most part it’s just about showing up here,” said Greenway. “It’s going to be so competitive and you’re either going to compete or you’re not going to be around for very long. That’s the reality of this league. Some people find it out earlier than others.”

A tough Midwestern kid, Greenway learned a lot from last season and is ready to carry his findings into camp.

“I think last year we got ourselves hit in the head a little bit,”

said Greenway. “I think you sort of give yourself too much credit and obviously everybody across the league can beat you at any time, and if they’re doing the things necessary to win and you’re not, then obviously you know how that ends.”

A football player’s mind can be a dangerous thing. Not only does Greenway think that overestimation caused some of last year’s struggles, but he also places a lot of the blame on a lack of execution.

“I think it’s executing. We didn’t execute last year and you could see when we gave things up, when we weren’t playing our best football was not just because we weren’t doing things that we were taught,” Greenway said. “It’s not things we didn’t know, or didn’t go over, it’s just that we weren’t focused enough on the small things that made us better.”

While the rebuilding project is officially in its midst, there are two prongs important in the process. One undeniable piece is bringing in more talent and players better-capable of filling the roles being asked of them.

While that’s the part fans often focus on and place the greatest emphasis on, rebuilding also means reworking the minds and culture of the team.

And to be successful with that, the Vikings will need guys like Greenway to recognize it’s time to take the reins.

Part of that is believing in yourself. Somehow, Greenway has emerged as one of the best

linebackers in all of football and is still barely a household name.

Who better to lead the ambush than a guy like Greenway that has managed to climb so close to the top while still managing to never lose the element of surprise?

“We’re not going to have too many people barking up our tree for playoff berths or division titles. We’re just going to have to grind for every win and we’re young, so it’s going to kind of be the best scenario for us to lie in the weeds and be the underdogs so to speak,” said Greenway. “In most people’s eyes we’re just not talented enough, not as good, not as experienced.

It’s going to be exciting because I think we’re going to be a lot better than what people think we are.”

Nobody knows how he does it, but somehow, Greenway has reached the top without anybody else hearing him coming.

Now it’s time for him to drag the rest of the Vikings along with him.

Greenway’s Tackle Count Through The Years

2007: 2008: 2009: 2010: 2011:

105 113 98 144 152

Training Camp 2012

Looking For His Place

MSU Reporter • Page 15

If A.P. is not ready by Week One, the bulk of the carries will be given to Gerhart, but what comes of Toby after Peterson’s recovery?

shannon rathmanner • msu reporter Gerhart has averaged 4.5 yards per carry through his first two years on the team and has over 850 yards total.

JOEY DENTON

staff writer

With this being his third season on the Vikings and AllPro running back Adrian Peterson coming off an ACL tear, it seems to be the best time for running back Toby Gerhart to have his breakout season and develop in to the player the Vikings drafted him to be.

The real question is how many carries the former

Stanford standout will get this season, assuming Peterson won’t be 100 percent come week one.

Gerhart definitely has the experience and ability to take the load for the squad. After two training camps down in Mankato, he doesn’t even need directions to get here.

“Third training camp now, time’s going by fast. I don’t have to look up directions anymore. I can just cruise on down

here, It’s exciting,” Gerhart said as he arrived to Mankato.

This training camp has a different feeling for Gerhart. The past two camps for Gerhart were for him to get his feet wet in the offensive system and get used to playing in the NFL. This year, he has had the mindset of being the guy the team can count on if Peterson is unable to rehab his injury in time for kickoff in week one.

“Yeah, it’s a little bit dif-

Welcome to

ferent. Every year you try and prepare to be the guy, this year it’s a little more prevalent with Adrian coming off of an injury,” Gerhart said. “I’m ready to get out here and be a leader and have fun.”

What Gerhart is looking forward to most this camp is to “make the most of my opportunity. Be a guy the team can count on, first and foremost.”

He knows that his opportunity will come this season, and he wants to be as ready as he can.

“We like to run the ball. My number is going to be called, hopefully early and often,” Gerhart said.

What hasn’t changed this camp is the amount of reps Gerhart has been getting with the first team. Since Peterson was still in negotiations on a new contract, Gerhart was granted all of the reps with the first unit last year as well. So, this workload isn’t new to him.

After an outstanding career at Stanford, the Vikings took Gerhart in the second round of the 2010 draft to be part of a dominant one-two punch with Peterson.

In his first two professional seasons, he has only missed one game and has filled in for Peterson quite well if he needed a break. In 2010, he rushed for 322 yards on 81 rushing attempts.

This past season, Gerhart was summoned to take over the load for a few games this past

season, including when Peterson went down in week 16. In the five games that he started, he averaged 65.6 yards per game, including the 90 yards he collected in the Vikings 28-34 loss to Detroit. That game he averaged 4.7 yards per carry.

When Peterson went down in week 16 against the Washington Redskins, Gerhart was called upon again to carry the load, and he prevailed again.

On only 11 carries, he rushed for 109 yards. Some have been questioning whether he can create big plays in the NFL, but in that game he took off for 67 yards running down the sideline.

He has the size and burst of speed that every running back needs to compete for a starting spot in the league. The only question is: Is he quick enough? Can he shift quickly enough?

Those are some of the things we will have to see this season, because he will have a chance to show that.

Regardless of how many carries he will be getting this season, Gerhart is glad to be down here for camp and for the season to start.

“The best thing is being in the dorms with everybody and the people that come out.

It’s awesome to come out to the field and have everybody harassing you for autographs,” Gerhart said.

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Page 16 • MSU Reporter

Minnesota Vikings Issue

Fans were baffled on draft day when the Vikings traded up to grab a late first-round pick. Three months later they understand why after watching the scintilating play of Safety Harrison Smith.

TIGE HUTCHESON staff writer Harrison Smith has only been a Minnesota Viking for three months and he’s already established himself as a man of few words.

“Every time you get to go out on the practice field it’s a huge opportunity to get better,” Smith said. “We’re a young team and we’re just going to try to get better every day.”

After selecting left tackle Matt Kalil with the fourth pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, the Vikings traded back into the first round to grab Smith with the 29th pick of the draft out of Notre Dame.

As a member of the Fighting Irish, Smith redshirted his first season before breaking out in 2008. He flip-flopped between strong safety and strongside linebacker during his freshman and sophomore seasons, having success at both, before moving permanently to strong safety for his junior and senior seasons.

He was a senior captain for the Fighting Irish in 2011, recording 90 tackles and three tackles for loss. He was viewed as a very fundamentally sound guy, a great tackler and a very intelligent and natural leader.

While Smith was finishing his career with the Irish, the Vikings were capping off a 3-13 season that featured a historically bad secondary and pass defense.

Statistically, the Vikings defense gave up an average of 251.2 passing yards per game (26th in the league) and an average of 28.1 points per game (31st).

Were it not for the Vikings’ desperation, Smith would’ve been a lock to fall into the second round.

2012 was a weak draft for safeties, and while Smith was the second-highest rated prospect on the board entering the draft, behind only Tampa Bay Buccaneers first-round pick Mark Barron, Smith was a long shot to be picked in the first round, especially considering the state of the teams near the bottom.

But sometimes, you just have to make a move.

Whether it was football science or simply desperation, the Vikings moved some picks around, grabbed Smith at 29, and started showing confidence in him right away.

In a league that can sometimes be cruel to rookies that take on a starting role before they’re ready, the Vikings still have yet to go on record confirming Smith as the opening day starter at either of the safety positions, but they also have yet to deny it.

“I’m ready to play whatever position they want me to play and do whatever assignment they need me to do and focus on executing,” Smith said.

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invested a lot in Smith as a member of their starting secondary of the future. But even with all of the new information and situations no doubt flooding his mind, Smith thinks he can make a lot of it go away by getting off to a good start.

“It’s huge,” Smith said. “I’m just going to try to get off on the right foot, start as fast as possible and grow every day.”

He has a long ways to go, but he seems to have the right attitude. While scouts and coaches didn’t see a lot of unbelievably gifted or highlight-reel plays from Smith during his time at Norte Dame, maybe he just didn’t need them to make a difference.

Success seems to be pretty simple to Harrison Smith. He seems willing to work hard every single day he has the opportunity to do so, and seems to have a mind open to taking instruction pretty well.

What he won’t tell you with his words, Smith hopes to express perfectly clearly with his play and his attitude, and the Vikings can only hope his value is as crystal clear as it was at Notre Dame.

“I know there will be a lot to learn and I have a lot of growing left to do,” Smith said. “But to me, football is football and I really just want to be out there playing.”

shannon rathmanner • msu reporter Smith ended his Notre Dame career with over 300 tackles and seven interceptions, all of which came in his junior season.

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Thank you and Go Vikings

Training Camp 2012

MSU Reporter • Page 17

Lifelong Teammates Find Each Other Once Again Greg Childs and Jarius Wright know a little something about playing with one another. So when the Vikings took Wright in the fourth round, they knew it would be a package deal.

TIGE HUTCHESON staff writer There were two big story lines that were set in motion when Greg Childs heard his name called in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft.

The first is about a receiver that was once considered a bigtime NFL prospect before an injury robbed him of his status, and the second is about his friend from third grade, Jarius Wright, who was picked by the same team in the same round to fill the same position just 16 picks earlier.

“It was a great feeling,” Childs said. “You have someone to continue on this journey with you. We’ve been together since third grade and we have a lot of history together, so it was a great feeling.”

After meeting in third grade, Wright and Childs went on to be football stars for Warren High School before both committing to play for the University of Arkansas.

At the University of Arkansas, it was Childs that was first seen as a potential NFL player.

At 6’3” and 217 pounds, Childs has a wide receiver’s body and has shown great body control over the years.

Childs was one of the toprated wide receiver prospects in the country until an injury to his patella tendon during a win over Vanderbilt in 2010 shelved him for the rest of the season and threatened to end his career at Arkansas.

He ultimately decided to return. He progressed through rehabilitation quickly and was able to return for his senior season, but struggled to pick up right where he left off.

Childs’ numbers in nearly every statistical category took a hit, and the once seemingly sure-fire prospect saw his draft stock plummet.

While Childs was fighting his way back from injury, Wright had steadily improved and helped shoulder a little bit of the load left behind.

Wright had become a vital piece of Arkansas’ offense and had a breakout senior season, shattering most of the school’s single season reception records and acting as a driving force in the Razorbacks’ 29-16 Cotton Bowl victory over Kansas State.

While the Vikings may or may not have had their eye on Childs the whole time, it was Wright’s steady growth and dependable production his senior year that earned the Vikings’ first selection (118th overall) in the fourth round, even though many were hoping the Vikings would fill their wideout gap with an earlier pick.

“He’s a hard worker,” Childs said. “He’s a very quick and fast guy and he’ll definitely bring that to the team. He’s going to make big plays just like he’s been doing his whole career.”

But most fans already knew that from the hundreds of reports, bios and mocks that

circulated before and after the pick. But what most fans and scouts don’t know is what Wright brings to the table with his character, and Childs knows that better than anybody else.

“You can definitely depend on him to do his job,” Childs said. “He’s going to lead by example. He might not say much, but he’s always going to do what he needs to do.”

With two picks left in the fourth round, the Vikings grabbed University of Southern California tight end and fullback Rhett Ellison with the 128th overall pick, momentarily turning their attention away from the wide receiver position.

It’s crazy how close it came to Childs and Wright being separated for the first time since third grade, especially since none of the experts expected Childs to go as high as the fourth round. But the Vikings front office wasn’t quite done looking for help in its receiving corps, and with the 134th overall pick in the draft, decided to take a flyer on Childs with a pick that could end up being a steal, a bargain or a complete bust.

“I’m going to try to make plays and do whatever I need to do to help this team win games,” Childs said.

After meeting in grade school and progressing through the ranks of NCAA football

Hogs Receivers / page 43

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Page 18 • MSU Reporter

Minnesota Vikings Issue

Back At Home

Tight End John Carlson spent the first four years of his career in Seattle, but is finally ready to play for the state he calls home.

JOEY DENTON

staff writer

There have been thousands, if not millions of kids that were at one point sitting and watching the Vikings’ training camp in Mankato with their parents.

Every single one of those kids wearing their favorite player’s jersey would turn to their parents and tell them, “I want to be a Viking.”

Obviously, not very many of those kids got to live that dream, but John Carlson is living that dream this training camp.

“It feels great to be back.

I’ve been down here before as a kid watching training camps, so to be here as a player is really special,” Carlson said. “It’s also exciting for me to get back on the football field after missing last season with a shoulder injury.”

One of the things that he is excited about being a Viking is that his friends and family will be able to attend this training camp.

“Yes, I have a lot of friends and family that plan on coming shannon rathmanner • msu reporter down,” Carlson said. “I look forward to them coming down Carlson who grew up in Litchfield, Minn. grabbed 51 receptions for 574 yards in 2010 with the Seahawks and will likely serve as the Vikings No. and watching me sweat.” two tight end this season.

After his contract with the Seattle Seahawks ran out, the Litchfield native was a very talented tight end looking for a new destination, and the Minnesota Vikings were in the market for another tight end.

Even though being from Minnesota had a little bit to do with his signing with the Vikings, he was also very excited for what the Vikings had to offer offensively.

“I was a free agent after last season and the Viking opportunity came up, and I was excited about what already existed offensively here,” Carlson said.

“The running game has been established for a number of years, a talented young quarterback in Christian, Kyle Rudolph being here.”

With second-year tight end Kyle Rudolph coming off a remarkable rookie season and the addition of Carlson, the Vikings easily have one of the top tight end corps in the NFL, which will help quarterback Christian Ponder immensely.

Some of the bigger question marks running through this training camp is how is the team going to integrate two Pro Bowl-ready tight ends into its

offensive scheme.

Carlson came into camp not knowing that answer.

“I don’t know exactly what my role will be, and it’s hard to identify at this point,” Carlson said.

The man with the game plan, offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave, is spending this training camp figuring out where to use these two in order to bring the most success to the team, and as far as specifics go, that hasn’t been answered yet.

“As we embark on this training camp and preseason we are going to make sure to put them in the best position to be successful, but both of them complement one another; they are interchangeable,” Musgrave said.

Musgrave went on to say both tight ends bring such athletic ability to the offense that they could end up in the backfield or on the line, depending on which play they call.

Regardless, if Carlson sets up in the backfield, puts his hand in the dirt on the line or sets up as a receiving threat, he is planning on improving in every aspect this training camp.

Carlson / page 43

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Training Camp 2012

MSU Reporter • Page 19

The South Bend Connection

After free agent signings and draft picks, the Vikings now have five golden domers on this year’s roster.

TIGE HUTCHESON

staff writer

Maybe it’s just a coincidence. Maybe Rick Spielman, in his first official year as the Vikings’ general manager but his sixth year overseeing the draft process, is just the beneficiary of draft night falls and reaches, and maybe a player’s alumni means little more than the competition they face. It’s probably just a coincidence.

But maybe, just maybe, it goes deeper than that. Maybe Rick Spielman has a reason for seemingly stockpiling former Notre Dame Fighting Irish players in recent years, and maybe the five players that represent the Fighting Irish on this year’s training camp roster will continue to grow, and maybe Minneapolis is on the verge of becoming the South Bend of the North. But why?

According to Kyle Rudolph, the former Notre Dame tight end in his second year with the Vikings, there are certain things a general manager can expect when he goes gold and navy blue.

“I think when you’re drafting or signing a Notre Dame guy, you’re going to get a smart,

hard-nosed football player who is going to come to work every day and do whatever it takes to help the team win,” Rudolph said.

Pretty reasonable and easy to get behind, right?

The madness started with the selection of starting center John Sullivan in the sixth round of the 2008 draft. Sullivan was tabbed by the front office as the replacement for Pro Bowl center Matt Birk after Birk bolted for the Ravens in free agency in 2009.

Similar to Birk, Sullivan has always been regarded as a quick learner, a leader and a player that’s not afraid of a little physical punishment.

But the Irish epidemic has really exploded in recent years.

In last year’s draft, Spielman was largely responsible for the Vikings’ selection of Rudolph in the second round. Rudolph was praised as a big kid that was capable of performing in any facet that a tight end would need to in order to help the team, from blocking to catching.

A little bit of extra gold and navy blue never hurt anybody, right? But that made two, and it was just the tip of the Irish iceberg.

Spielman exploded in the

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2012 draft, going as far as to trade up into the first round to add another Domer, strong safety Harrison Smith, in the bottom of the first round, before also adding another former Notre Dame safety, Robert Blanton, in the fifth round.

Both players were regarded as smart, fundamental guys that make good decisions.

Shortly after the draft, Spielman decided to add a cherry to the top of the gold-flaked sundae, using free agency to bring in Minnesota native and former Notre Dame tight end John Carlson. Carlson has established himself as a solid all-around tight end that makes good decisions.

Notice a pattern?

Perhaps the reason for Spielman’s supposed pattern is an effort to build a team of hardnosed, intelligent players that are smart, dependable and come out every day ready to work hard.

While he may not be throwing any metaphorical Hail Mary’s, at least we can agree that players fitting that description are a lot less likely to engage in activities like the “Love Boat” scandal, the cafeteria

Notre Dame / page 43

424 N. 4th St., Mankato

shannon rathmanner • msu reporter Harrison Smith and Kyle Rudolph seen above spent a year together on the same squad at Notre Dame in 2010. The two are used to going against each other in practice but are on the same sideline during games.

237 Cougar Dr., Mankato

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Page 20 • MSU Reporter

Minnesota Vikings Issue

Can Potential Prevail?

The Vikings’ linebacking corps has shown it can get the job done in the past and is hoping this is the year to bring it all together.

ADAM KRIESEL

staff writer

One word can describe this year’s crop of Vikings linebackers: potential. With limited experience amongst the projected starters (Chad Greenway, Jasper Brinkley and Erin Henderson), there are a lot of question marks

heading into this season.

Greenway is the unquestioned leader of the group, and is coming off his best season yet, as he recorded 154 tackles, third most in the league.

At age 29, he is in the middle of his prime, and has improved each year. As the team’s most experienced linebacker, Green-

way must set an example for the others to follow.

“For us it’s about leading by example and showing the right way to practice, the right way to do things,” Greenway said.

“When something needs to be said, you say it, but for the most part it’s about showing up here.”

Jasper Brinkley is currently

web photo E.J. Henderson was the Vikings’ starting middle linebacker for the last eight years and will make someone’s shoes tough to fill.

penciled in as the starter in the middle after missing the entire 2011 season following hip surgery.

In just his third season, Brinkley is lacking experience, but has shown tremendous upside.

However, combining the experience factor with the ability to stay healthy, Brinkley remains a big question mark in the middle.

“Jasper is so talented and has so much ability that we’re ready and excited for him to blow that up this year and show everybody what he’s got,” Greenway said.

Playing opposite Greenway, Erin Henderson stepped up admirably last year in an increased role, and at age 26 he has the potential to be a starter in this league for a long time.

Coming off a season with 70 tackles and two forced fumbles, he has earned a shot at starting on the outside this season. As with Brinkley, experience can only help him. The question remains, however, if he is ready for a starting role and shouldering more responsibilities.

“Erin’s back, came off a really solid season in his first year starting,” Greenway said.

“People aren’t giving him the credit he deserves for the season that he had, and he’s gonna blow

up this year, there’s no doubt about that.”

One player that has head coach Leslie Frazier excited is Everson Griffen, who is transitioning from defensive end a year ago to outside linebacker this season. After dropping 18 pounds in the offseason, Griffen seems ready for the switch.

“That’s just a testament to how motivated he is to do well and play well and really adhere to what the coaches are looking for and what his teammates expect of him,” Frazier said. “With his athletic ability, we want to try to find a way to get him on the field a little bit more.”

This season, Frazier wants Griffen to focus solely on the linebacker position.

“I want him to show us that he can play that position,” Frazier said. “We feel like we’ve got two outstanding starters at defensive end, he was our third defensive end. But we want him to show us that he’s now a linebacker.”

If injuries or inconsistent play become an issue, the coaches seem confident that Griffen can step in and not miss a beat.

Linebackers / page 43

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Training Camp 2012

Coming Into His Own

MSU Reporter • Page 21

This season will be the first for Erin Henderson without his older brother on the squad, and he is ready to take over E.J.’s leadership role on and off the field.

JOEY DENTON

staff writer

After proving himself last season as a starter in the NFL, outside linebacker Erin Henderson is entering this season looking to prove to his teammates and the Minnesota Vikings organization that he is here to stay and is ready to take his team to the next level defensively.

With Chad Greenway and his brother, E.J., holding two of the starting linebacker spots for the last few seasons, Erin was the new kid on the block.

Coming into last season’s training camp, Henderson was on the short list of potential candidates for the other starting outside linebacker spot, and he won it.

This season, the question is whether Erin can improve on his numbers from last season and continue to get better, but that hasn’t changed his attitude on fighting for his spot again this season.

“I’m going in like I’m fighting for it, for a spot on the roster and a starting job as well,” Henderson said.

After four seasons in the league, Henderson knows it is a business and that he still needs

to improve, so he can outperform his teammates for a starting spot again in 2012.

“I’m still fighting for it. You get comfortable and they run you out of here,” said Henderson. “If you get comfortable they will get somebody else in who is not comfortable and who is hungry and is going out there to work and take care of what he is supposed to take care of.”

After being drafted out of the University of Maryland in 2008, Henderson spent his first three seasons mostly as a special teams guy, getting 26 tackles, with 24 of them coming solo.

This past season he was granted the opportunity to take his game to the next level, manning one of the outside linebacker spots, and he shined, recording 70 tackles with 1.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.

Entering training camp this season, his teammates are expecting Henderson to become one of the leaders on the defensive side of the ball, and All-Pro linebacker Greenway believes he will shine again this season.

“He came off a solid season, his first year starting. People aren’t giving the credit he deserves for the really good season he had,” Greenway said. “He’s

going to blow up this year, no doubt about that.”

Henderson also knows that the expectations are high for him, and he is enjoying the challenge and knows what the coaches are expecting of him.

“I love it. It’s a good feeling to know where you stand. I think that’s what a lot of people want to know in this world,” Henderson said. “They want to know where you stand in your job, what they think of you and what they expect of you. They laid that down for me pretty well.”

One of his goals for this offseason was to get heavier and more flexible and durable for the upcoming season, and so far in training camp it has shown, as Henderson stands at 6’ 3” while weighing in at 244 pounds of pure muscle.

“I wanted to come back a little bit heavier than I did last year,” he said.

One of the things that helped Erin last season was playing alongside his brother, who was a part of the organization for quite some time, and there was no doubt that E.J. helped Erin david bassey • msu reporter get used to the Vikings system.

Henderson finished fourth on the team in tackles last season with 70 and

Henderson / page 42

will be looked upon to take on more of a leadership role in his second full season as a starter.

Page 22 • MSU Reporter

Minnesota Vikings Issue

Alone In The Kicking Department

Vikings Kicker Blair Walsh will not have any competition in training camp, meaning his expectations to succeed are higher than ever TIMOTHY FAKLIS staff writer Training camp is an interesting place. On one end of the spectrum you have veterans all too familiar with the routine and monotony of training camp. On the other end, however, you have rookies eager to get out on the field and go all-out in an effort to impress coaches and ultimately lock down one of 53 roster spots.

And then you have Blair Walsh. Walsh probably doesn’t feel the pressure and uncertainty that many rookies and undrafted free agents feel during training camp. In fact, barring a total meltdown, Walsh will be wearing purple and gold and serve as the primary field goal kicker this season.

At the moment, Walsh is the only kicker on the roster, and that is something that he isn’t necessarily used to.

“It’s a little different from high school and college. At Georgia, we would have up to four or five guys.”

Walsh may not be used to working as the lone kicker, but he is definitely used to being the starter, and that goes back to his days in high school.

As a sophomore and junior at shannon rathmanner • msu reporter the University of Georgia, Walsh Walsh was a standout Kicker at Georgia where he missed just one extra was considered by some to be point in his entire career. potentially the best kicker in the

country. His senior year was not the same.

After finishing a combined 41-for-45 in field goal tries in those two years, his 21-for-35 numbers last fall did not make sense to most people, including Walsh.

“I was a little too serious my senior year. I think I just need to get back out there and have some fun with it again,” Walsh said.

Despite his rough senior year, he was still picked as the fifth selection of the sixth round by the Vikings. When a placekicker is selected in the draft, often it means that the team that makes said selection is set to make you its starting placekicker immediately.

Again, that concept did not seem to intimidate the new Vikings kicker.

“The draft was four months ago; I’m just trying to focus on improving my game and help this team win,” Walsh said Coming into training camp as a rookie, along with playing one of the more high-pressure positions in football, it would be understandable if Walsh came into camp with a fairly high level of nervousness. It doesn’t seem as though that will be the case with this guy.

“I can’t really think of it that way. I have to think of it as having fun out there and doing what I know how to do, what

I’ve been doing since I was a freshman in high school,” Walsh said. “I have to go out there and perform and show them what I can do.”

Walsh comes into camp as the only player at his position, and that transition has him working with the appropriate people right from the get-go. There is pressure when part of your job is to occasionally kick your way to a victory, especially at the highest level of football.

Walsh is confident he can shoulder the burden brought upon a young NFL kicker and sees himself taking that next step as a clutch kicker this season.

“It moves up each level, I think. High school to college is a very significant jump and obviously college and the pros are a little bit closer in skill level, but still a big jump because this is people’s careers at this point,” said Walsh. “This is professionals playing football for a living and you have to go out there and be dependable.”

Dependable. That word means everything in this business, especially for guys like Walsh.

A kicker, or any player at any position, with the label of “dependable” typically is able to keep a job in the NFL, and that is what he is striving to do during his career in Minnesota.

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Training Camp 2012

MSU Reporter • Page 23

Simpson Looking To Jump In As No. 2 Wideout Former Cincinnati Bengal Jerome Simpson will have to sit out his first three games as a Viking, but hopes to take his career to the next level with the purple and gold.

JOEY DENTON staff writer A new team means a new start for experienced wide receiver Jerome Simpson, and even though he has to wait three games to start his Vikings career, the team believes he will be a helpful asset to the passing game this season.

Simpson, a five-year veteran, was signed this offseason by the Vikings after he wasn’t resigned by the Cincinnati Bengals.

Minnesota pursued the wideout despite his looming suspension for a run-in with the law while with the Bengals last season.

Last September, the North Carolina native was convicted on a felony drug charge when police found two and a half pounds of Marijuana shipped to the doorstep of his house in Kentucky. While searching the house, authorities found another pound inside.

Simpson was then sentenced to 15 days in jail with three years of probation and 200 hours of community service and a $7,500 fine, according to the Associated Press.

Aside from his off-the-field issues, Simpson was a freakishly athletic receiver looking for a job this offseason and Minnesota was in the market for one, with the two sides ultimately agreeing on a one-year, $2 million contract.

Simpson reported to the Minnesota State University, Mankato campus looking fit and

ready to go, and when it came to his suspension, he looked at it as a positive.

“Yeah, it sucks, but I think it’s kind of in my advantage because I’m going to get to go back and I’ll see some games and know what I need to work on and I’ll just be fresh coming back after those first three games,” Simpson said. “Some of the guys, they’ll be banged up and have injuries, so I can use that to my advantage.”

With the Vikings’ receiving corps being a little thin to start the season, it will be a great addition come week four when Simpson comes into the fold.

The question is how much playing time will he get?

The receiver definitely has the talent to become the Vikings’ number-two option behind Percy Harvin, but he is still going to have to open some eyes once he is eligible to play.

The Vikings are trying to look beyond Simpson’s off-field issues, and know they have signed a freakishly good athlete.

The former Coastal Carolina Chanticleer shocked the world last season when he leaped over Arizona Cardinals’ linebacker Daryl Washington and completed a full front flip before landing on his feet in the end zone.

That kind of athleticism is what the Vikings have been looking for since Sidney Rice left, and Simpson is expected to use the four games he is eligible to play in this preseason to showcase his skills and get in

shannon rathmanner • msu reporter Simpson is primarily known amongst NFL fans for his high-flying score as a member of the Bengals last season, but he also had the best year statistically of his young career, hauling in a career-best 50 passes for 725 yards and four touchdowns.

sync with quarterback Christian Ponder.

“Yeah, the coaches are probably going to want to see what

I’m capable of. It’s just getting in the rhythm knowing that I’m going to miss three weeks and getting into rhythm with Chris-

tian and in tip-top shape,” said Simpson.

At the same time, the coach-

Simpson / page 42

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Page 24 • MSU Reporter

Minnesota Vikings Issue

2 012 V i k i ng s NUMERIC ROSTER

2

Jorden, Kamar

WR

6-1

203 23

0

Bowling Green

51

Dean, Larry

LB

6-0 226 23

2

Valdosta State

3

Walsh, Blair

K

5-10 192 22

0

Georgia

52

Greenway, Chad

LB

6-2 242 29

6

Iowa

4

Bethel-Thompson, McLeod

QB

6-4 230 24

0

Sacramento State

54

Brinkley, Jasper

LB

6-1

252 27

3

South Carolina

5

Kluwe, Chris

P

6-4 215 30

8

UCLA

57

Cole, Audie

LB

6-5 239 23

0

North Carolina St.

7

Ponder, Christian

QB

6-2 229 24

2

Florida State

59

McKenzie, Tyrone

OLB 6-2 245 26

2

South Florida

11

Burton, Stephen

WR

6-1

221 22

2

West Texas A&M

59

Elimimian, Solomon

LB

6-0 227 25

1

Hawaii

12

Harvin, Percy

WR

5-11 184 24

4

Florida

60

Saulsberry, Quentin

C

6-2 300 23

0

Mississippi State

13

Walters, Bryan

WR

6-0 190 24

2

Cornell

60

Powell, Tydreke

DT

6-3 310 24

0

North Carolina

14

Webb, Joe

QB

6-4 220 25

3

UAB

61

Berger, Joe

OL

6-5 315 30

7

Michigan Tech

15

Taylor, Kerry

WR

6-0 197 23

1

Arizona State

62

Baker, Chase

DT

6-1

298 24

0

Boise State

16

Arceneaux, Emmanuel

WR

6-2 211 24

2

Alcorn State

63

Fusco, Brandon

OL

6-4 306 22

2

Slippery Rock

17

Wright, Jarius

WR

5-10 180 22

0

Arkansas

64

Latimore, Eric

DE

6-6 277 25

0

Penn State

18

Rosenfels, Sage

QB

6-4 222 34

12 Iowa State

65

Sullivan, John

C

6-4 301 26

5

Notre Dame

19

Aromashodu, Devin

WR

6-2 201 28

4

Auburn

66

Reed, Nick

DE

6-1

3

Oregon

20

Cook, Chris

CB

6-2 212 25

3

Virginia

66

Holmes, Tyler

OL

301 0

24

0

Tulsa

21

Robinson, Josh

CB

5-10 199 21

0

Central Florida

67

Pasztor, Austin

OL

6-7

305 21

0

Virginia

22

Smith, Harrison

S

6-2 214 23

0

Notre Dame

67

Jacobs, Anthony

DE

6-2 291 23

0

Minnesota

24

Bowman, Zackary

CB

6-1

196 27

4

Nebraska

68

Murphy, Kevin

OL

6-7

295 22

0

Harvard

25

Carr, Chris

CB

5-10 182 29

8

Boise State

69

Allen, Jared

DE

6-6 270 30

9

Idaho State

26

Winfield, Antoine

CB

5-9 180 35

14 Ohio State

71

Loadholt, Phil

T

6-8 343 26

4

Oklahoma

27

Burton, Brandon

CB

5-11 190 23

2

Utah

72

DeGeare, Chris

G

6-4 325 25

2

Wake Forest

28

Peterson, Adrian

RB

6-1

27

6

Oklahoma

73

Love, DeMarcus

T

6-4 315 24

1

Arkansas

29

Todman, Jordan

RB

5-9 193 22

1

Connecticut

74

Johnson, Charlie

OT

6-4 305 28

7

Oklahoma State

29

Jones, Reggie

DB

6-0 193 26

1

Portland State

75

Kalil, Matt

OT

6-7

295 23

0

USC

30

Gatewood, Corey

CB

5-11 188 24

0

Stanford

76

Schwartz, Geoff

G

6-6 331 26

3

Oregon

31

Felder, Bobby

CB

6-1

200 21

0

Nicholls State

78

Horn, Levi

OL

6-6 320 25

2

Montana

32

Gerhart, Toby

RB

6-0 231 25

3

Stanford

79

Brown, Patrick

T

6-5 310 25

3

Central Florida

33

Sanford, Jamarca

S

5-10 200 26

4

Mississippi

81

Simpson, Jerome

WR

6-2 190 26

5

Coastal Carolina

34

Sendejo, Andrew

S

6-1

2

Rice

82

Rudolph, Kyle

TE

6-6 259 22

2

Notre Dame

35

Sherels, Marcus

CB

5-10 175

24

2

Minnesota

83

Reisner, Allen

TE

6-3 248 23

2

Iowa

36

Blanton, Robert

S

6-1

200 22

0

Notre Dame

84

Jenkins, Michael

WR

6-4 214 30

9

Ohio State

37

Frampton, Eric

S

5-11 205 28

6

Washington State

85

Childs, Greg

WR

6-3 217

22

0

Arkansas

38

Hilliard, Lex

RB

5-11 240 28

4

Montana

86

Shuler, Mickey

TE

6-4 251 25

2

Penn State

40

Ellison, Rhett

TE

6-5 250 23

0

USC

87

Love, A.J.

WR

6-2 205 24

0

South Florida

41

Raymond, Mistral

S

6-1

202 23

2

South Florida

89

Carlson, John

TE

6-5 251 28

4

Notre Dame

42

Felton, Jerome

FB

6-0 246 26

5

Furman

90

Evans, Fred

DT

6-4 305 28

6

Texas State

43

Stroud, Chris

CB

6-1

190 24

0

Webber International

91

Reed, D’Aundre

DE

6-4 261 24

1

Arizona

44

D’Imperio, Ryan

FB

6-2 241 24

2

Rutgers

92

Guyton, Trevor

DE

6-3 280 22

0

California

45

Nielsen, Tyler

LB

6-4 235 24

0

Iowa

93

Williams, Kevin

DT

6-5 311 31

10 Oklahoma State

46

Loeffler, Cullen

LS

6-5 241 31

9

Texas

94

Charleston, Jeff

DE

6-4 265 29

6

Idaho State

47

Paredes, Corey

LB

6-0 235 22

0

Hawaii

95

Owusu, Ernest

DE

6-5 270 24

0

Cal

48

Asiata, Matt

FB

5-11 220 25

1

Utah

96

Robison, Brian

DE

6-3 259 29

6

Texas

49

Coleman, Derrick

RB

6-1

240 21

0

UCLA

97

Griffen, Everson

DE

6-3 273 24

3

USC

50

Henderson, Erin

LB

6-3 244 26

4

Maryland

98

Guion, Letroy

DT

6-4 303 25

5

Florida State

50

Mitchell, Marvin

LB

6-3 249 27

6

Tennessee

99

Ballard, Christian

DT

6-4 283 23

2

Iowa

217

225 24

248 24

2 012 V i k i ng s Dep t h Ch a rt free safety

cornerback

26 A. Winfield 21 J. Robinson

41 M. Raymond 37 E. Frampton 14 R

weakside linebacker

50 E. Henderson 51 L. Dean

2 6

tackle

75 M. Kalil 73 D. Love

R 1

wide receiver 12 P. Harvin 87 D. Aromashodu

3

kicker

B. Walsh

guard

74 C. Johnson 76 G. Schwartz

FULLBACK

4 4

42 J. Felton 44 R. D’Imperio

R

5

punter

C. Kluwe

33 J. Sanford 22 H. Smith

middle linebacker

54 J. Brinkley 57 A. Cole 4 2

defensive end 96 B. Robison 97 D. Reed

strong safety

6 1

7 3

93 98 90 99

65 61

3 R

52 C. Greenway 55 M. Mitchell

defensive tackle K. Williams L. Guion F. Evans C. Ballard

center

J. Sullivan J. Berger

8 5 6 2

5 7

quarterback

5 2

7 C. Ponder 14 J. Webb 18 S. Rosenfels

8

28 A.Peterson 32 T. Gerhart

strongside linebacker

1 3 12

running back

6 3

4 R

cornerback

20 C. Cook 21 J. Robinson

3 R

7 6

defensive end 69 J. Allen 66 N. Reed

guard

63 B. Fusco 76 G. Schwartz

tight end

82 K. Rudolph 89 J. Carlson

9 3

2 3

2 4

kick returner 12 P. Harvin

4

R = Rookie

tackle

71 P. Loadholt 73 D. Love

4 1

wide receiver 81 J. Simpson 84 M. Jenkins

5 9

punt returner 12 P. Harvin

4

Training Camp 2012

MSU Reporter • Page 25

MINNESOTA VIKINGS

DAY Date Sunday Sept. 9 Sunday Sept. 16 Sunday Sept. 23 Sunday Sept. 30 Sunday Oct. 7 Sunday Oct. 14 Sunday Oct. 21 Thursday Oct. 25 Sunday Nov. 4

TIME Noon Noon Noon Noon 3:25pm 3:25pm Noon 7:20pm 3:05pm

OPPONENT Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts San Francisco 49ers at Detroit Lions Tennessee Titans at Washington Redskins Arizona Cardinals Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Seattle Seahawks

DAY Sunday Sunday Sunday Sunday Sunday Sunday Sunday Sunday

Date Nov. 11 Nov. 18 Nov. 25 Dec. 2 Dec. 9 Dec. 16 Dec. 23 Dec. 30

TIME Noon --- Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon

OPPONENT Detroit Lions BYE WEEK at Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers Chicago Bears at St. Louis Rams at Houston Texans Green Bay Packers

CHICAGO BEARS

DAY Sunday Thursday Sunday Monday Sunday Sunday Monday Sunday Sunday

Date Sept. 9 Sept. 13 Sept. 23 Oct. 1 Oct. 7 Oct. 14 Oct. 22 Oct. 28 Nov. 4

TIME Noon 7:20pm Noon 7:30pm 3:05pm --- 7:30pm Noon Noon

OPPONENT Indianapolis Colts at Green Bay Packers St. Louis Rams at Dallas Cowboys at Jacksonville Jaguars BYE WEEK Detroit Lions Carolina Panthers at Tennessee Titans

DAY Sunday Monday Sunday Sunday Sunday Sunday Sunday Sunday

Date Nov. 11 Nov. 19 Nov. 25 Dec. 2 Dec. 9 Dec. 16 Dec. 23 Dec. 30

TIME 7:20pm 7:30pm Noon Noon Noon Noon 3:25pm Noon

OPPONENT Houston Texans at San Francisco 49ers Minnesota Vikings Seattle Seahawks at Minnesota Vikings Green Bay Packers at Arizona Cardinals at Detroit Lions

DETROIT LIONS

DAY Sunday Sunday Sunday Sunday Sunday Sunday Monday Sunday Sunday

Date Sept. 9 Sept. 16 Sept. 23 Sept. 30 Oct. 7 Oct. 14 Oct. 22 Oct. 28 Nov. 4

TIME Noon 7:20pm Noon Noon --- Noon 7:30pm Noon Noon

OPPONENT St. Louis Rams at San Francisco 49ers at Tennessee Titans Minnesota Vikings BYE WEEK at Philadelphia Eagles at Chicago Bears Seattle Seahawks at Jacksonville Jaguars

DAY Date Sunday Nov. 11 Sunday Nov. 18 Thursday Nov. 22 Sunday Dec. 2 Sunday Dec. 9 Sunday Dec. 16 Saturday Dec. 22 Sunday Dec. 30

TIME Noon Noon 11:30am Noon 7:20pm 3:05pm 7:30pm Noon

OPPONENT at Minnesota Vikings Green Bay Packers Houston Texans Indianapolis Colts at Green Bay Packers at Arizona Cardinals Atlanta Falcons Chicago Bears

GREEN BAY PACKERS

2 012 N FC NORT H SCH EDU L E S

DAY Date Sunday Sept. 9 Thursday Sept. 13 Monday Sept. 24 Sunday Sept. 30 Sunday Oct. 7 Sunday Oct. 14 Sunday Oct. 21 Thursday Oct. 28 Sunday Nov. 4

TIME 3:25pm 7:20pm 7:30pm 3:25pm Noon 7:20pm Noon Noon Noon

OPPONENT San Francisco 49ers Chicago Bears at Seattle Seahawks New Orleans Saints at Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans at St. Louis Rams Jacksonville Jaguars Arizona Cardinals

DAY Sunday Sunday Sunday Sunday Sunday Sunday Sunday Sunday

TIME --- Noon 7:20pm Noon 7:20pm Noon Noon Noon

OPPONENT BYE WEEK at Detroit Lions at New York Giants Minnesota Vikings Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears Tennessee Titans at Minnesota Vikings

Date Nov. 11 Nov. 18 Nov. 25 Dec. 2 Dec. 9 Dec. 16 Dec. 23 Dec. 30

*All times CST - HOME games in bold

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Page 26 • MSU Reporter

Minnesota Vikings Issue

Ready For The Job

Alan Williams spent a fair share of his time as the defensive backs coach for the Colts but is now ready for his first job as a defensive coordinator.

LEE HANDEL special to the reporter Look at the coaching background and rise up the ranks by new Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Alan Williams and one former Vikings Defensive Coordinator comes to mind: Mike Tomlin, the Super Bowl-winning head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Williams joins Leslie Frazier’s coaching staff with a similar resume to Tomlin’s when former head coach Brad Childress hired him to be his D-Coordinator going into the 2006 season.

Like Tomlin and Frazier before him, Williams stems from

the high-profile Tony Dungy coaching tree, knows defensive backs like the back of his hand and has been brought up in the Tampa 2 coverage scheme.

Tomlin served under Dungy as the defensive backs coach in Tampa Bay starting in 2001, and played an integral role in the Buccaneers’ Super Bowlwinning 2002-03 season.

Williams was also part of Dungy’s ‘01 staff, and followed Dungy to Indianapolis before the start of the ‘02 season. He credits his former boss for making him the coach he is.

“As far as shaping my philosophies and schemes, (he helped) a great deal,” said

web photo Williams met Frazier in Indianapolis, where they coached the d-backs together. In 2006-07, they led the Colts to a Super Bowl victory.

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Wil,liams. “I was with him for eight or so years, so a lot of who I am comes from Coach Dungy and I’m proud to say that a great deal.”

In his lone season running the Viking defense in 2006, Tomlin brought a fire and passion to the unit not seen in years, as the Viking defense was the stingiest against the run in the entire NFL. The Pittsburgh Steelers were so impressed with Tomlin’s job in Minnesota that they hired him to be Bill Cowher’s replacement.

Tomlin went on to lead the Steelers to a Super Bowl win over the Arizona Cardinals in February of 2009 and made another Super Bowl appearance just two years later against the Green Bay Packers.

Williams is hoping to take the Purple defense back to respectability and become the motivator the unit has been lacking since Tomlin’s departure.

Like Tomlin, Williams’ is a master when it comes to defensive backs, taking over the Vikings’ defense after more than a decade as the defensive backs coach of the Indianapolis Colts.

The Colts’ defensive backfield was known under Williams for forcing turnovers and annually ranked in the top half of the league in passing defense en route to 10 straight playoff appearances.

Williams coached the defensive backfield alongside Frazier

under Coach Dungy in 2006-07, the season the Colts won the Super Bowl over the Chicago Bears. He later helped lead the Colts back to the Super Bowl in February of 2010 against the New Orleans Saints.

With the Purple defense in 2012, Williams has a good mix of veteran leaders and talented youngsters. Now it is just a matter of getting them to function as one cohesive unit.

Williams has a defensive scheme similar the one Frazier had in place, but it has its differences. That being said, he has no plans of implementing something completely new to the players.

“Football is kind of football,” Williams said. “We’re trying to use the same terminology for the most part that’s been in and I’m adjusting to that. I’d rather have me adjust to that rather than have all 11 starters have to change that around.”

The fact that he and Frazier go way back to their days with the Colts is also a positive for Williams, as there will be no communication barrier whatsoever.

“He’s a great resource. He knows the guys, he knows our personnel. He knows what we’re doing so Coach Frazier is my sounding board if I need something, if I need advice or have a question,” said Williams.

Despite the Vikings’ struggles on defense the past two seasons, the cupboard is not completely

dry for Williams to work with.

Defensive ends Jared Allen and Brian Robison are coming off career years, and Kevin Williams is more than capable of still playing at a high level.

The linebackers got a bit younger with Jasper Brinkley replacing E.J. Henderson in the middle, but Brinkley should equal Henderson’s production when fully healthy. He is joined on either side by Chad Greenway and E.J.’s younger brother, Erin, who are also both in their prime.

Williams will try to guide the front seven back to tops in the league against the run this season.

As for his expertise, the defensive backfield, there is no one more qualified to help Frazier choose who should be starting in a wide-open secondary than a man who has been coaching the unit for over a decade.

Antoine Winfield is a proven commodity in the NFL, while Chris Cook and rookie Josh Robinson both have a tremendous amount of upside still.

Offseason signees Chris Carr and Zackary Bowman round out a decent, albeit somewhat undersized, group of corners.

The safeties are the group that Williams will have to work the most magic with, as rookie Harrison Smith, Jamarca Sanford and Mistral Raymond are the front-runners for the two starting spots.

Williams and his staff

Williams / page 44

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Training Camp 2012

MSU Reporter • Page 27

Key Position Battles For 2012

For some, training camp is a chance to get back in the swing of things before the season begins. For others, it’s a chance to prove themselves and fight for a spot in the starting lineup.

LEE HANDEL special to the reporter

Offense Despite Joe Webb’s impressive performances in the final two games of last season, head coach Leslie Frazier made it very clear that second-year quarterback Christian Ponder is alone atop the depth chart.

Webb’s progression has likely earned him the primary backup job behind Ponder, with veteran

Sage Rosenfels rounding out the position.

If Adrian Peterson can’t go week one, Toby Gerhart would shoulder the rushing load, with newly-signed Lex Hilliard likely backing him up. Jordan Todman and Derrick Coleman will fight with Hilliard for the third spot.

At the fullback position, Jerome Felton and Ryan D’Imperio are battling for the right to clear paths for Peterson and Gerhart. Fourth-round draft pick Rhett Ellison out of USC

could also challenge for some playing time at the position with a good camp.

After Percy Harvin, the Vikings’ wide receiving pecking order is cloudy at best heading into preseason play. Web sensation Jerome Simpson obviously has the best tools to start opposite Harvin, but his three-game suspension to begin the regular season pretty much puts the No. 2 wideout slot up for grabs.

Aging veteran Michael Jenkins and Devin Aromashadu

both received reps at the position last season, but could be pushed by fourth-round picks Greg Childs and Jarius Wright in the preseason.

Wright has the same physique as Harvin at only 5’10”, so Childs has the best shot to challenge Jenkins and Aromashadu for the starting nod in the first three games.

Once Simpson returns, he will likely claim No.2 for himself, with the other three falling into the next three, four and five

slots. If Wright impresses in camp, Jenkins or Aromashadu could be sent packing.

At tight end, Notre Dame alums Kyle Rudolph and John Carlson will both see the field a lot and are fighting for the most looks from Ponder in the passing game, but Rudolph should get the most receptions by far.

Ellison could also play some tight end, but Carlson’s contract should keep him on the field opposite Rudolph in plenty of two tight end sets.

On the O-line, Matt Kalil, Phil Loadholt and John Sullivan are locked in at the tackle and center positions, but Charlie Johnson, Brandon Fuscoe and Geoff Schwartz are fighting for the two starting guard spots.

Johnson looks to be safe, but Schwartz could leapfrog Fuscoe in the preseason if he shows he has fully recovered from his hip injury.

Defense

shannon rathmanner • msu reporter Antoine Winfield might be on a “pitch count” for reps this season which means that Chris Carr and Zackary Bowman might be in a battle for the spot opposite of Chris Cook at the cornerback position.

ONLY

The defensive line is set besides who will start next to Kevin Williams at the tackle position. Letroy Guion has gotten rave reviews from new Defensive Coordinator Alan Williams early in camp, and should fend off Fred Evans for the starting nod.

The starting linebackers are set, with Jasper Brinkley taking over for long-time starter E.J. Henderson, who the Vikings did not bring back. E.J.’s brother,

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Page 28 • MSU Reporter

Minnesota Vikings Issue

Outside The Spotlight

With fresh faces entering the team during training camp, veterans like Kevin Williams are soon forgotten, though they contribute most.

RYAN LUND staff writer After a relatively quiet first week of training camp, the newest members of the Minnesota Vikings have commanded the most attention.

While second-year quarterback Christian Ponder drew a sizable audience, sharing the spotlight with franchise standard-bearers Adrian Peterson and Jared Allen, much of the crowd’s focus was on the team’s latest additions.

Highly-touted offensive tackle Matt Kalil, safety Harrison Smith, cornerback Josh Robinson and wide receivers Greg Childs and Jarius Wright, all selected in the 2012 NFL Draft, commanded much of the attention.

Some players, however, are content going unnoticed, a quality not often seen in players as accomplished and as lauded as defensive tackle Kevin Williams.

With nine seasons in the NFL under his belt, it’s fair to say that Williams has seen it all.

Drafted ninth overall by the Vikings in the 2003 NFL Draft, the friendly Arkansas native is

the longest-tenured member of the team’s 2012 edition.

He’s been through it all, literally in some cases. Williams has missed just four games in his entire career, having been a defensive mainstay for the Vikings since a blockbuster rookie season in which the defensive juggernaut recorded 10.5 sacks and 36 tackles.

Williams paired with his good buddy, Pat Williams, for years as a member of the dominant “Williams Wall,” protecting several generations of Vikings quarterbacks, from Daunte Culpepper all the way up to the franchise’s current signal-caller in Christian Ponder.

While Williams’ production may have dipped in recent years, the 31-year-old remains a key component in a Vikings defense that has undergone a substantial rebuilding job over the past few years.

Williams, however, has enjoyed the influx of youth over the past few seasons, and while his skills as a defensive tackle are still in high demand, his leadership qualities are proving just as valuable with so many young players on the team.

“We’re just plugging away,

we’ve got a core group of older guys in the lineup on both sides of the ball, it’s on us to take the initiative and get those young guys involved, let them know that we’re going to count on them,” said Williams.

His positive attitude ensures that the veteran defensive tackle still has a role on a team that, although few members of the organization will acknowledge it, is in the midst of a full-on rebuild.

“Nobody’s expecting a lot from the Vikings, I think we’re flying under the radar, and rightfully so. But we’re going to shock some people this year, come out strong and win some games. I think we have some good young guys and we’ve got a chance to win some games early,” Williams said.

As bleak as the immediate future may seem, it’s hard not to believe in Williams’ endorsement. He recorded five sacks in 2011 for 25 total tackles at the tender age of 31, a far cry from his early years, but an impressive performance considering the number of defensive tackles pondering retirement at his age.

Williams doesn’t take the

K. Williams / page 44

shannon rathmanner • msu reporter With the Vikings defemsive line returning to prominence and more players making plays, it takes some pressure of guys like Kevin Williams.

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Training Camp 2012

MSU Reporter • Page 29

The Most Solid Of Them All

With guys like Jared Allen, Kevin Williams and Brian Robison, it’s no wonder the Vikes’ are tops in the league’s rushing defense year in and year out.

TIGE HUTCHESON staff writer After a rather disappointing season in 2010, Minnesota Vikings’ defensive end Jared Allen was asked what he learned and worked on to bounce back.

“I missed a couple of tackles earlier in the year going for the strip, so one thing, in my mind, is that I need to always make sure to secure the tackle first,” Allen said before last season.

It was a very simple concept, but it would prove to be unbelievably accurate. While most of the rest of the team may be guilty of having “a false sense of security,” as Allen put it, Allen was honest enough with himself to sit down, demand more from himself and look in the mirror for the solution.

So Allen went back to working on the fundamentals and the basics of football, and it paid off in a big way.

Allen finished the 2011 season with 22 sacks, good for the Vikings’ single-season franchise record. He was selected to the Pro Bowl and All-Pro teams, and fell only seven votes short of winning the Defensive Player of the Year award.

On the other side of the de-

fensive line, defensive end Brian Robison was preparing to step into the starting unit for departed starter Ray Edwards.

The Vikings had issued a huge vote of confidence towards Robison by allowing Edwards to walk, and to his credit, Robison justified the decision with a breakout season of his own.

Robison finished 2011 with career-highs in tackles with 44, all while adding eight sacks and three forced fumbles, reinforcing the other side of the Vikings’ defensive line with a player capable of complimenting Allen and taking advantage of the attention he drew from the opposition.

In fact, the 2011 Vikings Training Camp was the beginning of a “sack race” between Robison and Allen. The two players jawed back and forth throughout camp, playfully getting after each other and pushing each other to get better.

“There’s nothing friendly about it,” Allen laughed. “I’ll win that every day of the week.”

On the inside of the wall, Kevin Williams entered the 2011 season without longtime comrade Pat Williams, effectively putting an end to the “Williams Wall” era.

After serving a suspension for the unbelievably dragged out StarCaps case, Williams was still unable to revert back to Pro Bowl form like Vikings fans have been craving, but managed to turn in another very solid and productive season of 38 tackles and five sacks. “[Williams] approaches things a lot like I do and I think that’s why we work together so well,” Allen said.

The biggest question mark is at the other tackle position, where Fred Evans (22 tackles) and Letroy Guion (21) shared duties in 2011.

Many thought the Vikings would look to add a nose tackle in the off-season, but with so many other positions of need, the position went unaddressed for now.

Not only will Evans and Guion look to secure the job and fight off one another, but

they will also need to fend off younger options like 2011 fourth-round pick Christian Ballard, 2012 seventh-round pick Trevor Guyton and second-year undrafted free agent Tydreke Powell.

The position is wide open and up for grabs to whoever decides to step up and take it.

While much of the defense faces major overhaul, the play

D-Line / page 44

shannon rathmanner • msu reporter With these menaces of the trenches leading the way, the Vikings have been top 10 in rushing defense five of the past six years.

Page 30 • MSU Reporter

Minnesota Vikings Issue

Will It Ever Be His Time?

Even after starting a few games the last two season and performing well, will Joe Webb ever see quality playing time at the Quarterback position?

TIMOTHY FAKLIS staff writer

shannon rathmanner • msu reporter In two seasons as a backup quarterback Webb has thrown for over 850 yards with 88 completions.

There are few things that are tougher for athletes to endure than having to wait their turn to get out onto the field and show what they can do. That is exactly what Joe Webb is going through, and has been for some time now.

Entering his third year in the NFL, Webb has been a guy of interest to the fans due to his colossal speed and athleticism for a quarterback.

When he initially arrived in Minnesota, it was the last year of the Brett Favre saga. The following year, the Vikings drafted Christian Ponder 12th overall out of Florida State University.

Put all of that together, and it spelled out a tough period for Webb as far as playing time was concerned.

With that said, he was able to find a few snaps here and there and looked good at times, including an impressive outing in a win against the Eagles in Philadelphia back in 2010. But so far, Webb is waiting patiently.

“It’s the coach’s decision.

I just need to be prepared and ready for when my name is called,” said Webb.

Some thought that there was

even a chance of a quarterback battle between Ponder and the speedy Webb during this year’s training camp, but head coach Leslie Frazier made it clear that was not the case.

“If something were to happen to Christian because of injury, we feel like we have a capable backup in Joe,” Frazier said.

“But there’s no competition as to, ‘Joe has to do this to beat out Christian.’ Christian, it’s his job.”

With Ponder continuing to improve and looking to keep his starting job for the foreseeable future, it may be a tough road ahead for Webb in terms of the number of snaps he will be receiving.

With everything surrounding his playing situation, he is still looking to work at the quarterback position.

“Get better at the QB position is a priority; watch film and study myself. Just be prepared for whatever situation might come up,” Webb said.

The option for Webb to play wide receiver has also been brought up from time to time.

Webb has said himself that he believes he is able to play both positions, but is “a quarterback right now.”

He definitely has the speed, clocking in with a 4.45 40 time coming into the draft. Many scouts had seen him as a wide receiver in the NFL, so when he was coming out of the University of Alabama-Birmingham, he prepared for whatever situation was to come up.

He ended up in Minnesota, and for now he will be playing the quarterback position, sitting patiently behind Christian Ponder.

Training camp will at the very least give Webb an opportunity to show fans, coaches and teammates alike how hard he worked, or did not work, to improve his stock as a quarterback during the offseason. He sees it as a prime opportunity to “knock a lot of rust off” and he wants to keep competing for playing time at the quarterback position.

Will there be a training camp down the road where we don’t see Webb in a red uniform?

Only time will tell, but for now, barring injury, Ponder is the starting quarterback of the Minnesota Vikings, with Webb as his speedy backup waiting for an opportunity.

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Training Camp 2012

“Just Ready To Play Football”

MSU Reporter • Page 31

After an arrest forced him to miss the last 10 games of the 2011 season, Chris Cook is ready to rejoin his teammates and fight for a spot that was once his.

ADAM KRIESEL staff writer Last season was a tumultuous one for Minnesota Vikings third-year cornerback Chris Cook, as he was arrested in October following a fight with his then-girlfriend and missed the last 10 games of the season.

This year, Cook is returning to the team and is ready to put that incident in the past and move on.

“I’m just ready to play, I’m excited,” Cook said. “I’m just looking forward to going through training camp, preseason and just looking forward to the first game.”

That’s exactly what the Vikings want to hear after watching their secondary fall apart at the seams as last season painfully dragged on.

Cook was expected to play a big role at corner opposite Antoine Winfield before the arrest, and he now must prove to the team that he can still produce the way they expected him to

while staying out of trouble at the same time.

With the extended time off the field, Cook has had plenty of time to prepare for this season, and has taken full advantage of the opportunity.

“I had a lot of time to get ready for training camp and get ready for the season,” Cook said. “I trained hard this offseason. I’m just ready to play football.”

With his focus now in the right place, the Vikings’ secondary is expecting to see a big improvement from what they displayed a year ago.

Like with many other positions on the team, new faces in the secondary should create good competition and help strengthen the back end of the defense.

“We needed an influx of talent in the secondary, we were pretty much depleted toward the end of last season,” head coach Leslie Frazier said. “With the additions that we made we think we’re going to be a better sec-

ondary. With some of the things we are trying to do schematically, we think we’re going to be a better secondary.”

Minnesota’s new defensive coordinator, Alan Williams, echoed Frazier’s positive reinforcements about the secondary, and is excited for what Cook can do on the field.

“He is quick, he’s intelligent, he plays like a veteran,” said Williams. “He is in shape and he plays multiple positions.

We have him outside, we have him inside and he picks it up so we’re glad to have him here.”

The Vikings showed they are committed to Cook when they kept him on the active roster following the arrest, and the faith they showed in him should help fuel Cook this season.

There is no doubt he has something to prove, and he doesn’t want to let the organization down after they have made clear how highly they think of him.

At the same time, Cook

Cook / page 44

shannon rathmanner • msu reporter Chris Cook had two solid years as a Viking before his legal issues last season. Cook can get his starting cornerback spot back with a good training camp and pre-season.

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Page 32 • MSU Reporter

Minnesota Vikings Issue

Looking To Rebuild

Of the Vikings usual menacing defense, the backfield is normally their weakest link, which is why 2012’s draft class was aimed right at them.

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shannon rathmanner • msu reporter With the early round picks of safety Harrison Smith and cornerback Josh Robinson, the Vikings are looking to revamp their somewhat shaky backfield.

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Even though it’s only training camp, veteran cornerback Antoine Winfield believes that the defensive backs will be “very improved” this season.

The Vikings’ secondary will play a vital role in either the team’s success or failure, considering they are in the NFC North.

The Vikings secondary had, to say the least, an off year, giving up the most passing touchdowns (34) in the league and ranked 26th in yards passing allowed. With many key players not being able to play for long stretches of last season, the Vikings looked to improve that part of their game this offseason.

Winfield, who had 40 tackles and one interception in just five games last season, feels the team is young, yet skilled.

“I think we will be very improved. Myself being healthy, with Chris [Cook] back. We added a lot of young guys with some depth and some speed.

Right now, we are just teaching the defense, the fundamentals, the techniques so if the guys can go out and execute those we’ll be okay.”

Winfield wasn’t the only secondary player who had his season cut short. Cornerback Chris Cook only got to play in six games of his third season in the NFL due to an assault charge on his girlfriend. He was arrested and charged with two felonies, which forced him to

miss the rest of the 2011 season.

This offseason and training camp for Cook have been an opportunity for him to regain his teammates’ and coaches’ trust, and according to Winfield he has been doing just that.

“He’s excited to be out here.

He’s in the meeting room, taking notes, sitting by me, asking questions, expecting a big season out of him,” Winfield said.

Winfield believes that having Cook back will definitely impact the Vikings’ secondary.

“He can be a very good corner. He has the size, athletic ability. He’s shown big play ability, so he can do some good things for us this season,” Winfield said.

Along with those two rejoining the team this season, the Vikings have made some draft picks and signings to improve the team’s secondary. On draft day, the Vikings used two picks to bring in two safeties from Notre Dame, Harrison Smith in the first round and Robert Blanton in the fifth.

Smith was the only player in Notre Dame history to record more than 200 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and 15 pass breakups in a career. This playmaking safety was the lone captain for Notre Dame in 2011 and his ability to make plays might give him the chance to be one of the starting safeties for the Vikings come week one.

His teammate Blanton finished his Notre Dame career with 193 tackles, 16 pass breakups and eight interceptions. He,

along with Smith, is fighting for a starting spot in the Vikings secondary. Mistral Raymond and Jamarca Sanford are also fighting for a starting safety spot.

The other defensive back drafted by the Vikings was Central Florida’s Josh Robinson in the third round. He recorded 10 career interceptions using his 4.33 40-yard dash speed.

It seems he will give Cook a run for his money this training camp.

The Vikings also added to their cornerback depth by going out and adding Zackary Bowman from their NFC North rivals, the Chicago Bears, and Chris Carr from the Baltimore Ravens. Both of these guys will be fighting for playing time this season.

What makes the Vikings’ secondary so exciting and yet concerning is that anyone can start. They were just a mess last season with youth and players not being able to play, so the Vikings brought in some talent, both young and experienced, and it will be fun to see who the Vikings decide to put on the field.

Winfield knows that the external views from fans and media have this team ending up low in the NFC North, but he thinks they will improve regardless, as long as everybody in

the organization believes that they are capable to.

“Guys have to buy in.

Our number one goal is to

D- Backs / page 44

Training Camp 2012

MSU Reporter • Page 33

Page 34 • MSU Reporter

Minnesota Vikings Issue

Speed Over Size

Rookie Josh Robinson has always been able to outrun opposing receivers throughout his college career, but will he be quick enough for the NFL? RYAN LUND staff writer Much has been made of the Minnesota Vikings many deficiencies on offense, at the lack of quality receiving options, a shaky quarterback and an offensive line that crumbled far too many times in 2011.

Much has also been done to address a few of those problems.

Matt Kalil will be standing his ground in front of a much more confident Christian Ponder, while veteran Jerome Simpson and rookie Greg Childs should add a much needed spark to the receiving corps.

The Vikings’ true specialty, however, may be in the secondary, where the team is hoping that rookie Josh Robinson, a third-round pick in 2012, will be able to spark a group of cornerbacks that finished 16th in the league in pass defense last season.

Robinson, who officially stands at just 5’10”, makes up for his small stature with his blistering speed.

The Central Florida star burned through the combine as the fastest corner in the draft, running a 4.33 second 40-yard dash.

The gifted corner also posted a position best in the vertical jump with a height of 38.5 inches, as well as the broad jump, topping out at 133 inches.

That speed, coupled with a truly impressive leap, should allow the rookie to compete with the star

wide receivers currently populating the NFC North.

Robinson, a tremendous value as a third round pick, could have easily been taken in the second round, a fact not lost on Vikings GM Rick Spielman, who specifically passed on highly-touted corner Morris Claiborne early in the draft due to Robinson’s skills.

The three-year starter at Central Florida shot up draft boards following the combine, his athleticism greatly increasing his stock in a draft that included a number of talented corners.

Robinson should factor into the Vikings defensive plans almost immediately, given the team’s relative weakness at the position.

At 35, Antoine Winfield has become the elder statesman of the Vikings secondary, while 2010 third round selection Chris Cook’s off-the-field issues are well documented.

Robinson will slot in well behind Cook and Winfield, although the rookie’s athleticism and speed should mean that he won’t be behind them for long.

The rookie had nothing but praise to offer his two senior teammates, however.

“We’ve got a lot of veteran guys who can help us. Guys like Antoine [Winfield], guys like [Chris] Cook, they’ve been here for a few years and they can help young guys like us step up and contribute to this team,” said Robinson.

Robinson also figures to factor strongly into the team’s estab-

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lished selection of punt returners, a position where his dazzling speed could be put to good use.

He displayed flashes of that quickness early in training camp, preventing an errant punt from taking a second bounce, turning on the afterburners to cover the six or so yards between himself and the ball.

Clearly, the kid can move.

That said, Robinson has received criticism for his lack of physicality in challenging receivers, an issue where his stature has factored in prominently.

Robinson has also run into a bit of health trouble early in training camp, injuring his hamstring in just his second practice.

He was covering fellow rookie Jarius Wright on a deep pattern when the corner pulled up short, with pain in the back of his leg.

Robinson did not participate in practice again the following day, with what head coach Leslie Frasier later confirmed was a tweaked hamstring.

Minor injury concerns aside, it would appear that Robinson will be an important addition to the Vikings depleted secondary come September.

Robinson’s Collegiate Stats at UCF Freshman: 69 tackles, 6 INT’s Sophomore: 59 tackles, 2 INT’s Junior: 48 tackles, 2 INT’s

shannon rathmanner • msu reporter Robinson’s 40-yard dash time of 4.29 at the 2012 NFL combine was the fastest of the year and is tied for fourth fastest in combine history.

Training Camp 2012

2012 NFC North Preview

MSU Reporter • Page 35

With The Packers, Lions and Bears all being considered playoff contenders with elite offenses, the Vikings could very well spend another season in the cellar.

KYLE RATKE special to the reporter Minnesota Vikings: Offense: The big question is whether or not Christian Ponder (1,853 yards, 13 TDs, 13 INTs) can make some sort of leap from his rookie season.

The second-year quarterback said that he lost confidence last season after a few big hits late in the year. With the addition of No. 4 pick Matt Kalil, the offensive line should improve immensely.

Look for Charlie Johnson to move to left guard after playing left tackle last season. It was clear Johnson wasn’t entirely comfortable at the tackle position. Ponder won’t have any excuses this season as General Manager Rick Spielman has

given him plenty of new toys.

After former Cincinnati Bengals receiver Jerome Simpson (50 catches, 725 yards, 5 TDs) returns from his suspension, Ponder will have a deep-threat and that will enable Percy Harvin (87 catches, 967 yards, 6 TDs) to move back to the slot. Toby Gerhart (531 yards, 1 TD) should be able to hold his own until Adrian Peterson (970 yards, 12 TDs) is back to fullstrength from his ACL injury he suffered in Week 15 last season.

Peterson says that he intends to return for the first week, but if he’s not at full-strength, the Vikings won’t risk anything.

Defense: The biggest weakness on the team last season (with many to choose from) was the secondary.

While the Vikings lost Husain Abdullah (49 tackles, 1 INT)

web photo

Calvin “megatron” Johnson of the Detroit Lions.

and Cedric Griffin (67 tackles, 1 INT), it’s unlikely this group could be any worse in 2012. The Vikings drafted safeties Harrison Smith (Notre Dame) and Robert Blanton (Notre Dame), along with corner Josh Robinson (Central Florida). Expect Smith to start from Week 1.

Robinson should get every opportunity to start opposite of Chris Cook (20 tackles), moving Antoine Winfield (40 tackles, 1 INT) to the nickel. Blanton is also getting an opportunity at the other safety spot.

The team decided against bringing middle linebacker E.J. Henderson (109 tackles, 2 sacks) back, but did bring back his little brother Erin (70 tackles, 1.5 sacks). The starting linebackers will be Chad Greenway (154 tackles, 2 sacks) and Henderson, while Everson Griffen (21 tackles, 4 sacks) and Jasper Brinkley (17 tackles) will fight for the other spot.

The team’s biggest strength is on the defensive line. Jared Allen (66 tackles, 22 sacks) hasn’t slowed down one bit and Brian Robison (44 tackles, 8 sacks) looked like he belonged last season.

The question mark on the defensive line will be Kevin Williams (38 tackles, 5 sacks) and whether or not he’s got anything left in the tank.

Detroit Lions: Offense: The Lions have a sneaky-powerful offense. Well, maybe not so sneaky if you had Matthew Stafford (5,038 yards, 41 TDs) or Calvin Johnson (96

receptions, 1,681 yards, 16 TDs) on your fantasy football team.

In the NFC, the Lions are overshadowed by the Packers and the Saints on the offensive side of the ball, but if the Lions can repeat what they did last season, they might head to the top.

When looking at the roster, it might appear as if the Lions lack a running back, and while they don’t have a proven back on their squad, the NFL has showed us they don’t need to. If Jahvid Best (390 yards, 2 TDs) can remain healthy, he could become a Darren Sproles-like running back for this team.

Tight end Brandon Pettigrew (83 catches, 777 yards, 5 TDs), the team’s second-leading receiver, could be the next tight end to emerge as a star, especially if Johnson continues to get double covered.

Another player offensively that will benefit from the attention Johnson requires is Titus Young (48 catches, 607 yards, 6 TDs). Young struggled at times last season, but has all the tools to be the team’s No. 2 receiver.

By drafting tackle Riley Reiff out of Iowa, the Lions admitted that in order to win, they need to keep Stafford healthy, something that has been a problem in the past. It’s very unlikely this group will take a step back if everyone can remain healthy.

As a Lions fan, you just have to hope the Madden curse doesn’t hurt Megatron. Crazier things have happened.

Defense: The Lions turned

their focus to the defensive line throughout the last two years and while it shows, fans might be more familiar with the baggage of players like Ndamukong Suh (36 tackles, 4 sacks) and Nick Fairley (15 tackles, 1 sack) rather than their play. Suh is regarded as one of the best defensive tackles in football, but most people know him more for his “stomp” against the Packers last Thanksgiving.

Fairley, on the other hand, was seen as a steal with the No. 11 pick during the 2011 draft.

But a foot injury season, and this offseason’s DUI arrest has people wondering if Fairley is mature enough for the NFL. The Lions are the last team that needs any more negative attention when it comes to their players. The defensive backfield took a hit, losing Eric Wright to the Tampa Bay Bucs in freeagency. A young group of defensive backs, led by safety Louis Delmas (51 tackles) and corner Chris Houston (54 tackles, 5 interception) will need to grow up real fast in a division with pass-happy quarterbacks like Aaron Rodgers and Jay Cutler.

Corner Aaron Berry could have helped the Lions after seeing some time last season, but the team didn’t have much of a choice after he was arrested twice in the month of July. The line backing core is led by feisty and undersized Stephen Tulloch (111 tackles, 3 sacks), who is just 5’11. With no standout

NFC North / page 45

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Page 36 • MSU Reporter

Minnesota Vikings Issue

Main Roadways and Streets to Minnesota State University, Mankato

Training Camp 2012

MSU Reporter • Page 37

Vikings Put $5 Million in Mankato Economy

MEGAN KADLEC editor in chief Every town has that one event or attraction that puts them on the map. Rochester is known for the Mayo Clinic; Ely is known for the Boundary Waters or their annual Blueberry Festival; Mankato is known for Vikings Training Camp.

For the past 47 years, the Minnesota Vikings have called Gage Towers home for two to three weeks at the beginning of August. As the Vikings prepare for their upcoming season, the city of Mankato and Minnesota State University, Mankato must prepare for the Vikings and the fans they bring with them.

There are only 15 football teams in the nation that still practice this tradition of travelling for training camp. These teams often site good relationships and positive economic impact as reasons for keeping with tradition.

Just as the coaches have game plans, area businesses must also plan how they are going to deal with the rush of fans and players.

The City of Mankato predicts that during the three weeks the Vikings practice, the city can expect to see $5 million in new sales divided between area restaurants, hotels and other

For three weeks every August the city of Mankato experiences a surge in business due to Vikings Training Camp.

businesses.

Some, like Mankato Free Press Staff writer Chad Courrier, think this number is a tad overestimated. However, there is no way to effectively determine the boost the economy receives when the Vikings come to town.

The NFL lockout of 2011 left many local businesses unsure of their surge in revenue. This year, however, these restaurants, like Weggy’s On Campus, are preparing for whatever may

come their way. This year marks Weggy’s second year as a part of training camp.

Jake’s Stadium Pizza, which has experienced decades worth of training camps, generally sees a 20 percent increase in sales throughout camp.

According to AmericInn Manager Stephanie Stack, the hotel was booked to capacity July 26. The trend continued through the weekend, most likely due to AmericInn’s central location to the University

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While area businesses love the spike in revenue, Mankato residents don’t always share the same sentiment towards the sports team. For those who aren’t Vikings fans, many see training camp as an inconvenience. Restaurants are always packed and it becomes difficult to find a parking space at the University unless you have a special pass.

Some residents even argue that, if they could, they would

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Page 38 • MSU Reporter

Minnesota Vikings Issue

Getting Back To The Top

Michael Jenkins spent seven seasons as a go-to receiver for the Atlanta Falcons.

Now he needs to prove himself as a Viking after a mediocre 2011.

RYAN LUND staff writer

shannon rathmanner • msu reporter If Jenkins can get back into the 50 catch range he showed in 2007-2009, he could develop into a big target for Ponder.

There were few bright spots for Minnesota Vikings fans following the 2011 season. The team finished the season with only three wins, despite opportunities for a few high-profile upsets, and finished near the bottom of the league in a number of key statistical categories.

One of the biggest reasons for that failure was an anemic passing attack that finished 28th in the league in passing yards.

Still, one of the team’s biggest bright spots was the relationship established by rookie quarterback Christian Ponder and one of his most productive targets, veteran receiver Michael Jenkins.

Ponder connected with Jenkins 38 times in 2011, trailing only Percy Harvin for the team lead in receptions, while converting three of those catches into touchdowns. Jenkins was on pace for a career year before a torn meniscus ended his season with five games left to play.

Jenkins also hauled in a particularly memorable 72 yard catch against the rival Packers, which Ponder turned into a short touchdown on the next play of the game.

The 30-year-old wideout enters his ninth season in the NFL, having spent the first seven seasons of his professional career with the Atlanta Falcons, before signing with the Vikings prior to the 2011 season.

With a short game centered around Percy Harvin, assisted by second-year tight-end Kyle Rudolph, Jenkins was targeted often by Ponder as a deep threat, although his inability to effectively separate from defenders often became a problem.

Jenkins knee injury certainly couldn’t have done his speed any favors, and with the arrival of free agent Jerome Simpson, alongside rookies Greg Childs and Jarius Wright, it would appear that the aging Jenkins’ position on the roster could be tenuous at best.

Still, as one of the few viable options on a team in desperate need of a deep threat, Jenkins figures to factor into the offense largely once again as a number two receiver.

Jenkins appears to be enjoying the team’s growing receiving corps, working with both Simpson and the rookie class to ensure that the group is ready come September.

“You’re always helping out, trying to lay any knowledge that you can with the young guys coming in,” Jenkins said.

Jenkins also expressed confidence in his quarterback, joining other players in praising the young signal-caller’s progress from last season.

“He’s definitely getting better this year, especially having a real offseason, its done nothing but help him,” he said.

If Jenkins can continue his chemistry with Ponder, he will likely continue to see action as

Ponder’s top returning target downfield. He has been receiving reps with the second string early in training camp, however, leading to questions about his status moving forward.

Jenkins appeared optimistic during practice, laughing on the sidelines with stars Percy Harvin and Adrian Peterson, and joining the team for a few reps.

Jenkins appeared to move well also, executing a few cuts on his knee without incident.

If Jenkins’ improvement continues Vikings fans could be in for a minor position battle for the number two wideout spot as Simpson and Childs enter the fold. The veteran leader appears to be taking the competition in stride, however, as leaders often do.

“A new guy like Jerome coming into a new system, new team, we’re always helping each other,” said Jenkins.

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Training Camp 2012

MSU Reporter • Page 39

Vikings Village A Hit Once Again ELISE KONERZA news editor

shannon rathmanner • msu reporter The tents to the south of the practice fields provide a fun atmosphere for all who are involved.

Prices subject to change

One can tell it’s training camp week with the stampede of purple and gold in the broiling summer heat.

This year marks the 47th year the Vikings have returned to Maverick territory relinquishing fans’ spirits with the opportunity to see the players in action.

With nearly no cost, except for a $7 parking charge in the fan lots of 20-23, fans will have the opportunity observe and meet the Vikings.

“It is a great way for us to interact with the fans and get up close and personal, so that fans can see the players in a different light rather than game day,” CJ Rugh, the sales and marketing coordinator for the Vikings said.

The Vikings Village takes approximately three months to plan and two weeks to set up.

In order to achieve readiness before the Vikings raid the field, coordinators utilize the help of students in fields like marketing, from Minnesota State University, Mankato and other surrounding universities.

“This internship is an eye opening experience with a lot of work, it lets me see the inner-workings behind the masterminds of training camp like setting up, organization and all the interaction with people,” Morica Reinch, a business and engineering student of Bethany College, said.

The confirmation of the new stadium has settled a lot of presumptions about the Vikings

next location. Rugh said he has, “no reason to think otherwise,” that the Vikings will choose to stay in Mankato for training camp considering the end of their contract this year.

This year, the team decided to switch practice times to the grueling heat in the afternoon.

Despite the change, Rugh said there is not much of a change in the overall number of attendees to training camp from other years.

“I would just like to thank MSU for everything they’ve done. They do a great job of welcoming the players,” Rugh said.

The Vikings is one of the few NFL teams who still travels for training camp, and Mankato has the privilege of beholding this tradition with the Vikings.

Training camp has a variety of fan-friendly activities for the avid enthusiast of the purple and gold. From watching Jared Allen to collecting autographs, the next couple weeks bestow a Viking frenzy.

Adrian Peterson, a fan-favorite, will allot autograph opportunities with a ticketing system due to such high demand. The first 2,000 fans through the gates at the opening of practice will receive a scratch off ticket. Only 150 of those tickets will contain Peterson’s name for the chance to receive Peterson’s autograph.

You can buy your Viking apparel or something to put that autograph on at the Minnesota Viking’s Locker Room at the entrance of the Vikings Village, and yes, it is air-conditioned.

A variety of food and drinks are available throughout the village, including local grocer Hyvee and a beer stand sponsored by Absolute Catering with associate restaurants Dino’s Pizzeria, Tav on the Ave, Number 4 and Neighbors.

“I love it here. I really like that with Absolute Catering you can get that Viking’s interaction in person versus seeing them in the newspaper or on television, and I just really love the Vikings,” Anastasia Nereson, a junior at MSU studying communication, said.

Saturday, Aug. 4 is family football day at Vikings Training Camp. The junior football clinic at 2:30-3:30 p.m. at Blakeslee Stadium invites boys and girls of all ages to participate as well as the Minnesota Viking’s cheerleaders clinic from 4-5 p.m. also at Blakeslee Stadium. These events are both free.

In the evening, a one night practice begins at 7 p.m. Following practice, players and coaches will introduce themselves at 9:30 p.m. which is then followed by fireworks at 9:45 p.m.

The entire team will be signing autographs for fan appreciation day in the autograph zone, Tuesday Aug. 14 from 11:3011:55 p.m.

Be sure to keep watch for Vikings crossing Stadium Road, whether it may be in full padded gear, or on their bikes, the next couple weeks expect to see added purple and gold to the University.

Page 40 • MSU Reporter

Minnesota Vikings Issue

On The Way To Stardom?

Brian Robison enjoyed success last season on the defensive line, now can he do it again?

david bassey• msu reporter Robison ended last season with eight sacks, his highest sack total of his career

TIMOTHY FAKLIS staff writer Despite going 3-13 in 2012, the Minnesota Vikings did have some players step up and have career years amidst all the losing.

One of the positives from last season was it represented Brian Robison’s best year as a professional as the defensive end finally took over the starting spot opposite All-Pro Jared Allen.

In his fifth season out of Texas, all of which were spent with the Vikings in Minnesota, Robison finished with career bests with 44 tackles and eight sacks. Robison made it apparent that letting defensive end and former Minnesota Viking Ray Edwards go was not a decision that the front office would later regret.

“I thought it was a good year for me, especially in my first year being a full-time starter,” Robison said. “I thought I did a lot of things that put me on the map, but I feel like there’s still a lot of things I can do better.

That’s the point with me in this game; every year I go into it wanting to be better than I was the year before.”

Working alongside guys like

Kevin and Pat Williams, and with Allen on the other end of the line, the front four have always been a strong point for the defense in Minnesota, and the emergence of Robison helped keep their already stellar reputation for getting at the quarterback at a very high level.

“Hopefully we can keep that going this year.” Robison said.

“Last year we had a good year as far as putting pressure on the quarterback and things like that, hopefully we can get back to having a stellar run defense like we’ve had in years past.”

With that said, the defense of the Vikings, especially the secondary, has brought up some questions in the minds of fans and coaches alike. If anything, it puts more pressure on the defensive line to step up and make life easier for the rest of the defense.

Having a guy like Allen on the other end of the line is something that Robison has always been able to appreciate, and getting to learn from him doesn’t hurt either.

“It was a very exciting season, not only for Jared, but for all of us,” Robison said. “The things he can teach as far as the defensive end are invaluable. He can teach you mental aspects of the game of what you need to

look for.”

That combination on the ends of the defensive line combined for 33.5 sacks, and is poised to be one of the most dangerous duos at their respective positions in the league this season.

But before they go out and make any previews for the season, or make any bold predictions, they need to get into the training camp flow first and build team chemistry with the rest of the defense.

Robison seems ready to do just that. Citing guys like Jared Allen and Chad Greenway as some of the core veterans and leaders of the defense, Robison explained the importance of the 2012 Vikings’ training camp.

“It’s a time to build team camaraderie and it shows who is going to be mentally tough going into the season.”

Coming into a season with hopes to build relationships with a very new cast of football players, Robison comes in as one of the seasoned veterans of the team that he himself claimed to be of such large importance, and it’s safe to assume that Robison is preparing himself for more of a leadership role this season.

Last year, Robison had his best year as a pro. He showed

Robison / page 44

Training Camp 2012

MSU Reporter • Page 41

The Most Important Viking You Don’t Know

Vikings long snapper Cullen Loeffler may not ever get his name mentioned in a postgame recap, but in his line of work, never seeing your name in print is usually a good thing.

ADAM KRIESEL staff writer Throughout the years, special teams in the NFL have become more and more important, and Minnesota Vikings long-snapper Cullen Loeffler expects that to continue this year.

With close games becoming more common across the league, this unit must be sharp if the Vikings want to improve on last season’s disappointing 3-13 record.

“All of our games, and across the NFL, they’re so close. And because of the parody across the league, you have good players on every team,” Loeffler said. “Normally it’s coming down to a two-minute drill, so special teams always has a huge impact, especially if you can get a touchdown from your return squads or recover a fumble, or cause something to really turn the tide of the game.”

Perhaps the biggest change from year to year is the impact of the kicking game. With rookie Blair Walsh taking over the kicking duties in place of the reliable Ryan Longwell, it is important to keep moving forward and improving in that area.

Being a rookie and playing a pressure position, nerves are common and almost expected for Walsh, but he doesn’t have time to be nervous.

“I have to think of it as having fun out there and doing what I know how to do, what I’ve been doing since I was a freshman in high school,” Walsh said. “I have to go out there and perform and show them what I can do.”

With a new kicker on board, Loeffler sees his leadership role increasing this year. Now in his ninth season, he is one of the most experienced players on the special teams unit that, like the rest of the team, has a lot of new faces.

“As you get further and further along in your career, there’s expectations of leadership. And definitely now, it’s my ninth year, there’s an increased role,” said Loeffler.

Loeffler faces a big task in helping Walsh make the transition from college to the pros.

Establishing chemistry with the new kicker will make the jump easier and help relieve pressure.

“Getting continuity with the new guys and developing that chemistry that you had in col-

lege with your snapper and holder for four years is important,” Walsh said. “I was fortunate to have the same guys the whole time in college and now you’re here with a new group, a new line and a new coach. I just have to get used to it and perform my best.”

Although he is not the most vocal player on the team, there is little doubt that Loeffler’s presence on the field will have an impact on the overall success of the special teams unit. Having a familiar face out there will go a long way in getting everyone on the same page.

“I just really try to lead by example, and that’s just going out every day and doing my job to the best of my ability and giving it all I got,” Loeffler said. “If it is needed, I am vocal at times, but I am certainly not a rah-rah guy.”

According to Loeffler, having the ability to go out and simply have fun helps make players better. Stepping onto the field feeling pressure from coaches and peers, however, allows for doubt to creep in and can take away from a player’s performance.

“I like to keep it positive and go out there and show that

shannon rathmanner • msu reporter Loeffler has job security, as 2012 will be his ninth year on the Vikings.

I enjoy the game,” he said. “I think what makes people better is when they go out there and truly just enjoy the game and are able to just compete, and it maybe allows them to be a little more confident in what they’re doing.”

Although Loeffler’s contributions may not show up on the stat sheet, his veteran presence and professionalism will go a long way in helping the younger players, especially Walsh, adjust and improve as the season goes on.

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Page 42 • MSU Reporter

HENDERSON

SIMPSON

They pushed each other on and off the field and it helped Erin get to this spot.

Now with the Vikings deciding not to resign his brother, Erin is the only Henderson on the squad and the team is excited to see how he develops and hopes he will keep the Henderson legacy going this season.

ing staff knows that since Simpson will be missing the first three games, they are going to have to pull on the reins when it comes to how much playing time he receives over the other wideouts.

“At some point we’ll have to pare his reps down,” head coach Leslie Frazier said.

Throwing all of the off-thefield disturbances aside, Simpson did have the best season of his pro career last season with the Bengals. He caught 50 passes for 725 yards and four touchdowns, including the afore-

continued from 21

continued from 23

Minnesota Vikings Issue

mentioned highlight of the year.

After his college career, the 6’2” receiver was drafted in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft by the Bengals, spending the past four years in Cincinnati.

During those four seasons, Simpson has amassed 71 receptions for 1,004 yards and seven touchdowns, and he plans on adding a lot to that stat line with the fresh start given to him by the Vikings.

“It’s just great to have a new start and be able to keep playing football and just be around teammates,” he said.

FRAZIER continued from 3

It was in Indianapolis where Frazier and Williams met, as they both were defensive backs coaches for the Colts during the 2005-06 season, which culminated with a Super Bowl victory over the Chicago Bears.

Four days after the Super Bowl victory, Frazier left Indianapolis to pursue other coaching ventures, and was hired to be the new defensive coordinator of the Vikings, a big step that has helped him get to where he is now.

Even though a select few prognosticators are thinking

playoffs and most are thinking another season at the bottom of the barrel in the NFC North, Frazier is just looking for that one thing any coach coming off a 3-13 season would want: Improvement.

“The big thing for us is improving at every phase on our football team,” Frazier said.

“Whether that includes the quarterback position, the wide receiver position or our defensive backs, we need to improve.

If we can get that done in Mankato, we’ll have a chance to be a much better football team.”

Erin Henderson

PONDER

continued from 5

aren’t there he’s still using his feet.”

Ponder, a self-described perfectionist, acknowledges that confidence was an issue for him last year.

“I understand that if I get down on myself that effects the rest of the team, that’s something where as my confidence has grown I’m able to move on easily [from bad throws] and not let it effect me.”

With the Vikings fully committed to their young signal caller this year, Ponder should have more of an opportunity to keep that confidence alive as the 2012 season gets underway.

SULLIVAN continued from 42

back whether they are accomplished in the league or not, and Sullivan has started to notice some big differences in Ponder’s game, even on the first day of camp.

“It’s an obvious difference,” Sullivan said. “Having the offseason, and just having that time familiarizing yourself with it.

Even when you are not practicing, you still know what you are going to be doing day and night.

You can think about it, and I think it’s really translated out to the field today.”

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WINFIELD continued from 10

ALLEN

won’t be alone however.

Chris Cook, who spent much of the offseason embroiled in legal troubles, returns this season with a supposedly new outlook, while Robinson should be able to step in early as well.

All in all it’s an exciting time for Winfield and the Vikings secondary, a place where new faces and old hands have come together, hopefully to return the ailing franchise to respectability once again.

continued from 11 coach under his belt, he will bring to the table.

“I don’t expect Jared to have a sour attitude in the fact that he has some young teammates,” Frazier said. “It’s just not in his DNA at all. We are going to expect him to have a great season and to help our football team win.”

For Allen, it will be hard to improve on a 22-sack season, one in which came within a half sack of the NFL record set by

Michael Strahan with the New York Giants in 2001.

Coming so close to the record, however, will only motivate him more knowing that it is within his reach.

Matching up against the aforementioned Kalil everyday in camp will give him the tough test he needs heading into the season, as Allen looks to make perhaps his biggest impact yet as a Viking in 2012.

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Ponder’s favorite and most familiar receivers, newly acquired wideouts such as Jerome Simpson and Greg Childs, along with tight ends John Carlson and Kyle Rudolph, should help take much of the opponent’s focus in the passing game off of Harvin, exposing him to more one-onone coverages in the middle of the field.

Combining these new receiving threats with Ponder’s rapid progression under center, this passing game could see a vast improvement from where it was at this time a year ago.

“We have guys in here who have bought into what we’re trying to get accomplished. We had good OTAs, good lifting sessions, so we’ll see,” said Harvin.

together, Wright and Childs aren’t quite ready to quit climbing yet.

“We’re going to bring out playmaking, our hard work, our dedication, and we’re going to come out here and continue to work hard every single day,” said Childs.

With both Wright and Childs in the fold, the Vikings have created the possibility for an ending fit for a Disney story, with hopes that the duo’s success story together is only just beginning.

continued from 13

NOTRE DAME continued from 13

antics of Randy Moss or the mind-numbing and constantly frustrating “Favre Watch.”

But is there something to the theory that Spielman would go as far as to go out of his way to add these players from a single school with so many other players that fit the mold available through other avenues?

“I couldn’t tell you. You’d have to ask Mr. [Rick] Spielman that question, but we’re really happy to have those guys,” Ru-

continued from 17

dolph said. “We feel like adding those guys is not only a boost off the field and in the locker room, but they will also help us win football games.”

“My job is to play tight end, I don’t make personnel decisions.

But I am excited to be a part of this team and I’m going to work hard every day to contribute,” Carlson said. “It’s cool to be with some fellow Domers, but we’re all Vikings now and that’s the focus: to try to build something here. But it is fun to have that tie that we share.”

For Smith, as a rookie, the

Training Camp 2012

MSU Reporter • Page 43

CARLSON continued from 18

LINEBACKERS

“I want to be as good of a run blocker as I can be and improve in that area,” Carlson said. “I also want to make plays in the passing game.”

Going from leaning on a fence in Mankato watching his favorite player John Randle, to graduating from Litchfield High School, Carlson earned All-State status in football, basketball and tennis. He led the basketball team to three state titles while dominating on the football field as well.

Upon graduation, he took his talents to South Bend, Indiana to play for Notre Dame, where he earn All-American honors as a tight end.

On draft day, the Seattle Seahawks would take Carlson with

the 38th overall pick, and he fit in well with their scheme. In his three seasons in the Pacific Northwest, he caught 137 passes for 1,519 yards and 13 touchdowns.

While it is not known how many targets Carlson will get in the passing game as the number two tight end, Musgrave sounds as if he fully intends on incorporating both Rudolph and Carlson in the passing game much more than he involved the tight ends last season.

“Both of them are extremely smart and extremely competitive,” said Musgrave. “We are so glad that we can devise some things with both of them on the field at once.”

Notre Dame connection has helped make the normally stressful situation of moving to a new city and getting ready to play at the highest level a little more bearable.

“It’s great to have some familiar faces around and it makes the transition from college to the pros even easier,” he said.

For whatever reason, Spielman has the Vikings ready to forge ahead, and the former Notre Dame players will each have a crucial role.

If nothing else, perhaps the Fighting Irish can help bring one

of the most respected college football cultures in the world to Minnesota, where it can provide one of the final and most important ingredients of the rebuilding process: a sense of pride.

“We all have different skill sets and we all play different roles on this team,” Carlson said. “I’m sure there’s some common ground there with us all being Notre Dame guys and otherwise, and I’m not sure what they see, but I do know we’re all focused on trying to build something here as Vikings.”

continued from 20

As for improving on last season, Greenway seems optimistic.

“Nobody is giving us much of a hope, and why would you do that?” Greenway said. “We’re 3-13, we have a lot of young players. But from within, we’re going to buy into what we’re doing and we’re going to get better, and that’s going to start here at training camp.”

Patience will be the key when dealing with this young group of linebackers. The potential is there, but a lot of growing up and improving remains. Look for this group to show signs of improvement as they get deep into the season.

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Page 44 • MSU Reporter

WILLIAMS

COOK

will have their hands full this season, especially going up against the high-powered offenses of the NFC North six out of 16 games, but they are ready to make the Vikings’ ‘D’ formidable again in 2012.

“There are only so many coverages you can run, but we have some tweaks to it that we’d like to do,” Williams said. “Just to let our guys, the ones who do things well, we’re going to let them do those things well.”

doesn’t want to put too much pressure on himself to perform, and says having more veteran guys in camp will help this group progress at a faster rate.

“I definitely think we’ll have an improved group,” Cook said.

“We added some veteran guys, some guys in the draft. You know, it just makes for good competition back there when you have a lot of guys that can play the game and know the game so well.”

continued from 26

continued from 31

Minnesota Vikings Issue

K. WILLIAMS

WEBB

D- LINE

talk of retirement as seriously as some might think, however, and remains confident that he could find another team if the Vikings were to dump his contract in favor of a younger body.

“I’m a Viking until otherwise,” he said.

held back from getting a chance to prove themselves. It could be anything. For Webb, it’s getting a chance to play quarterback at the highest level.

He’s still young, and has plenty of options for later on.

For now, because he isn’t able to play in a meaningful game of football barring an injury to Ponder, he has to settle on a much slower and lethargic game. The waiting game.

of the defensive line was one of the few bright spots of 2011.

Allen leads a group of players with an effective approach to football in which players constantly challenge and push each other and aren’t afraid to flash the occasional smile and have a little fun.

Perhaps more so than any other position, the Vikings’ defensive line seems to take a lot of pride in its work and has fun perfecting its craft with every opportunity it gets.

“My goal is to win Training Camp MVP,” said Allen.

You can tell he means it and you can tell the rest of the defensive line isn’t about to just let him have it, even if it is just a hypothetical award.

But if that attitude can catch on with the rest of the team, there’s no telling how much the Vikings could improve and accomplish this season.

continued from 28

continued from 30

Kevin Williams

Alan Williams

continued from 29

Joe Webb Chris Cook

ROBISON RECEIVERS continued from 11

D-BACKS

continued from 32 win championships. That’s really the reason why we play this game,” Winfield said. “To come in and think ‘oh maybe we will improve from 3-13,’ that’s not acceptable.”

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free agents Jorden Kamar and A.J. Love to bring their total number of wide receivers to a round dozen.

The Vikings brass outfitted the receiving corps with a selection of young talent for the 2012 season, bringing fresh bodies into a lineup that underperformed in 2011.

The kids are alright, for the most part. Now let’s just hope that they can produce.

continued from 40

he has what it takes to help his team win. With the season the Vikings had last year, any additional role models, on the field or in the locker room, are likely to be accepted with open arms.

Robison seems to be fit and up for the job, and with the familiar faces he will see once again on the defensive line, he should continue to feel right at home as the starting left end on a very dangerous Vikings defensive line.

Letroy Guion

Training Camp 2012

names on the linebacker list, rookies Travis Lewis (Oklahoma), Carmen Messina (New Mexico), Ronnie Sneed (Kentucky) and Tahir Whitehead (Temple) will get every opportunity to earn snaps.

Green Bay Packers: Offense: Seriously, is there anything this offense is really missing? The Packers have arguably the best quarterback in the game with Aaron Rodgers (4,643 yards, 45 TDs, 6 INTs). A fan probably can’t think of a more talented group of wide receivers with Greg Jennings (67 catches, 949 yards, 9 TDs), Jordy Nelson (68 catches, 1,263 yards, 15 TDs), James Jones (38 catches, 635 yards, 7 TDs) and Randall Cobb (25 catches, 375 yards).

Donald Driver (37 catches, 445 yards, 6 TDs) will have fewer balls thrown his way – it’s simply a combination of his age and the emergence of the rest of the receiving core.

If Driver played for, say, the Vikings, he might see himself as a No. 2 or No. 3 receiver. As if Rodgers doesn’t have enough targets, his tight end is also pretty good. Although he had an off year, Jermichael Finley (55 catches, 767 yards, 8 TDs) remains one of the top tight ends in the league.

The running back position doesn’t look especially strong, but then again, running backs aren’t as important as they used to be.

James Starks (578 yards 1 TD0 will likely be the starter, with guys like Alex Green (11 yards), Brandon Saine (69 yards), Du’ane Bennett (University

he’s lost a step, but more so that the squad isn’t as deep as they’d like to be. The most experienced safety on the team is Morgan Burnett (107 tackles, 3 INTs), who is in his third season.

Rookies Jerron McMillian (Maine), Micah Pellerin (Hampton) and Sean Richardson (Vanderbilt) will be fighting for a roster spot, and if they earn one, they could be an injury away from being inserted in the starting lineup.

That’s good news for them.

Not so much for the Packers.

Chicago Bears: Offense: It might be hard to believe, but the biggest change/ improvement on this offense might not involve wide receiver Brandon Marshall (81 catches, 1,214 yards, 6 TDs). The Bears parted ways with former offensive coordinator Mike Martz and replaced him with former Vikings head coach Mike Tice.

Martz might be one of the best offensive minds in the league, but his seven-step drop offense wasn’t a great fit for the Bears below-average offensive line and quarterback Jay Cutler (2,319 yards, 13 TDs, 7 INTs) paid for it. The Bears will run more of a standard offense, and that should allow Cutler to utilize his arm more and connect with former Denver teammate Marshall.

There are questions surrounding Alshon Jeffery’s (South Carolina) work ethic, but his size and frame should give the Bears another option offensively, something they lacked last season.

Running back Matt Forte (997 yards, 3 TDs) finally ended his contract saga and will be playing for the Bears this season. Forte should remain to be a big part of this offense, especially because of his ability to catch out of the

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backfield.

Many criticized the Bears for not drafting an offensive lineman their first or second round pick.

Only time will tell if that was a smart move.

Defense: The linebacking core, though aging, still remains this defense’s biggest strength.

Lance Briggs (105 tackles) led the team in tackles last season and after injuring his knee, Brian Urlacher (102 tackles, 3 INTs) looks ready for his 14th season.

The Bears addressed their defensive line by drafting Shea McClellin (Boise State) with their

first overall pick. McClellin is a versatile player who is able to play end or outside linebacker.

Julius Peppers (37 tackles, 11 sacks) is still a beast as well.

Charles Tillman (99 tackles, 3 INTs) remains the team’s top cornerback. Safety Major Wright (58 tackles) tied for the team’s lead with three interceptions last season.

With the cornerstones being Urlacher, Peppers and Briggs, this is an aging group and it’s unknown how many years they’ll have left as a feared defense in the league.

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continued from 35

of Minnesota) and Marc Tyler (USC) fighting for playing time.

The offensive line isn’t especially great, but the signing of center Jeff Saturday will help. As mobile as Rodgers is at quarterback, some of the faults of the offensive line are hidden. It could also be argued that Rodgers might scramble himself into sacks, but now we are just being picky.

Defense: The linebacking core, led by Clay Matthews (50 tackles, 6 sacks, 3 INTs) is one of the most dangerous in the league. Mathews and his scary blonde hair has been keeping quarterbacks up since he’s been in the league. Matthews’ twin, A.J. Hawk (84 tackles, 1.5 sacks), hasn’t had the same success at Matthews has had, but he’s still no scrub.

Rookie Nick Perry from USC is a defensive end/linebacker hybrid, which seems to be the new thing in the NFL. Many believe the Packers got him as a steal with the No. 28 pick. B.J. Raji (22 tackles, 3 sacks) hasn’t been as effective as other tackles such as Haloti Ngati, but the 340-pound defensive lineman is primed to breakout, especially when offensive linemen will have to worry about Matthews, Perry and defensive end rookie Jerel Worthy (Michigan State), who the Packers expect to play immediately.

As far as the defensive backfield goes, Charles Woodson (74 tackles, 7 INTs) will probably see more time at safety this season.

Tramon Williams (64 tackles, 4 INTs) is slowly becoming a very good cornerback and will probably be joined by Sam Shields (45 tackles, 4 INTs) as the opposite starter.

Woodson’s move to safety isn’t so much on the fact that

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Page 46 • MSU Reporter

Minnesota Vikings Issue

2012 Viking Fantasy Predictions

Most 3-13 teams don’t have very many fantasy assets and the Vikings are no different.

KYLE RATKE special to the reporter The only top-tier fantasy player last season was Adrian Peterson, and well, as a Minnesota fan, I don’t have to tell you why he won’t be drafted in the first-round this season.

When deciding whether or not you should draft a Minnesota Vikings player, you won’t be looking for a top player at a certain position, but instead will be looking for a sleeper or perhaps a future threat in a keeper league.

Here’s the break down by position: Quarterback: Christian Ponder Projected 2012 stats: 3,200 yards, 18 TDs, 15 INTS 2011 stats: 1,853 yards, 13 TD, 13 INT Draft him? Probably not.

Ponder showed signs of being the quarterback of the future for the Minnesota Vikings at times.

But there were also times when he looked dazed and confused…

Or like a rookie quarterback should (well, not as bad as Blaine Gabbert. I mean, that was really bad).

Ponder had a full offseason to study the playbook and will have more weapons offensively, with the signing of Jerome Simpson and drafting of the Arkansas duo of Jarius Wright/ Greg Childs. So, that’s a plus.

But perhaps the biggest asset to Ponder won’t be a player who will be catching balls or scoring touchdowns. It will be a player who will make sure Ponder stays off the ground and survives the season. If Ponder wants to

have a successful sophomore campaign, he better get to know rookie left tackle Matt Kalil.

If you’re in a keeper league, Ponder might be worth a late pick if you think he’s going to blossom into a star. Otherwise, he’s not worth a pick.

Running backs: Adrian Peterson Draft him? Could be a factor come midseason.

Prediction: 900 yards, 8 TDs 2011 stats: 970 yards, 12 TDs This will be the first time in Peterson’s career in which he won’t be a high fantasy draft pick. Chances are that won’t keep him up at night.

Peterson claims he’ll be ready for the regular season opener, but the Vikings aren’t as confident, as Peterson has started training camp on the PUP list.

While he won’t be a top-10 pick this season, Peterson should be drafted in the middle of the draft and as a third running back for a team, or a flex position. If you’re drafting Peterson, you probably don’t want him to start in Week 1. If he’s drafted in the middle of the draft, you’re best bet is that Vikings wait until Peterson is 100% healthy, not wanting to risk another injury. If Peterson returns at full-strength in Week 3 or 4, he could be the steal of the draft. If he returns in Week 1 and re-injures himself, you will probably be laughed at… Or you will cry. Probably a combination of the two.

Toby Gerhart Draft him? Tie him with Peterson.

Prediction: 600 yards, 5 TDs

2011 stats: 531 yards, 1 TD If Peterson doesn’t start the season, Gerhart will be the guy.

He proved in Peterson’s absence last season that he may not be as flashy as Peterson, but he can be a solid No. 2 running back.

He’s fully recovered from the MCL injury he suffered in Week 16, so that is not an issue. If you snag Peterson in the middle of the draft, make sure to handcuff Gerhart with him.

Wide receivers: Percy Harvin Draft him? Will be a solid No. 2 or 3 receiver.

Prediction: 90 catches, 1,000 yards, 8 TDs 2011 stats: 87 catches, 967 yards, 6 TDs Harvin could easily be in the same class as Eagles receiver DeSean Jackson, but injuries have limited Harvin throughout his career. Still, last season Harvin stayed healthy and put up pretty solid numbers despite the below-average quarterback duo of Donovan McNabb and Ponder.

In Week 3, when Jerome Simpson returns from his suspension, Harvin should have the opportunity to avoid double coverage and return back to the slot receiver, a place where he’s strived since arriving in the NFL. The Vikings are hoping that Simpson will have the same effect on the offense as Sidney Rice did for the Vikings in 2009. We know that Harvin has the talent, but the big question is whether or not he can stay healthy.

Harvin’s worth a pick as a

Fantasy / page 47

web photo Peterson is looking healthy so far through practice, leaving all fantasy owners with an ultimatum: Do you take the risk of wasting an early pick to get him for possibly only part of the season?

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Training Camp 2012

MSU Reporter • Page 47

FANTASY PREDICTIONS continued from 46 No. 2 or No. 3 receiver, depending on the league regulations.

wire. Plus, he did a front flip last season. So yeah, there’s that.

Jerome Simpson Draft him? Might be worth a late-round pick.

Prediction: 50 catches, 700 yards, 5 TDs 2011 stats: 50 catches, 725 yards, 4 TDs Simpson will not play the first three games because of a suspension stemming from last season.

Ponder has early chemistry with Simpson and while he might not be a top-10 receiver this season, he could be a late-round steal or a player to catch on the waiver

Tight end: Kyle Rudolph Draft him? As a back-up TE Prediction: 55 catches, 650 yards, 5 TDs 2011 stats: 26 catches, 249 yards, 3 TDs The good news for Rudolph is that he’s a freak athlete and he fits the mold of a successful NFL tight end. I’m not saying he’s Rob Gronkowski, but he does have the tools to be a top tightend in the league.

The bad news for Rudolph is that he’s not exactly in a dynamic

BATTLES

GRADES

Erin, and Chad Greenway are the other starters, with Everson Griffen and Solomon Elimimian fighting to be the primary backup to all three spots.

The defensive backfield is wide open. Chris Cook is expected to start at one cornerback spot primarily because of his height allowing him to cover taller receivers.

Veteran Antoine Winfield may be the best of the bunch, but Williams said that he will be on a “pitch count,” likely meaning he will be a starter and then play primarily in nickel situations for the middle quarters so that he’s fresh when the game is on the line in the fourth.

Free agent pickups Chris Carr and Zackary Bowman both have a shot at getting a starter’s worth of reps opposite Cook while splitting time with Winfield. Rookie Josh Robinson is the wild card, and could pass up Bowman and Carr for a spot in the top three at any time during the season.

The safeties are a bit of a mess and by have by far the biggest position battle in camp.

First-rounder Harrison Smith is getting the rookie treatment early on, but should pass up the likes of Jamarca Sanford and Mistral Raymond and be starting in no time.

Fifth-rounder Robert Blanton, Smith’s teammate at Notre Dame last season, could even challenge for a starting spot if Raymond and Sanford stink up the joint. Raymond, however, appears to be the favorite to start opposite Smith.

Carlson’s numbers dropped off dramatically in 2010 (31318-1) and he missed all of last season due to injury.

Despite those red flags, the Vikings pursued their hometown guy and gave Carlson $25 million over five years to be their No. 2 tight end opposite Kyle Rudolph.

continued from 27

Special Teams

There is no kicking controversy, as rookie Blair Walsh is the only kicker on the roster.

If Walsh’s confidence appears shaken at any point early on in the preseason, however, the Purple could bring a veteran kicker into camp.

Former Minnesota Golden Gopher Marcus Sherels did a solid job returning punts last season, but rookies Robinson and Wright are both speed demons who could challenge Sherels for the job.

offense like Gronkowski, Jimmy Graham and other top tight-ends are in.

If the offense flourishes and Ponder takes a leap at quarterback, Rudolph could be the next tight-end in the NFL to emerge as a fantasy stud. Just don’t take him too high and expect too much. If anything, anticipate using him as a back-up and hope he can turn into a trade asset or replace your starter.

Well, that’s it for our 2012 Minnesota Vikings fantasy guide.

It’s nothing too exciting, but there are a few players who could push your team over the edge.

continued from 4

Carlson Grade: C-

Zackary Bowman and Chris Carr Bowman has been a solid corner for the rival Chicago Bears the past four seasons, with a career-best 75 tackles and six interceptions in 2009.

Carr has spent time over seven seasons with the Oakland Raiders, Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens. Aside from his corner skills, he was an elite kick returner early in his career with the Raiders.

Carr and Bowman should add depth to the corner position and if nothing else push Chris Cook and Josh Robinson to play harder.

Coming from defensive cultures like the Bears and Ravens doesn’t hurt matters, either.

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Geoff Schwartz The Schwartz signing was one that didn’t get much press in the offseason, but may have been a shrewd one by General Manager Rick Spielman.

Schwartz spent the past three seasons in Carolina, playing in all 16 games in ’09 and starting in all 16 games in 2010. He missed all of last season due to a hip injury, but is healthy this training camp.

Schwartz did well blocking for DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart with the Panthers and can play both the guard and tackle position. He is most likely battling with Brandon Fuscoe for the starting right guard spot.

Schwartz Grade: A-

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Minnesota Vikings Issue

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