Brought to you by Mr. Cheer or Die and the Vikes Geek, welcome to the
Views and Personal Photos on the Vikes from the Inaugural Hall of Fame fan.
Brought to you by Mr. Cheer or Die and the Vikes Geek, welcome to the
Back in March of 1998 I was at Winter Park to attend a going away party for Mary Ann Dallas. Dallas was the Director of the Vikings Cheerleader squad up until that time. She was leaving to move south and get away from the Minnesota winters.
Here's a photo from that party that I took of Mary Ann and Sheri Anderson, the current Vikings Game Day Coordinator:
The whole facility was open for people to wander around. Only Vikings employees and V.I.P.'s were invited. I stopped by to see then V.P. of Marketing, Stew Widdess. Stew was not in his office and his secretary told me he was down the hall in Scott Studwell's office.
Sure enough, Stew was there with Studwell and he invited me in. I sat down and started to shoot the bull with these two front office high rollers. It was then that I noticed Studwell's huge white eraser board that took up much of one office wall. It was the Draft Day Big Board for the Vikes. And the name at the top of that board did not surprise me in the least.
It was Randy Moss.
We spoke about Moss briefly and Studwell and Widdess swore me to secrecy. And when you have the top linebacker in Vikings history looking at you with his steely blue eyes you just gulped and shook your head in the affirmative.
And we all know how that pick turned out.
This past week I was back in Winter Park visiting with Bob Hagan, Director of Public Relations. Bob was not in his office and his secretary told me he was down the hall in Scott Studwell's office. I started to get that "I've been here before" feeling. I sauntered over to Studwell's office.
Hagan was seated with Studwell and the two were sitting looking at The Wall. The Big Board of the Vikings. Where every single prospect in the upcoming NFL Draft is ranked by the Vikes. I saw who was at #1.
Wow.
As before, I am sworn to secrecy. I cannot give you the name or school as that would be a dead give away. Or maybe not because it is a name that has not been mentioned in the various media mock drafts to date...including Kiper's. I'm not sure how these people have overlooked this player. Studwell is so confident that no one has found out about this guy other than the Vikings that he said I can provide some statistics on him.
Fast? Try a wind-aided 4.1 time in the 40-yard dash.
At 6-feet-6 and 241 pounds he is a specimen. Imagine that player coming at you at that speed.
He can throw the ball 94-yards. Studwell said it actually makes a sound....a little pft, pft-boom when the football leaves his hand. But QB is not the position destined for this player.
Let's put it this way. Good-bye Michael. Good-bye Onterrio. Good-bye Mewelde. Oh, we'll hold onto Moe for special teams sake but there will be no need for Moe to see the backfield.
When the Vikes break out the video of this rookie on Draft Day after he has been announced as the Vikes #7 selection you best have some extra underwear along....cause you're going to need them.
Man, is next season going to be great. He's a potential Pro-Bowler yearly. And pure, real, instinctive, love for football.
Oh, yeah!
Posted by maasx003 at March 31, 2005 06:29 AM | TrackBackummmm, I think you need to update your mockdraft. :) At the very least I hope we don't get Derrick Johnson!!
'bote
Posted by: Rowebote at March 31, 2005 07:59 AMJust pick the guy you want at #7 Rowebote and let me know. I'll update the board immediately. I know that you know more than Kiper....and look a hell of a lot better as well! I'd rather have you on ESPN 4/23 than Kiper!
Posted by: Brian Maas at March 31, 2005 08:25 AMlol, I don't have the hair for TV! But your numbers on this mystery guy sound a lot like a player from the SEC and didn't play RB or WR in college. I like him better at 18 if noone else is paying attention to him he still should be there then.
Posted by: Rowebote at March 31, 2005 08:41 AMThat's not Kiper's real hair! It has to be a rug! And being a RPh, I can mix you up some Rogaine on the cheap if that's what you need.
Sorry, cannot post THAT name. And it's not who everyone thinks it is. So Johnson stays as a smoke screen.
Posted by: Brian Maas at March 31, 2005 08:51 AMbtw, are you going to be at the Draft Party? Me Dutch and Karki will be there (wife's working) so hope to see you if you're there!
Posted by: Rowebote at March 31, 2005 08:55 AMAlas, I will pulling some relief work for Cub from 9-3 that day. Started doing some extra work so that I can pay for the season tickets! At least I have TiVO!
Posted by: Brian Maas at March 31, 2005 09:01 AMIf he's such an unknown, why don't we just wait until #18 to pick him, or even later?
Posted by: Jimmy Buck at March 31, 2005 09:25 AMJimmy, they don't want to take a chance that he exists on someone else's board. They think that highly of them. And they are sick of embarrassing themselves as they've done during the 1st round as of late. This pick will simply drop everyone's jaws.
Posted by: Brian Maas at March 31, 2005 09:29 AMIsn't 6-6 a little big for a RB? Wouldn't that size be better utilized as a WR?
Can you say which division his college was in? I'm guessing that since he's so unknown that it wasn't Division 1.
Posted by: Jimmy Buck at March 31, 2005 09:34 AMDo you get all dressed up in your football outfit to wander around the Viking offices so people know who you are?
Posted by: Cheesehead Craig at March 31, 2005 09:40 AMDon't you think picking Matt Jones from Arkansas with the #7 pick would be considered another draft day blunder by Tice and company?
Posted by: Steve Lofquist at March 31, 2005 09:54 AMWell, if it is Jones, Studwell isn't alone. Check out Mortensen's article on the front page of the NFL section of ESPN.com
Posted by: Nick Anderson at March 31, 2005 10:09 AMThe post seems to insinuate that he's going to be a RB, everyone has Matt Jones being a WR. Also, Matt Jones isn't really an unknown.
Posted by: Jimmy Buck at March 31, 2005 10:24 AMWhat about Brandon Jacobs from Southern Illinois? No one has ever heard of him, and he is huge. He isn't listed as 6'6", though, but may be close enough.
Posted by: Shane at March 31, 2005 11:00 AMI Demetrius Underwood reentering the draft, because this sounds a lot like that. Maybe it is Sasquatch, often rumored to roam the lands in the north.
I agree with the posters above. If this guy is such an unknown, why not wait until 18?
I don't like the sound of jaws dropping on draft day. The Vikes have done far too much of that lately, and it hasn't turned out well.
So without disclosing this mystery man, is your impression that it will be a good pick or another Underwood?
But why don't you put the name in a hermitically sealed envelope with the accounting firm of Arthur Andersen so that we know you are not BS'ing or part of the great purple smoke screen.
Posted by: J. Lichty at March 31, 2005 11:37 AMDrafting Matt Jones at #7 and playing him at running back would be the worst draft move by the Vikings since Underwood. He's never played running back! He's only practiced some at wide receiver! He's an athletic specimen, to be sure, but he has no essentially no experience at anything but quarterback. Methinks that someone was pulling your leg.
Posted by: Mark P. at March 31, 2005 12:18 PMI sure hope it's not Matt Jones or Adrian McPherson...I had to purchase a new TV after the Moss trade and I cannot afford another.
Posted by: HAMMER at March 31, 2005 12:31 PMBrandon Jacobs is listed as 6'4, 260.
Based on physical dimensions alone, the only other people it could likely be (besides Matt Jones) would be Oregon State QB Derek Anderson (who I doubt could run a wind-aided 4.1) or Northern Colorado WR Vincent Jackson, who's listed as 6'6, 235.
Vincent Jackson is actually a pretty intriguing prospect; the kind of guy who completely dominated at a smaller school. His 40 time is said to be 4.53, and he also returns kicks and punts.
Still, no reason to pick him at #7. Most mock drafts have him in round three, generally because people seem to feel he's "unproven".
In any case, maybe that #18 pick is looking less and less like a DE after all.
Everyone here is acting like the draft has already happened. Plus if you stop and think about it, if Matt Jones is the guy, is there a better talent in the NCAA? Who else is as big/strong/fast as he is? Having trouble answering that question? That is ok because you are not going to find him! I don't like draft haters especially those that were ticked when Green took Daunte over Kearse and when the Vikes took the very questionable Moss with their 21st pick 7 years ago. Wait until you see how the Vikings do in the draft and most importantly in the season before you judge their moves!
Posted by: ajj90 at March 31, 2005 02:14 PMThis sound alot like an old SI article posted on 4/1 about a pitching prospect, you are sneaky COD
Posted by: Big Dog at March 31, 2005 02:45 PMBig Dog:
Ah, Sid Finch the himalayan hurler. That thought crossed my mind, but it is not 4/1 yet. Shoulda waited to post it until tomorrow.
Maybe it is kelly campbell on stilts.
Posted by: J. Lichty at March 31, 2005 02:58 PM