Training Camp Experience

Hello from MavBlog!

For my very last and final post for Vikings at Minnesota State I’d like to reflect on my experience these past three weeks.

Blogging during training camp has been one of the best experiences of my life. It may not seem like blogging for a couple weeks out of the summer could be such an experience, but it was during the Minnesota Vikings training camp, and I got to do things, see things, go behind the scenes, be on the sidelines, things that no one else can come close to doing unless you are working for the Vikings.

To start off, when I heard Paul wanted me to write a blog for training camp, I was a little nervous but very excited. I was slightly worried however, because I really didn’t know the game of football very well. I’ve always been a Vikings fan, but not a die-hard, and do not know the sport to the nitty gritty; the rules, calls, different plays, all the positions.. etc… but luckily I heard another intern would be helping me out. I thought oh phewfta. That makes me feel better.

Well, as it turned out, the first day I came in I heard that the other intern would no longer be helping me. My stomach dropped. How does Paul think I’m going to write a blog about Vikings training camp all by myself? One, I don't know football that well, two, I don't have experience in journalism or blogging, and three, this is nerve wrecking, help! 

So you could say I was a little nervous. I didn’t have much time to think about it though because Paul handed me a “Media Pass,” and said "okay Lisa follow me!" He brought me to the media room where the crews and reporters hangout and keep their gear. He introduced me to Daniel House, and said I'd be shadowing him for the day. Daniel created his own blog called Vikings Corner which was established in 2012 and is now one of the top blogs about the Vikings on the web, and he's 17. So he introduced me to Daniel and then left.

Paul Allan Media Pass 

So on day one, I was shadowing a 17-year-old Vikings guru around. We went to morning practice and got to use the media and press entrance. We got to go onto the field and watch from the end zone and sidelines. After practice, we waited by the press conference tent, where I was able to watch as players exited the field towards campus. It was exciting because some of the athletes were pulled aside by reporters and interviewed right in front of me. I felt a little out of place, surrounded by the press, with their giant video cameras, microphones, and tripods, and then little me standing there on the side with my satchel and my iphone.

I knew people must be wondering how on earth this girl got to be here.

Media Entrance To Fields

After the two practices that day, I went home and got to work. I had to download all the pictures, edit them, transport them, and then start writing. It was extremely hard and I didn’t really know what to write about for practice. I was stressed and worried and called up my friend to vent about how I didn't know what I was going to do or how I was supposed to do it. 

His response; “Lisa, do you realize you are literally living my dream? I should be there getting to be on the field, being five feet away from the players and writing about practice! People would love to be doing what you're doing. Please act excited for me!” He was right, this was an experience people would kill for so I should embrace it and be excited about it, so I shut up and got back to work. 

With my change of attitude, the next couple of days got better and better. I got used to where I was allowed to go and what to do, and I felt more comfortable doing it. I had also talked to Paul about what stories he wanted in the blog, and many were focused background information so I didn’t need to know as much about the actual game as I thought.

He started having me interview certain people that he wanted me to highlight. I got to interview Bruce Leivermann, the head of the grounds crew and Shirley Piepho, the Assistant Director of Scheduling and Conference Service for MSU. I also got to interview Chad Lundeen, Director of Operations and Facilities for the Vikings. I realized that this blog was less on the actual Vikings team, but on how training camp comes together and how the Vikings coming to Mankato affects the people of training camp and the community.

Besides the people listed above, he gave me the freedom to do what I wanted. One day I told him I wanted to do a business in U-Square, and he suggested interviewing Steve Wegman from Weggy's. So I did that and that was one of my favorite stories I got to do. Another day I got to go and interview the fans standing and waiting in line for the quarterbacks autographs. Another story I really enjoyed was highlighting Ventures Travel, which is an organization that provides trips for people with disabilities. It was very touching to see.

Getting to interview all of these different people was a really good experience. I had to push myself and go outside my comfort zone when trying to contact them and set up interviews, and then follow through with them. I had never had to do so much professional connecting/networking and getting in contact with people in business before. 

It was also an amazing experience getting to see the Vikings organization at such an up close and personal level. I got to be on the sidelines and end zone watching the players practice, I got to see the coaches in action, see the players interacting with their fans, and hear the coaches talk at their press conferences. I got to see the media crews interviewing players, I got to see the recording of press conferences and just how everything works. 

One of my favorite parts about this experience, is how much knowledge I gained about the Vikings organization and their team. Before, when I watched a Vikings game, it was just a regular old football game. Now when I watch Vikings games, the game is personal to me and it comes alive. I've seen those players! I heard those coaches! That guy was really nice! He interacts really well with the fans! I got to meet him! I saw him being interviewed! I have knowledge that I never had before. It's exciting for me to be able to name the coaching staff and know what they're like when they talk in press conferences, it's exciting to be able to name the different players and positions. It's exciting to know what goes into the stories and the videos that get posted on the website. It's all really exciting. Now I am a full fledged die-hard Vikings fan. Nobody better interrupt me during any Vikings games anymore. Let me watch and enjoy. 

So I want to thank Paul Allan, for giving me one of the most amazing experiences I will ever have. I will always look back on this experience and remember the days that I got to call myself part of the media crew and an intern for the Athletic Communications Office.

 Blogging Necessities 

First Panoramic Taken

My Home During These Weeks

Family Football Day With Intern Ashley

Last Day

Hello from MavBlog!

Well, it’s a sad day here in Mankato as we have to say goodbye to our very cherished Minnesota Vikings on the last day of training camp.  It’s also an exciting day as it marks their send-off for the exciting new season ahead.

For the last day of camp, the Vikings put together a day dedicated to all their faithful and supportive fans; Fan Appreciation Day. Today, fans had the chance to win prizes, win autographed merchandise, and also get their chance at getting autographs from all of the Vikings players on the roster. I went around and got to capture some images of the excitement on this last day.

I also want to highlight one little guy I met while I was waiting for the press conference to start after morning practice.

Silas here, is a four year old little boy who was diagnosed with a rare brain formation called Lissencephally.  Lissencephally or “smooth brain” is a rare brain formation disorder caused by a random gene deletion, resulting in poor development of the brain folds and grooves. This causes developmental delays, respiratory problems, and poor muscle tone.

Silas was diagnosed in April 2011 and since then has had a number of hospital visits, (22 nights) been in a helicopter ride to Rochester, and three ambulances. To help his condition, he has received two and a half years of physical, occupational and speech therapy. Despite all of this, Silas, his mother says, is always smiling and happy to be alive.

Today, he got the chance to come to training camp and meet some of the Vikings players and get their autographs. What a great way to give little Silas an experience that touched him and his family’s hearts. 

If you want to learn more about Silas and see some pictures of his journey, you can click on the link below to his family’s support page on facebook.

Support Silas

It’s been a fun three weeks here at training camp. It will be interesting to see how the Vikings continue their season! Their next game will be Saturday August 16^th, at 7:30 against the Arizona Cardinals. 

Check back tomorrow for my last and final blog post on my experience these past three weeks blogging for training camp and working as an intern for Paul Allan in the Athletic Office.

Former Maverick Chad Lundeen

Hello MavBlog & Vikings at Minnesota State readers.

Today I had the opportunity to meet with Minnesota State alumni and former Maverick men’s hockey forward, Chad Lundeen, who now works for the Vikings as Director of Operations and Facilities. Chad attended Minnesota State from 1994-1998 as an undergraduate, majoring in Marketing and Management, and went on to be a graduate assistant while he completed the graduate program here for Sport Management.  

Chad Lundeen Director of Operations and Facilities

Chad was born and raised in Little Falls, Minn., where he grew up as a life-long Vikings fan. His first love was hockey, but also grew up playing football in grade school and high school. He said his family were huge, huge Vikings fans so he is very fortunate to have landed himself, you could say, his dream job. Although during college, he had not known where he wanted to end up.

As a walk-on for the hockey team, Chad was so focused on trying to make the team that he didn’t think much about what career path to pursue. “I just worked my buns off trying to get on the ice and get some playing time. I wasn’t focused on what I was going to do after school.” Chad said he was really fortunate to be a student athlete at MSU.

“Some kids come out of school with a resume with nothing on it. But the networking that I got with being an athlete really helped open a door for me with the athletic department and then the Vikings," said Lundeen, who had four goals and nine assists for 13 points in 55 games in his four years of playing hockey at Minnesota State. "I was pretty lucky. I didn’t think about my career until grad school, when the hockey coach encouraged me to stay on as a graduate assistant in the athletic department and pursue sport management.”

It worked out for Chad, and one of the first things he knew he needed to do was get started on an internship program. So before he even started with graduate school, jr an interview with the Vikings and a couple days later he got a job in which he interned for them doing operations the first two summers he went to grad school. Combine that with two years in which he served as a graduate assistant for Tim Marshall, Minnesota State’s assistant AD for Fiscal Affairs and Operatiosn and the end result is where he is now - Director of Operations and Facilities for a National Football League franchise.

As Director of Operations and Facilities, Chad is in charge of the logistics and all the behind the scene aspects that keep the team running smoothly from day-to-day and also the facilities at Winter Park. He said his job has evolved over the past 17 years, where he started out in community relations and operations, where a big part was the organization and setting up of training camp.

He also assisted with team community relations in which Vikings players involved in the community every Tuesday; and eventually got promoted to director of operations. A few years ago his role expanded when he began overseeing facilities operations at Winter Park.

Every job has challenges and Lundeen’s situation is no different. “Biggest dislikes are the hours and time commitment. Early into my career, I was a workaholic, which is kind of the nature of our job, almost a 24/7 deal. But I took that to the extreme, but it helped me get a step ahead in my career and to be valuable to the organization. Now, as I’ve gotten a little bit older and had the chance to meet somebody, get married and have three young children, it becomes tough to be away from them as much as I am.”

“The best thing about my job is still being involved in a team aspect. We’re all involved in this organization with a common goal of trying to win. We really work together as a team and it’s very fun. My wife will say to me, do you realize you just went four straight months without one day off? I will have to step back and think, Oh, you’re right, I guess I did. That tells me right there that I enjoy what I’m doing. It doesn’t feel like you’re going to work everyday when you have a passion and enjoy what you’re doing.”

Each year, Chad gets to come back to the University and city where he lived his college years. When asked how he likes that aspect of training camp, he replied, “I like coming back to Mankato every year. It allows me the chance to reconnect with the community, the university and people I haven’t seen for a long time. The only downside is it’s often disappointing I don’t get the chance to get out and see those people and do anything socially. I always end up leaving every year wishing I could’ve talked to those 10 people I wanted to see but missed.” 

Thielen's Debut

Goodmorning from MavBlog and Happy Monday!

What an exciting weekend it was to be a Maverick and a Minnesota Vikings fan! The Viking downed the visiting Oakland Raiders, 10-6, at their preseason home opener this weekend at TCF Stadium. Although it may not be a great predictor just yet for how the team will play out this year, it’s still a great milestone for Coach Zimmer, and for the entire Vikings organization. Zimmer is now one of five coaches in history to win their first NFL preseason game as a new head coach.

The Vikings made an impressive start during first quarter. The defense started out forcing the Raiders off the field just after three plays. This was followed by quarterback Matt Cassel leading the offense to complete a 70-yard drive in 10 plays. Cassel threw a 22-yard pass to Kyle Rudolph, who dove just short into the corner of the end zone. This set up Matt Asiata’s one-yard play into the end zone and first touchdown of the game. The defense then again forced the Raiders off the field after three plays, and first-year quarterback Teddy Bridgewater made his debut as a Viking.

As far as the quarterback competition prevails, the game did not decide who the opening game starter will be, but one thing for sure is that Cassel proved he is in the lead. Bridgewater played well, with a couple mistakes, but Coach Zimmer has no concerns on his ability to perform.

Some highlights for Vikings offense during this game: Kyle Rudolph and his impressive catch from Cassel. Cordarrelle Patterson had three great catches for 38 yards and was the leading receiver for the night. Greg Jennings caught one 13-yard pass, and Rodney Smith made some nice routes. Matt Asiata rushed for 13 yards on three carries and also had the Vikings first touchdown. Jerick McKinnon had a great debut resulting in 45 yards rushing on 12 carries.

Some highlights for Vikings defense during the game: Cornerback Captain Munnerlyn, who the Vikings signed in free agency, did himself well with some excellent tackles. Derek Cox had three tackles as well as rookie Jabari Price, who also had one pass defense. Defensive lineman had an excellent game, where Linval Joseph, Sharrif Floyd and Isame Faciane all put on the pressure. Shamar Stephen had the team’s high of five tackles. Rookie linebacker, Anthony Barr, had a half sack for his first game, and showed off his strong athletic ability which will be a great addition for the Vikings this year.

Now, onto the much anticipated highlight of the weekend for Minnesota State;

Mr. Adam Thielen, former Maverick-gone-pro.

Did this last game just land him a spot on the 53-man roster?

Thielen made his 2014 debut on the field as a Vikings player this weekend and boy did he do us proud. Thielen was stood out on special teams this game with his three punt returns; one for 26 yards, and another for 23 yards. Toward the end of second quarter he had an amazing tackle on punt return coverage, and in the third quarter had a 15-yard reception. Thielen got to see a lot of action this game being one of the Vikings fourth or fifth receivers. He was noticeable during his time on the field and proved he’s something to talk about. He showed he has amazing athletic ability and a great work ethic.

 “Coach told me coming into training camp that punt return would be an option for me,” said the Detroit Lakes native following the game. “So I just came in ready to go so we’ll see what happens.”

Thielen had plenty of experience returning punts during his Minnesota State career and left the Mavericks ranking third all-time in punts returned and punt return yardage.

“If you’re not a starter in the NFL you have to be able to play special teams and you have to know your role and do you job,” said Thielen. “They threw me out there and they expect me to make those plays, and, like I said, there’s a lot of things I need to improve on to help this team win.”

After spending the entire 2013 season on the Vikings’ practice squad, Thielen said he benefited from being around the team last year.  “That experience I’m bringing in this year from last year and being able to watch those veteran guys in all positions, watching Sherels with punt return and other receivers at the receiver position I think it’s just taking that experience with me this year.”

Below are a couple links highlighting Thielen’s audio recording during the game. It will be exciting to see where he ends up, and all us Mavericks are rooting for him.

Vikings Wired: Adam Thielen Vs. Raiders

Patterson On Thielen: "I Know He'll Make The Team"

The Vikings play their next game against the Arizona Cardinals, Saturday, August 12^th, at TCF Stadium.

Training Camp History

Hello from MavBlog!

University press release announcing that the Minnesota Vikings
would begin holding their
summer training camp in Mankato beginning in 1966

This post is going to bring you a little history about training camp, and insight from Shirley Piepho, the Assistant Director of Scheduling and Conference Service for Minnesota State University, Mankato.

Shirley Piepho

The Minnesota Vikings first held their training camp from 1961-1965 at Bemidji State University. In 1966, the camp was then moved to Mankato, where John Hodapp was the current Director of Men’s Athletics, from 1964-1968. This was also the year that Minnesota, and its neighboring teams, Chicago, Detroit, and Green Bay were re-aligned and made into the Central Division of the Western Conference.

Hodapp and Bob Otto, (the MSU head football coach at the time) had some correspondence with the former Vikings coach, Bud Grant, and former general manager, Jim Franks, which were recorded in some documents from that time and were found in a box in the Athletic Office. These documents contained some information from the year that they came down, with some interesting numbers. In 1966, the cost for one meal for a player per day was $7.90. The cost of the rental fee to use the football fields and other facilities was $1,000. Also, in 1966, training camp ran July 12 through August 31 whereas now, camp is July 24-August 14^th, a great deal shorter.

Shirley, who is in her 39^th year (yes, 39^th!) is in charge of all the scheduling that takes place on MSU’s campus. She is the one that communicates with the Vikings every year about coming to training camp, the requests, scheduling, when and where, how much, etc…

Talking about how training camp works now, Piepho, who hails from Jasper, Minn., said she works directly with the Viking’s operations staff starting in February/March, where she starts trying to figure out what their needs are, starts reserving all the classrooms and all the athletic space that they need.

Matt Golf, from Residential Life here on campus, takes care of the residence halls and getting those in shape for them to come. “So basically I’m kind of like the coordinator for all the different groups on campus whether it be facilities, which helps with the field preparation or other campus services that help with the setup,” said Piepho. “I just coordinate between all of the people and then I’m the one that communicates back to Paul Martin (Team Operations Coordinator/Training Camp for the Vikings).”

When asked what she likes or dislikes about her job, she replied, “I don’t dislike anything. Part of why I do like it so much, is I have really good people to work with. The Vikings are exceptionally good people to work with; very organized. Then we have good people on this campus to work with as well. We all pitch in and get the job done.”

She commented that the only thing that has really changed over the years for camp was that Gage went down, where the Vikings always stayed in past years. Now they stay in Julia Sears. Other than that, they use most of the same facilities. She says “every once in a while, they will want to bring in a hot tub or a pool to change it up, but normally year to year it’s about the same.”

Talking about the benefits to campus, she said there are many. “It’s good exposure for the University to have that many people on this campus. Last year they said they parked over 9,000 cars in the short period of time. So if you figure 3-4 people per car, you’re getting a lot of people. For the community, it’s win-win. It’s economic development, and huge economic driver for it. The restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, Wal-Mart. So training camp is huge, and if we lost it, it would be a huge impact on the school.”

Regarding the speculation that some fans are having about whether or not the Vikings will continue to come to Mankato for training camp,  Piepho stated, “I can’t say for certain, but I know they don’t have any training facilities being built near the new field. So it’ll be a while. I would suspect, and hope, that because they do like us, and next year will be the 50^th year, that they’re not going to leave for at least 3-4 years, if ever.”

Weggy's On Campus

Hello MavBlog readers!

Anybody care for some pancakes?  

If so, you've found the right place. Today we are going to highlight one of the best places in Mankato to go for a delicious plate of pancakes, bacon and eggs (according to Adrian Peterson).

The Vikings coming down is a huge impact on the Mankato community and brings in a lot of revenue for neighboring businesses every summer. One such business, Weggy’s, is a Maverick favorite. Weggy’s On Campus has been around four years, and is located in U-Square right across from campus. The owner, Steve Wegman, originally owned Weggy’s in Lake Crystal, but said the city was pretty stagnant and he wanted to make a change.  He had been doing some work at U-Square one year, when he found an opportunity to purchase a space for it and decided to purchase it and make it his new Weggy’s. He thought it would bring in more revenue, more exposure, and would give them more opportunity to grow. So four years ago, Weggy’s Bar and Grill in Lake Crystal became Weggy’s Bar and Grill On Campus.

Today I got the opportunity to sit down with Steve Wegman and talk to two of his employees, Evan and Jill. I asked Steve how they handle training camp every year, if it’s stressful or exciting. For them he said, it's basically raining camp, too. Once summer hits, employees leave, and knowing that the Vikings are coming, it forces them to hire more staff and get everybody trained in, not only for training camp, but for the rest of the year. He said, “it’s kind of a cycle, we’ll have the school year, then summer break, then Vikings training camp, which is our time to start getting our act in to gear for the school year. We stop taking so much time off, have more staff on, we're more prepared, do more prep work. We hit it straight and just keep going until the next break, which would be Christmas break."

Wegman said that getting ready during the Vikings' time in Mankato is also different. “We have to stock up on ingredients. We do more prep work, have more people on and staff up. We don’t over staff, but it seems like it works out just great. If it’s busy, we can just call someone and have them come in. They’re all college students, so they want the money."

The Vikings themselves have also been in to visit. “We have our new favorite I think, Adrian Peterson. He comes in, and he’s been in the past five days in a row now. Pancakes every time. Even when he comes it at 6:00 at night.” Evan, coworker at Weggy’s chimed in chuckling, “Yeah, it really is always pancakes. Pancakes, bacon and eggs.” They said every time he comes in, an entourage follows him. Today when he came in, he was taking food to go, but there was a group of fans peering and watching from the doorway, so Steve told Adrian he could hide in the kitchen if he wanted, or go to their upstairs level. He chose the upstairs level. They said that he also told his last server, “These are some of the best pancakes I’ve ever had!”

Weggy’s has also had visits this year from Chad Greenway, Jarius Wright, and former Maverick Adam Theilen. “Theilen has always come in and brought other players. It’ll be 6:00 at night and he’ll bring in twelve players, so we must be doing something right.”

You just never know who might come in or what might happen during this time of year. "Matt Kalil (Vikings offensive tackle) would come in everyday and eat five or six sandwiches in one sitting. Everyday. And another time Channel 9 Fox News came in and did a show live from inside, which was kind of special," he said. “Training camp here is just fun in general. I’m a Vikings fan too, so it’s kind of like Christmas time. You get that fourteen-day window of hustle and bustle. You get to see everyone wearing purple. It’s fun.”

Evan said, “It’s just a lot more exciting. The people are way more fun. The fans that come in are always really excited. It’s a whole different environment when they’re around and everyone’s in that mindset. Everybody’s ready for more exciting things to happen.”

Jill agreed, “My favorite part is seeing the festive and spirited fans that come in. And of course, Adrian Peterson.” 

Jill, Weggy's Employee

Evan, Weggy's Employee

Weggy's Lower Level Booth Section

Viking's Memorabilia in Weggy's

Weggy's On Campus Logo

Quarterback Signing Day

Dear MavBlog readers,

I’m going to start off this post by asking you a question.

Have you ever had a time when you and your friends/family, whoever it may be, waited in hour-long lines for something? Maybe it was for a midnight movie premiere to your favorite movie, like Harry Potter, with long lines of people dressed as wizards, with capes and broomsticks and lightning bolts etched into their foreheads. Or maybe it was the Twilight premiere, with people sauntering around with vampire fangs and signs blaring Team Edward or Team Jacob. Maybe it was for an event to meet your favorite celebrity, like Justin Bieber or Taylor Swift at Mall of America. Maybe it was camping outside Target with your family at four in the morning on Back Friday to be one of the first 50 people to get the latest video game system, or at Best Buy to get the half-priced 72-inch flat screen you want. Whatever it may be, I bet once in your life you have done something like this.

Today, the reason behind those long, long lines that we speak of, are for the Minnesota Vikings quarterbacks, Matt Cassel, Christian Ponder, and Teddy Bridgewater. It’s quarterback-signing day today, and if you’re a die-hard fan, those lines are worth the wait.  

Some fans were showing up as early as 5:00 am to get their first spots in line for the 11:30 signing time. I got to go and interview some of these fans that were waiting in line. 

Let's take a look. 

Bill, 52

Bill here is 52, and was in the autograph line for Matt Cassel. I asked him why he was waiting for Cassel’s instead of the other two quarterbacks, and he said “I take pictures of him myself when they’re practicing on the field. So today I’m getting one of the pictures I took of him signed.” Bill has always been a Vikings fan, ever since he was born. He said that after he gets the autograph he will frame it and put it on a will in his living room, where other memorabilia hangs. As a last question, I asked what his favorite part about training camp is and he replied, “My favorite part is that you can get up close and personal with the players. If you go to a game, you just can’t do that. You don’t even get close to them. Coming to training camp, I’ve actually become good friends with Jerome Simpson.” Bill and his wife drive back and forth from home everyday to attend camp, and usually get here 7:30-8:00 but said because tomorrow is running back day, it might be 6:00am.

Rick, 55

Rick here is 55 years old, “or one day older than yesterday,” he joked, and is one fan that probably sticks out to even other loyal Vikings fans. Rick attends almost every practice, showing off his full ensemble of Vikings gear and drumming the Vikings horn. Today he was in line for the new quarterback, Teddy Bridgewater. He said that coming to training camp has been a special tradition for him, and when asked how many autographs he’s gotten, he pointed to his flag and said “More than I can count.” Rick collects the autographs on his flag, and brings it back to camp every year for more. I then asked why getting an autograph is special to him, and he replied, “Well, they’re players to remember. Before you know it, the year has come and gone. You never knew if their name will still be on that roster." 

Sally, 27

Sally, 27, might be one of our furthest travelers to attend training camp and one of our most devoted Matt Cassel fans. She is from Rochester, Minnesota, but drove all the way from Richmond, Virginia, where she currently lives. She said she makes a trip home to Minnesota every year but this will be her first year attending training camp. When asked why she makes such a long drive, she replied, “I just love the Vikings so much! And Matt Cassel is my favorite player so this will be my first autograph too.” She, as I might add, was the first person standing in line waiting to get Cassel’s autograph. I asked her how early she got here to be first in line and she said, “Honestly, I got here at like 9:00am. I should’ve been here at 7:30 though, but I had someone holding my place.”  

Paul, 27

Paul here is 27, and has been coming to training camp for the past five years. Him and his wife are both teachers, so they get to enjoy the summers off and are able to attend camp, except this year, his wife couldn’t be with him due to some piano lessons. Their entire basement is decorated in memorabilia, autographs, cards, signed photos and other signed memorabilia. When I asked what have been some of his favorite autographs he’s gotten, he said, “favorite autograph would probably be when I got Adrian Peterson’s in his Cadillac Escalade. He was driving by and I held up my canvas photo and he stopped, turned around and I ended up getting his autograph. It was pretty cool. Another would be when I got Jared Allen’s. I waited and got here at three in the morning and was fourth in line. I got his signature on the 9 of a jersey and now have it hanging up in a jersey frame.” I then asked if he had more than one of the quarterback’s autographs. He said he got Ponder’s when he was a rookie, on a Florida state mini helmet, and now today, he left his house at 4:00am to get here at five in the morning for Bridgewater, and had a Louisville mini helmet for that.

Mikko, Malena and Their Father

This family has been to training camp for four years in a row now. This picture is of Mikko, Malena, and their father. Mikko is seven years old and Malena is five years old. They were here just for the day, and were very excited to be getting an autograph.

Tyler, 9, Paige, 8 and Father

Here we have a family that was at their first ever Vikings Training Camp, calling themselves “rookies.” Paige, 8 and Tyler, 9 were standing in line with their father waiting to get Matt Cassel’s autograph. Paige said that they have gotten two autographs in the past, and when asked who their favorite player was, both in unison said, “Adrian Peterson!” After autographs, their plans were to go to the Gaterade kids camp which they were both excited for.

George, 37, Mark, 35 and Sons

Here is George, 37, Mark, 35 and their sons. George said that they are very big on getting autographs. They have been here for the past five years, and have gotten multiple of everyone now. Mark said he’s been coming for the past ten years, and used to get them when he was his sons age. “We bring our kids down, just our tradition to do it. We got our Vikings memorabilia room. The basement is full of it. Every autograph if a memory.” I asked what has been his favorite autograph that he’s gotten and he replied, “Adrian. I also got Chris Carter back in the day. Chris Carter…. That ones special. He’s my guy.”

After talking to the fans, I went by the entrance to where the players come out, and waited for 11:30 to strike. Once it did, this is the excitement that I captured. 

Autograph Zone

Fans Lined Up

Christian Ponder

Matt Cassel

Cassel

Teddy Bridgewater

Bridgewater Signing #5 Jersey

Bridgewater

Bill Getting His Photograph Signed

Cassel

Ponder