November 16, 2023 • 23 mins
This week's Vikings Country features #11 Cornerback, Najee Thompson! We talk about Dobbs, Najee's neighborhood that has a bunch of teammates as neighbors, his connection to Darius Rucker & Cole Swindell, And the Vikings 5 game win streak!
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Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
It's time for Vikings Country, broughtto you by Miller Lyte. Now here's
your host of Vikings Country from KFANand the Vikings Radio Network. Muss out
of the shotgun. On third down, Cam Jordan got around the right tackle.
Dobbs links sees nothing now he runsout to the left. He points
to somebody, turns to the fiveto the inside, touch stock introdible shots.
(00:28):
Dobbs, with a rushing touchdown,has run Minnesota to a sixteen three
three death Coops takes the snap outof the shotguns, three drop throws to
the end zone and touchcom take twentyeight yard touchdown to t Jay Hawkinson.
(00:49):
While and Dobbs has beaten them byland and he just beat them by air
twenty three three Minnesota in the landerthem my way, North Carolina staring up
the road. Ladies and gentlemen,Welcome to Vikings Country. We're hanging out
here. I made Cowboy Jackson Bloomingtonon us with our friends from Miller Lite,
(01:15):
the official beer sponsor of the MinnesotaVikings. I'm playing a little Darius
Rucker on this one because he's fromthe South Carolina, Charleston and also a
guy who knows a little something aboutSouth Carolina. Is our special guest number
eleven, not Gie Thompson. Heybuddy, how are you better? Well,
well, I mentioned this earlier withthe crowd here as we were doing
(01:37):
some giveaways. I'm like, okay, you'll know him. He's number eleven,
and he wears the yellow gloves andthe yellow shoes, and every time
I'm like, oh, there's aflag on the plate, no, which
is not to getting in. Yeah. I love the yellow cleaves. You
know ConA, Minnesota. You know, if I had to find something,
just come on fourth down, justgonna make a standout coming into Seattle.
Once I made the first tackle,you know, the yellow CLEAs was just
(02:00):
the signats to things. I makesure I have different part of the cleats
usually every game at this point.So probably when I go back out,
probably denied to tomorrow order some moreyella cleats. I haven't rolled the back.
So with Darius Rutger in South Carolina, that's where you're from here,
from Boiling Springs, South Carolina,which by the way, I looked it
(02:20):
up and it got its name becausethere was a geyser and then it hasn't
boiled since nineteen ninety and you wereborn in two thousand, so you never
really get a chance to take advantageof that. Oh yeah, never never
even heard of it. Honestly,you're hearing about it, learned someone new
every day. So you grow upin South Carolina. And it's funny because
Darius Rutger is the reason that wewent and took a vacation in South Carolina.
(02:45):
We went to Charleston first and thenwe went to the Islands after that,
and oh my gosh, absolutely spectacular, beautiful area of the country.
Oh yeah, if anybody wants tovacation down there is a really vacation good
vacation spot. And the beach isa beautiful down there. The weather's always
nice down there regardless, never nottoo much snow. If it goes there,
(03:06):
may get snow for a day,it's going next right, Yeah,
that's well, it's not gonna happenhere. Yeah, learn that, Learn
that quick. Yeah. The rookiewith the Minnesota Vikings here, dude,
you can fly down the field watchinghighlights from your stuff and then watching the
games and doing the Vikings radio networkstuff that I do. Man, you
(03:28):
gotta be like a four to sevenforty guy. Oh honestly, if you
look it up, that's what theyput out there. I said I was
the four sevenist, and I justlaughed about it because it was like,
I'm not a four to seven guy, and so now, yeah, I
honestly thought, you're gonna get pissedme. Oh that's that's exactly what they
have out there on the field.That's so honestly, every we got to
take a person. I'm like,Okay, I'm gonna show I'm not no.
Four seven guy at all. Butno, that's that's what they have
(03:52):
out there. But that does actuallyirk you a little bit, right,
Oh yeah, because I'm like,I'm not in the four things. You
look it up, and you know, track runs right in my background in
two time state champ, former stayrecord holder. So I don't like to
be slow at all anything. Iwas saying to get you going on that
one. All right, So undraftedrookie and then you come up and you
(04:14):
show up here in Minnesota, andwhat does that experience like, I mean,
you're going from Georgia Southern and thennow all of a sudden, here
you are in the NFL and you'reshowing up at TCO. That whole experience,
what is that like basically, youget off the plane. Some fans
are there and when you get offthe plane that know you and you don't
know them, and they're like callingyour name. You're like, okay,
(04:35):
hey, how you doing and uh? And then did you get on the
bus head to the facility and youdo all the paperwork and everything and it's
like okay, practice the next day, and then you learn really fast at
college practice and NFL practice is awhole lot faster. And then just from
me come from Georgia Southern like I'mcoming. I'm like I'm going against first
(04:57):
round picks, you know, secondround guys like so like I'm like,
I'm really here now. It's like, okay, I gotta step your game
up a whole lot more to knowjust barely going through anything, you're going
full speed and you're getting ritall everyrep. What is it like the first
time that you run into Brian FloresCuz he seems intense. He seems like
he is like every time that he'sdoing anything, and you're like, oh
(05:20):
man, he knows something that Idon't know, and it's gonna be bad
for me when I find out BrianFlores is actually he's a real chill guy.
He I mean, he gives theintense look. Honestly, he's a
great guy to be around. Honestly, he's just a businessman. You know.
He wants you to get down toit and make sure he's anything.
He's perfected. He wants us toperfect it with him and everything. And
(05:43):
he calls it our defense. Youknow, he installs it, but he
wants us to run it and everything. He's a real great guy. You
know, he gives the intense look. You know when he's serious, you
know you'd be serious. But honestly, anytime around him, he always has
a small regardless. So you gofrom thirty six, right was it at
thirty six when you first got hereis your jersey number? And then now
eleven? How did that trance?It was funny. So I was wearing
(06:05):
thirty six, and then a pictureday came up, and then some of
the rookies was wanting to get numberfive. So then mackay end up getting
five. So then eleven was available, and then the older guys looked at
me, is like, yeah,you got to take thirty six off.
You look ugly in that. Andso then I was like, you know
what, I'll rockaway number eleven becauseactually Josh wound tell us he actually he
(06:27):
mentioned me getting to eleven. He'slike, yeah, put him in eleven.
Don't let them, don't let himkeep thirty six. And so so
we just went ahead with with it. I love that number. Can make
you look ugly. Yeah, ohthat's oh, that's disgusting. Josh was
not having it. And you andJosh have become good friends. And I
know this because we're gonna get intothat just coming up and just fit because
I watched when you're at TCO andthe rookies have to they have to every
(06:50):
once in a while, you know, do some different things. They got
duties that they have to do asa rookie, in one of which is
singing, and you had to dothat in front of the team. Yeah,
so they actually caught me off guard. We knew it was coming,
but usually, you know, we'regoing order like draft picks and everything like
that, and so they were like, oh, who's the best in Madden
(07:11):
around here? And so everybody's callingmy name. I had to play magas
I'm a big gamer, spend literallymost of my time outside of football,
and I'm on the game twenty fourseven. So they called me up and
so I'm playing Jettas and Madden andso we're going and it's like, okay,
I won that game. And thenext thing, you know, they're
like, oh, you thought youwere done. You're not getting out of
here. So then they're like,oh, now you got to sing a
song. So it's just quiet upthere. I'm looking at all these new
(07:32):
faces and all the coaches looking downat me, and it's like, okay,
I gotta pick a song, andhere we go. So Brett Blakemore,
who was running the show back atthe station right now, couldn't be
more excited about the fact that yousaid you're a big gamer. So he's
excited about that. I watched thevideo but it was from Josh Mattelis's phone,
(07:53):
So I don't even know what thesong is because Mattellas is singing so
loud along with you. What wasthe song? The song is when I
See You by Fantasia. That thatwas the first thing I could think come
to my mind, you know,just some old school song. You know,
we have some vets in there islike, let me do a little
throwback for them. Yeah. Sonow the Josh Mittellis sing, which is
(08:15):
kind of interesting to me because heis such a great leader. We've all
heard that, and the guy nevercomes off the field for crying out loud.
How did that relationship become so fast? Honestly, it was like,
you know, I came in talkingto Josh bon Teller's and he was just
always just giving us like little tipshere and there. And then it was
like from when you come to specialteams, you know, when you first
(08:37):
go out there trying to get thefeel and then like the first couple of
reps don't go as you expected,and so then he might come nit pick
with you a little bit that's trashor something like that. And so the
preseason games get rolling around and it'slike, okay, he's like, I
better see somebo out of here now. It's like we're here now, you
can't shy away. So then youknow, go make the play in Seattle
and then come back, you know, make the play at the Tennessee Titans,
(08:58):
and you know, from there,like you know, Josh just came
to me and he was just honestly, I feel like he's a great leader
to me. You know, he'salways telling me, you know, what
to do, what not to dolike type of thing, you know what
to do better, and honestly,like he's like, come up to me.
He's like, you know, it'stime to make a play. It's
time to make a play. It'sbeen too long. So Josh is just
a great guy. Nagie Thompson isour guest here at Vikings Country with Miller
(09:22):
Light, the official beer sponsor.Oh the Minnesota Vikings were giving away tickets
to sit in the Miller Light lounge. Stop on out here. We're in
Bloomington at Cowboy Jack's. All right, you're nicknamed the flesh. I have
seen that, but it makes sensebecause you know, with your four nine
speed, you get down the field, so you're always like the first one
(09:46):
that gets down the field. Butwhen you're a gunner, how much I
mean, you just get abused asa gunner getting down the field. Oh
yeah, I mean at the endof the day, you know they're gonna
put two guys out there, andsometimes there's four guys back there that you're
trying to, you know, maneuverthrough and look through and then you got
the returner at the end of theday. I mean, it's fun.
You honest, you have to perfectyour craft, and I played the gunner
(10:09):
for a long time. That's whereI basically started off in college at so
I've got thousands of reps at it, and then come into the league.
I faced double teams before I evengot to the league, so that was
a plus. So, you know, just working on my craft every day.
But yeah, you get abused thereheld every single play, and like
they say, you're not getting flagson special teams, so you know,
(10:30):
going out there, you don't eventhink to look for a flag because you're
not getting it off the air.You did share something with me because we
were talking about your friends from GeorgiaSouthern and and former teammates and stuff like
that, but you actually called whatyou're gonna do in the NFL. Yeah,
when I first came into the whenI first came into college, you
know, you come from being cometo high school. You're that guy in
(10:50):
high school. When you get tocollege, you're not always that guy.
There's always another guy. And sofor me, I had to find something
to do, and so I wentto special teams and I always to the
guys like you know, I'm gonnaI'm gonna go to the league playing special
teams, and that's what it is. So for three to four years,
you know, they just laughed atme over and over and over, and
then you know, making it toreality. Now you see a lot of
(11:11):
guys now going to do special teamsbecause they understand the importance of it is
in the league, because I honestly, special teams is not really talked about
enough at the different levels, butwhen you get to NFL, it's talked
about a lot, all right.Nonjie Thompson is our guest hanging out here
with his five to nine speed,still getting down the field. We got
(11:31):
more stuff coming up on the wayfor you here. It is Vikings Country
and it is powered by our friendsat Miller like the official beer sponsor all
the Minnesota Vikings. Also, bythe way, should let you know Friday
football feasts happened every Friday obviously withPaul Allen. It's sponsored by Coors Light.
And you can find out what locationswhere to go. You easily do
that not only at Cafe dot com, but you can also do that at
(11:54):
Vikings dot com as well. Morecoming up on the way on KFA.
Yeah, it's time for Vikings Country, brought to you by Miller Lyte.
Now here's your host of Vikings Countryfrom kfa N and the Vikings Radio Network,
Muss Winston on third and three henas he throws lost one of the
(12:16):
right time inter stepted Time Man.That's the first interception of Time Blackman's career.
And with Rios picks to go inthe game, it's twenty seven nineteen
tie in Minnesota. Saint's trying towin three in a row, Vikings trying
(12:37):
to win five in a row,and Winston goes back to pass, He's
gonna throw one center of the fieldintercepted, and the Minnesota Vikings get a
high five down with the Bulls catchingup. Ben theonline didn't know Vikings Country,
(12:58):
with millerliking, we're hanging out herein Bloomington, Cowboy Jacks, I
must what a great crowd we gothere. Everybody in Skull Nation hanging out
getting excited about the fact that wejust went five in a row, six
and four for crying out loud,and we beat the Saints. So I
think everybody here there's two teams thatyou want to beat the most, the
(13:20):
Saints and the Packers, and sowe still have that coming up. But
the Saints, we got the victorythere and our special guest here, Najie
Thompson is hanging out Number eleven ladiesand gentlemen. Here's the thing, Bud,
as you hear that with Paul Allenon a call and a couple of
picks. How huge the defense hasbeen in the last what five weeks?
(13:46):
Basically the defense has won some gamesfor the Minnesota Vikings. Oh yeah,
we knew, you know, Ihave to own three start. We wasn't
worried about the own three start becauseyou know, you look at the games,
there are one score games at theend of the day. We knew
we just left Cole plays out there. So you know, the outside they
make it was making noise, butinside, but we knew we were fine.
Like I even said, I thinkI even tweeted, like when we're
(14:09):
fine, you know Chiefs coming up. I mean, we loved our schedule.
We know we were up for theGrand but lately we knew that we
got to put the defense on ourback because we missed the plays on defense
that could have turned the game aroundfor the three start and so you know,
coach Flores took it to a differentlevel. We took it personally.
Okay, we got to get somethings rolling. And then the guys in
our room, you know, weeven took it to a different levels.
(14:30):
So you know, you practice differentnow and honestly, the results are speaking
for themself now. Yeah, it'scornerback and then you see Makaia Blackman get
his first pick. You said thatthe sidelines went a little nuts. Yeah,
it was. It was big.You know, he's been he's been
out there playing here and there,not really not many reps here and there.
He just you know, getting thrownin the game. Now, so
(14:52):
now he's out there on a bigdown. And it was for even for
like the sideline and really just forrookie class because we really pulled for each
other so before, so strong.So when each one of us makes a
play, you know, it justit's just like a different level for us
see each other just you know,grinding because we knew the path that it
took to get here, and sonow we're able to make plays on Sunday.
Now it's just even better. Therookie clash. We won't say where
(15:13):
you live, but you guys alllive in the same kind of neighborhood.
Yeah, the others ship. Yeah, we're a fair amount of you there.
What has that experience been like,I mean, this is it like
a cul de sac that you guessyou're all hanging out and making fun of
someone who doesn't take care of theirleaves. Oh yeah, we really just
really pick on each other all thetime. We just like leaving in the
morning, we're all leading around thesame time. Sometimes might just ride with
(15:37):
each other in the morning, justleave our cars there and just might pull
a prank. So like on Halloween, I'll come up to my cow black
Men's house with my costume on andsitting outside with his ring camera just looking
at him crazy. So it's justI mean, it's it's all great times
and just you know, try tofind something different to do outside of football.
Just keep hanging with each other allthe time and just grow the bond
(16:00):
stronger and stronger. Okay, soyou went to Georgia Southern, that's where
you played college ball, and youstarted off as a wide receiver and then
became a cornerback again with your fiveto nine speed. I don't want to
offend you. I'm totally making thatup by the way way faster. But
(16:22):
do you get offended by when youhear sometimes commentators will actually say it about
how cornerbacks are wide receivers that can'tcatch. Oh yeah, I mean I
was just like, I look athim. I say, honestly, you
can just go pull the pull thetape, pull the film because going to
receiver, going to corner to saywe can't catch. Honestly, sometimes when
(16:44):
we dropped the ball, we practicecatching twenty four seven. Sometimes it just
hits the hands wrong and we endup dropping it. But you know we
practiced. We probaticed at twenty fourseven at the beginning of the segment.
Also, I had Cole Swindell crankingup there, and Cole Swindell also Georgia
Southern guy. Every single time yousee him, he's got the GS hat
(17:07):
on and you guys are friends.Yeah, Coach Mondell is gonna represent Georgia
Southern. You know, every timehe has a concert or just outspeak,
he's gonna have it on. Imet him back in twenty eighteen when I
first got to College Frog Bowl game. That's when I had Tyler Bast kicker
for Buffalo Bills, and I playedwith him, So he actually came down
to our bowl game and that's thefirst time I actually met him. And
(17:29):
then I got to see him againout of bowl game my senior year.
He came down and me. He'sjust a big supporter and he comes out
of Georgia's other games when he can, and then I'll met him text every
once in a while, you know, just top it up. I'm definitely
trying to get him hit in Minnesotato a game, So definitely gonna be
working on that. Oh that mightbe sweet. Yeah, made a little
national anthem action and then yeah,then hopefully hopefully and get some of the
(17:51):
work out. And he has abusy scare so when he's off tour,
definitely get in touch with him.So if we can get him out here.
Okay, So now not only areyou guys chop it up football,
but then you and Coachwrendelle Whatel,what's the dumb stuff that you guys?
Oh, we back and forth.I honestly, we we just text here
and there, and I honestly haven'treally got to hang out because this bit
our schedules don't match up too allright now, but you know, definitely
(18:11):
in the off season one more time, you know, definitely look to go,
uh kick it with him and everything, all right, So as a
dB in a cornerback justin Jefferson.We're hoping that there's gonna be a return.
Don't know for sure that's gonna behappening here this week taking on the
Broncos. But what you have toexperience at practices and in the OTAs all
(18:33):
that kind of stuff where you gotJefferson and Addison, I mean, this
is a tremendous wide receiver crew andthen throw in there t J. Hawkinson.
That's gotta be a difficult task.Yeah, so I actually have to
guard I honestly have to guard allthree of those guys because you know Scout
team, we have Scout Team defensesgo against the offense like that. So
(18:55):
I know, I guard each oneof those guys, and honestly, it's
a difficult task each play because youknow, I go from Jordan Addison,
then to go to TJ. Hockinson, then to go to jj J,
and then kJ comes in there,and you know, Brandon Powell goes in
there, and it's just like it'sa different task. You know, it's
it's definitely hard. So honestly,the way it looks in practice is the
(19:15):
way it looks in games. Sowhen they actually call certain plays. I'm
on the sideline, I'm looking like, Okay, this is gonna be a
touchdown because I mean I remember theoffense and what they you know, running
into practice to like that. I'mlike, yeah, this touchdown And honestly,
the exact same way I played itin the practice is literally how it
looks in the game. So it'sactually just it's funny because you're like,
hey, these are their starting dbs. Here is it's like they can't get
(19:36):
it done and sometimes in practice it'ssometimes hard to get it done guarding you
know those three guys right absolutely,And now we've already talked about how Josh
Mittelis has been a big part ofyour early career here with the NFL in
the Minnesota Vikings, Jordan Hicks aswell. You know that's our green dot
that that guy was in charge ofthe defense and it was kind of a
(19:56):
weird thing that ended up happening withhim, and so much so that they
they had to rush him to thehospital. Yeah. I just learned about
that today, honestly because I wasfiguring out because I seen when he signed
Anthony Barr and I was just likeI was caught off, like, oh
man, But I remember, youknow, growing up with Anthony Barr and
the crew. They had here familiarname. But I was when I learned
about Jordan Hicks to day and Ishot him a quick text and everything,
(20:18):
you know, just hoping, hopingthe best for him, and you know,
just tell him like phenomenal leadership,and he's he's gonna lead no matter
what, no where he's at.I mean, he's gonna make sure the
job is gonna be done, youknow, make sure the linebackers still know
the plays and everything. And uh, at the end of the day.
Uh, even the linebacker room itselfis full of phenomenal leaders. You know,
it still got Tory Dye, IvanPace, Yes, you know,
(20:41):
Brian still out there. You know, it's still leaders no matter what because
they're they're learning from Jordan Hicks atthe end of the day. Uh.
So there's there's no there's gonna beno slack of leadership in that room.
Let's see if we can get throughthe five typically stupid vikings country questions.
Good, this is gonna be nothingabout football. It's just gonna be stupid,
all right. On Saturday, ahuge lions escaped from a circus in
(21:02):
Italy and then just started strolling aroundtown and people were just like, Okay,
I'm just I'm not a scooter.And then all of a sudden there's
a lion. One would you believethat it was an actual lion? And
two are you afraid of any animals? One I would believe it's a lion
because I pay attention to my surroundingstwenty four to seven, And two I
(21:26):
am pretty much scared of snakes.Now, I will I will pet a
snake, but like if I ifI see a snake, I'm not going
near. So if there's a handler, you're okay, yeah, and then
petting like the middle of the stake. Other than that, I'm not going
near snakes. I don't know.I'm saying really much scared of animals because
(21:48):
I'm a real sporadic guy, honestly, and honestly, I don't really get
scared of nothing. I just I'mup to look and tried like crazy things,
all right. The inductees have beenannounced for the Toy Hall of Fame
in the class of twenty twenty threeinclude Baseball cards, Cabbage Patch Kids,
the Fisher Price corn popper I don'teven know what that is, and nerf
(22:08):
what is a favorite toy you've everhad? I don't know a favorite toy
because I always broke them. Honestly, I think the one thing was a
Harley Davis motorcycle I got for Christmasone year. I ended up breaking mind,
and so then I took my brothersand broke kids also. But I
think that's probably my favorite toy.Hey, Josh Dobbs, real quickly is
(22:32):
we just have less than in ithere Josh Dobbs nine different teams here he
is, and he's actually replaced TaylorSwift on the official NFL Twitter extra page.
But Josh Dobbs, how cool isthat the whole experience been? Honestly,
Dust Dobbs is a dog, youknow, even his last couple of
games the Gardinals, I happened tojust look at Dust Dobbs as a dog.
(22:53):
He's a great person, you know, this real humble guy. Every
time you look at me, healways has a smile, no matter what.
Algie Thompson, Ladies and gentlemen,heared Vikings Country with Millerli, the
official peer sponsor of the Minnesota Vikings. Thank you so much for doing the
show man. And by the way, when we do photos with this guy.
He smells unbelievable. I don't knowwhat it is and he's worrying.
(23:15):
He can ask him, but wegotta do something else. Next on the Fan
It's time for Vikings Country, broughtto you by Miller Lyte. Now here's
your host of Vikings Country from KFANand the Vikings Radio Network. Muss out
of the shotgun. On third down, Cam Jordan got around the right tackle.
Dobbs links sees nothing now he runsout to the left. He points
to somebody, turns to the fiveto the inside, touch stock introdible shots.
(00:28):
Dobbs, with a rushing touchdown,has run Minnesota to a sixteen three
three death Coops takes the snap outof the shotguns, three drop throws to
the end zone and touchcom take twentyeight yard touchdown to t Jay Hawkinson.
(00:49):
While and Dobbs has beaten them byland and he just beat them by air
twenty three three Minnesota in the landerthem my way, North Carolina staring up
the road. Ladies and gentlemen,Welcome to Vikings Country. We're hanging out
here. I made Cowboy Jackson Bloomingtonon us with our friends from Miller Lite,
(01:15):
the official beer sponsor of the MinnesotaVikings. I'm playing a little Darius
Rucker on this one because he's fromthe South Carolina, Charleston and also a
guy who knows a little something aboutSouth Carolina. Is our special guest number
eleven, not Gie Thompson. Heybuddy, how are you better? Well,
well, I mentioned this earlier withthe crowd here as we were doing
(01:37):
some giveaways. I'm like, okay, you'll know him. He's number eleven,
and he wears the yellow gloves andthe yellow shoes, and every time
I'm like, oh, there's aflag on the plate, no, which
is not to getting in. Yeah. I love the yellow cleaves. You
know ConA, Minnesota. You know, if I had to find something,
just come on fourth down, justgonna make a standout coming into Seattle.
Once I made the first tackle,you know, the yellow CLEAs was just
(02:00):
the signats to things. I makesure I have different part of the cleats
usually every game at this point.So probably when I go back out,
probably denied to tomorrow order some moreyella cleats. I haven't rolled the back.
So with Darius Rutger in South Carolina, that's where you're from here,
from Boiling Springs, South Carolina,which by the way, I looked it
(02:20):
up and it got its name becausethere was a geyser and then it hasn't
boiled since nineteen ninety and you wereborn in two thousand, so you never
really get a chance to take advantageof that. Oh yeah, never never
even heard of it. Honestly,you're hearing about it, learned someone new
every day. So you grow upin South Carolina. And it's funny because
Darius Rutger is the reason that wewent and took a vacation in South Carolina.
(02:45):
We went to Charleston first and thenwe went to the Islands after that,
and oh my gosh, absolutely spectacular, beautiful area of the country.
Oh yeah, if anybody wants tovacation down there is a really vacation good
vacation spot. And the beach isa beautiful down there. The weather's always
nice down there regardless, never nottoo much snow. If it goes there,
(03:06):
may get snow for a day,it's going next right, Yeah,
that's well, it's not gonna happenhere. Yeah, learn that, Learn
that quick. Yeah. The rookiewith the Minnesota Vikings here, dude,
you can fly down the field watchinghighlights from your stuff and then watching the
games and doing the Vikings radio networkstuff that I do. Man, you
(03:28):
gotta be like a four to sevenforty guy. Oh honestly, if you
look it up, that's what theyput out there. I said I was
the four sevenist, and I justlaughed about it because it was like,
I'm not a four to seven guy, and so now, yeah, I
honestly thought, you're gonna get pissedme. Oh that's that's exactly what they
have out there on the field.That's so honestly, every we got to
take a person. I'm like,Okay, I'm gonna show I'm not no.
Four seven guy at all. Butno, that's that's what they have
(03:52):
out there. But that does actuallyirk you a little bit, right,
Oh yeah, because I'm like,I'm not in the four things. You
look it up, and you know, track runs right in my background in
two time state champ, former stayrecord holder. So I don't like to
be slow at all anything. Iwas saying to get you going on that
one. All right, So undraftedrookie and then you come up and you
(04:14):
show up here in Minnesota, andwhat does that experience like, I mean,
you're going from Georgia Southern and thennow all of a sudden, here
you are in the NFL and you'reshowing up at TCO. That whole experience,
what is that like basically, youget off the plane. Some fans
are there and when you get offthe plane that know you and you don't
know them, and they're like callingyour name. You're like, okay,
(04:35):
hey, how you doing and uh? And then did you get on the
bus head to the facility and youdo all the paperwork and everything and it's
like okay, practice the next day, and then you learn really fast at
college practice and NFL practice is awhole lot faster. And then just from
me come from Georgia Southern like I'mcoming. I'm like I'm going against first
(04:57):
round picks, you know, secondround guys like so like I'm like,
I'm really here now. It's like, okay, I gotta step your game
up a whole lot more to knowjust barely going through anything, you're going
full speed and you're getting ritall everyrep. What is it like the first
time that you run into Brian FloresCuz he seems intense. He seems like
he is like every time that he'sdoing anything, and you're like, oh
(05:20):
man, he knows something that Idon't know, and it's gonna be bad
for me when I find out BrianFlores is actually he's a real chill guy.
He I mean, he gives theintense look. Honestly, he's a
great guy to be around. Honestly, he's just a businessman. You know.
He wants you to get down toit and make sure he's anything.
He's perfected. He wants us toperfect it with him and everything. And
(05:43):
he calls it our defense. Youknow, he installs it, but he
wants us to run it and everything. He's a real great guy. You
know, he gives the intense look. You know when he's serious, you
know you'd be serious. But honestly, anytime around him, he always has
a small regardless. So you gofrom thirty six, right was it at
thirty six when you first got hereis your jersey number? And then now
eleven? How did that trance?It was funny. So I was wearing
(06:05):
thirty six, and then a pictureday came up, and then some of
the rookies was wanting to get numberfive. So then mackay end up getting
five. So then eleven was available, and then the older guys looked at
me, is like, yeah,you got to take thirty six off.
You look ugly in that. Andso then I was like, you know
what, I'll rockaway number eleven becauseactually Josh wound tell us he actually he
(06:27):
mentioned me getting to eleven. He'slike, yeah, put him in eleven.
Don't let them, don't let himkeep thirty six. And so so
we just went ahead with with it. I love that number. Can make
you look ugly. Yeah, ohthat's oh, that's disgusting. Josh was
not having it. And you andJosh have become good friends. And I
know this because we're gonna get intothat just coming up and just fit because
I watched when you're at TCO andthe rookies have to they have to every
(06:50):
once in a while, you know, do some different things. They got
duties that they have to do asa rookie, in one of which is
singing, and you had to dothat in front of the team. Yeah,
so they actually caught me off guard. We knew it was coming,
but usually, you know, we'regoing order like draft picks and everything like
that, and so they were like, oh, who's the best in Madden
(07:11):
around here? And so everybody's callingmy name. I had to play magas
I'm a big gamer, spend literallymost of my time outside of football,
and I'm on the game twenty fourseven. So they called me up and
so I'm playing Jettas and Madden andso we're going and it's like, okay,
I won that game. And thenext thing, you know, they're
like, oh, you thought youwere done. You're not getting out of
here. So then they're like,oh, now you got to sing a
song. So it's just quiet upthere. I'm looking at all these new
(07:32):
faces and all the coaches looking downat me, and it's like, okay,
I gotta pick a song, andhere we go. So Brett Blakemore,
who was running the show back atthe station right now, couldn't be
more excited about the fact that yousaid you're a big gamer. So he's
excited about that. I watched thevideo but it was from Josh Mattelis's phone,
(07:53):
So I don't even know what thesong is because Mattellas is singing so
loud along with you. What wasthe song? The song is when I
See You by Fantasia. That thatwas the first thing I could think come
to my mind, you know,just some old school song. You know,
we have some vets in there islike, let me do a little
throwback for them. Yeah. Sonow the Josh Mittellis sing, which is
(08:15):
kind of interesting to me because heis such a great leader. We've all
heard that, and the guy nevercomes off the field for crying out loud.
How did that relationship become so fast? Honestly, it was like,
you know, I came in talkingto Josh bon Teller's and he was just
always just giving us like little tipshere and there. And then it was
like from when you come to specialteams, you know, when you first
(08:37):
go out there trying to get thefeel and then like the first couple of
reps don't go as you expected,and so then he might come nit pick
with you a little bit that's trashor something like that. And so the
preseason games get rolling around and it'slike, okay, he's like, I
better see somebo out of here now. It's like we're here now, you
can't shy away. So then youknow, go make the play in Seattle
and then come back, you know, make the play at the Tennessee Titans,
(08:58):
and you know, from there,like you know, Josh just came
to me and he was just honestly, I feel like he's a great leader
to me. You know, he'salways telling me, you know, what
to do, what not to dolike type of thing, you know what
to do better, and honestly,like he's like, come up to me.
He's like, you know, it'stime to make a play. It's
time to make a play. It'sbeen too long. So Josh is just
a great guy. Nagie Thompson isour guest here at Vikings Country with Miller
(09:22):
Light, the official beer sponsor.Oh the Minnesota Vikings were giving away tickets
to sit in the Miller Light lounge. Stop on out here. We're in
Bloomington at Cowboy Jack's. All right, you're nicknamed the flesh. I have
seen that, but it makes sensebecause you know, with your four nine
speed, you get down the field, so you're always like the first one
(09:46):
that gets down the field. Butwhen you're a gunner, how much I
mean, you just get abused asa gunner getting down the field. Oh
yeah, I mean at the endof the day, you know they're gonna
put two guys out there, andsometimes there's four guys back there that you're
trying to, you know, maneuverthrough and look through and then you got
the returner at the end of theday. I mean, it's fun.
You honest, you have to perfectyour craft, and I played the gunner
(10:09):
for a long time. That's whereI basically started off in college at so
I've got thousands of reps at it, and then come into the league.
I faced double teams before I evengot to the league, so that was
a plus. So, you know, just working on my craft every day.
But yeah, you get abused thereheld every single play, and like
they say, you're not getting flagson special teams, so you know,
(10:30):
going out there, you don't eventhink to look for a flag because you're
not getting it off the air.You did share something with me because we
were talking about your friends from GeorgiaSouthern and and former teammates and stuff like
that, but you actually called whatyou're gonna do in the NFL. Yeah,
when I first came into the whenI first came into college, you
know, you come from being cometo high school. You're that guy in
(10:50):
high school. When you get tocollege, you're not always that guy.
There's always another guy. And sofor me, I had to find something
to do, and so I wentto special teams and I always to the
guys like you know, I'm gonnaI'm gonna go to the league playing special
teams, and that's what it is. So for three to four years,
you know, they just laughed atme over and over and over, and
then you know, making it toreality. Now you see a lot of
(11:11):
guys now going to do special teamsbecause they understand the importance of it is
in the league, because I honestly, special teams is not really talked about
enough at the different levels, butwhen you get to NFL, it's talked
about a lot, all right.Nonjie Thompson is our guest hanging out here
with his five to nine speed,still getting down the field. We got
(11:31):
more stuff coming up on the wayfor you here. It is Vikings Country
and it is powered by our friendsat Miller like the official beer sponsor all
the Minnesota Vikings. Also, bythe way, should let you know Friday
football feasts happened every Friday obviously withPaul Allen. It's sponsored by Coors Light.
And you can find out what locationswhere to go. You easily do
that not only at Cafe dot com, but you can also do that at
(11:54):
Vikings dot com as well. Morecoming up on the way on KFA.
Yeah, it's time for Vikings Country, brought to you by Miller Lyte.
Now here's your host of Vikings Countryfrom kfa N and the Vikings Radio Network,
Muss Winston on third and three henas he throws lost one of the
(12:16):
right time inter stepted Time Man.That's the first interception of Time Blackman's career.
And with Rios picks to go inthe game, it's twenty seven nineteen
tie in Minnesota. Saint's trying towin three in a row, Vikings trying
(12:37):
to win five in a row,and Winston goes back to pass, He's
gonna throw one center of the fieldintercepted, and the Minnesota Vikings get a
high five down with the Bulls catchingup. Ben theonline didn't know Vikings Country,
(12:58):
with millerliking, we're hanging out herein Bloomington, Cowboy Jacks, I
must what a great crowd we gothere. Everybody in Skull Nation hanging out
getting excited about the fact that wejust went five in a row, six
and four for crying out loud,and we beat the Saints. So I
think everybody here there's two teams thatyou want to beat the most, the
(13:20):
Saints and the Packers, and sowe still have that coming up. But
the Saints, we got the victorythere and our special guest here, Najie
Thompson is hanging out Number eleven ladiesand gentlemen. Here's the thing, Bud,
as you hear that with Paul Allenon a call and a couple of
picks. How huge the defense hasbeen in the last what five weeks?
(13:46):
Basically the defense has won some gamesfor the Minnesota Vikings. Oh yeah,
we knew, you know, Ihave to own three start. We wasn't
worried about the own three start becauseyou know, you look at the games,
there are one score games at theend of the day. We knew
we just left Cole plays out there. So you know, the outside they
make it was making noise, butinside, but we knew we were fine.
Like I even said, I thinkI even tweeted, like when we're
(14:09):
fine, you know Chiefs coming up. I mean, we loved our schedule.
We know we were up for theGrand but lately we knew that we
got to put the defense on ourback because we missed the plays on defense
that could have turned the game aroundfor the three start and so you know,
coach Flores took it to a differentlevel. We took it personally.
Okay, we got to get somethings rolling. And then the guys in
our room, you know, weeven took it to a different levels.
(14:30):
So you know, you practice differentnow and honestly, the results are speaking
for themself now. Yeah, it'scornerback and then you see Makaia Blackman get
his first pick. You said thatthe sidelines went a little nuts. Yeah,
it was. It was big.You know, he's been he's been
out there playing here and there,not really not many reps here and there.
He just you know, getting thrownin the game. Now, so
(14:52):
now he's out there on a bigdown. And it was for even for
like the sideline and really just forrookie class because we really pulled for each
other so before, so strong.So when each one of us makes a
play, you know, it justit's just like a different level for us
see each other just you know,grinding because we knew the path that it
took to get here, and sonow we're able to make plays on Sunday.
Now it's just even better. Therookie clash. We won't say where
(15:13):
you live, but you guys alllive in the same kind of neighborhood.
Yeah, the others ship. Yeah, we're a fair amount of you there.
What has that experience been like,I mean, this is it like
a cul de sac that you guessyou're all hanging out and making fun of
someone who doesn't take care of theirleaves. Oh yeah, we really just
really pick on each other all thetime. We just like leaving in the
morning, we're all leading around thesame time. Sometimes might just ride with
(15:37):
each other in the morning, justleave our cars there and just might pull
a prank. So like on Halloween, I'll come up to my cow black
Men's house with my costume on andsitting outside with his ring camera just looking
at him crazy. So it's justI mean, it's it's all great times
and just you know, try tofind something different to do outside of football.
Just keep hanging with each other allthe time and just grow the bond
(16:00):
stronger and stronger. Okay, soyou went to Georgia Southern, that's where
you played college ball, and youstarted off as a wide receiver and then
became a cornerback again with your fiveto nine speed. I don't want to
offend you. I'm totally making thatup by the way way faster. But
(16:22):
do you get offended by when youhear sometimes commentators will actually say it about
how cornerbacks are wide receivers that can'tcatch. Oh yeah, I mean I
was just like, I look athim. I say, honestly, you
can just go pull the pull thetape, pull the film because going to
receiver, going to corner to saywe can't catch. Honestly, sometimes when
(16:44):
we dropped the ball, we practicecatching twenty four seven. Sometimes it just
hits the hands wrong and we endup dropping it. But you know we
practiced. We probaticed at twenty fourseven at the beginning of the segment.
Also, I had Cole Swindell crankingup there, and Cole Swindell also Georgia
Southern guy. Every single time yousee him, he's got the GS hat
(17:07):
on and you guys are friends.Yeah, Coach Mondell is gonna represent Georgia
Southern. You know, every timehe has a concert or just outspeak,
he's gonna have it on. Imet him back in twenty eighteen when I
first got to College Frog Bowl game. That's when I had Tyler Bast kicker
for Buffalo Bills, and I playedwith him, So he actually came down
to our bowl game and that's thefirst time I actually met him. And
(17:29):
then I got to see him againout of bowl game my senior year.
He came down and me. He'sjust a big supporter and he comes out
of Georgia's other games when he can, and then I'll met him text every
once in a while, you know, just top it up. I'm definitely
trying to get him hit in Minnesotato a game, So definitely gonna be
working on that. Oh that mightbe sweet. Yeah, made a little
national anthem action and then yeah,then hopefully hopefully and get some of the
(17:51):
work out. And he has abusy scare so when he's off tour,
definitely get in touch with him.So if we can get him out here.
Okay, So now not only areyou guys chop it up football,
but then you and Coachwrendelle Whatel,what's the dumb stuff that you guys?
Oh, we back and forth.I honestly, we we just text here
and there, and I honestly haven'treally got to hang out because this bit
our schedules don't match up too allright now, but you know, definitely
(18:11):
in the off season one more time, you know, definitely look to go,
uh kick it with him and everything, all right, So as a
dB in a cornerback justin Jefferson.We're hoping that there's gonna be a return.
Don't know for sure that's gonna behappening here this week taking on the
Broncos. But what you have toexperience at practices and in the OTAs all
(18:33):
that kind of stuff where you gotJefferson and Addison, I mean, this
is a tremendous wide receiver crew andthen throw in there t J. Hawkinson.
That's gotta be a difficult task.Yeah, so I actually have to
guard I honestly have to guard allthree of those guys because you know Scout
team, we have Scout Team defensesgo against the offense like that. So
(18:55):
I know, I guard each oneof those guys, and honestly, it's
a difficult task each play because youknow, I go from Jordan Addison,
then to go to TJ. Hockinson, then to go to jj J,
and then kJ comes in there,and you know, Brandon Powell goes in
there, and it's just like it'sa different task. You know, it's
it's definitely hard. So honestly,the way it looks in practice is the
(19:15):
way it looks in games. Sowhen they actually call certain plays. I'm
on the sideline, I'm looking like, Okay, this is gonna be a
touchdown because I mean I remember theoffense and what they you know, running
into practice to like that. I'mlike, yeah, this touchdown And honestly,
the exact same way I played itin the practice is literally how it
looks in the game. So it'sactually just it's funny because you're like,
hey, these are their starting dbs. Here is it's like they can't get
(19:36):
it done and sometimes in practice it'ssometimes hard to get it done guarding you
know those three guys right absolutely,And now we've already talked about how Josh
Mittelis has been a big part ofyour early career here with the NFL in
the Minnesota Vikings, Jordan Hicks aswell. You know that's our green dot
that that guy was in charge ofthe defense and it was kind of a
(19:56):
weird thing that ended up happening withhim, and so much so that they
they had to rush him to thehospital. Yeah. I just learned about
that today, honestly because I wasfiguring out because I seen when he signed
Anthony Barr and I was just likeI was caught off, like, oh
man, But I remember, youknow, growing up with Anthony Barr and
the crew. They had here familiarname. But I was when I learned
about Jordan Hicks to day and Ishot him a quick text and everything,
(20:18):
you know, just hoping, hopingthe best for him, and you know,
just tell him like phenomenal leadership,and he's he's gonna lead no matter
what, no where he's at.I mean, he's gonna make sure the
job is gonna be done, youknow, make sure the linebackers still know
the plays and everything. And uh, at the end of the day.
Uh, even the linebacker room itselfis full of phenomenal leaders. You know,
it still got Tory Dye, IvanPace, Yes, you know,
(20:41):
Brian still out there. You know, it's still leaders no matter what because
they're they're learning from Jordan Hicks atthe end of the day. Uh.
So there's there's no there's gonna beno slack of leadership in that room.
Let's see if we can get throughthe five typically stupid vikings country questions.
Good, this is gonna be nothingabout football. It's just gonna be stupid,
all right. On Saturday, ahuge lions escaped from a circus in
(21:02):
Italy and then just started strolling aroundtown and people were just like, Okay,
I'm just I'm not a scooter.And then all of a sudden there's
a lion. One would you believethat it was an actual lion? And
two are you afraid of any animals? One I would believe it's a lion
because I pay attention to my surroundingstwenty four to seven, And two I
(21:26):
am pretty much scared of snakes.Now, I will I will pet a
snake, but like if I ifI see a snake, I'm not going
near. So if there's a handler, you're okay, yeah, and then
petting like the middle of the stake. Other than that, I'm not going
near snakes. I don't know.I'm saying really much scared of animals because
(21:48):
I'm a real sporadic guy, honestly, and honestly, I don't really get
scared of nothing. I just I'mup to look and tried like crazy things,
all right. The inductees have beenannounced for the Toy Hall of Fame
in the class of twenty twenty threeinclude Baseball cards, Cabbage Patch Kids,
the Fisher Price corn popper I don'teven know what that is, and nerf
(22:08):
what is a favorite toy you've everhad? I don't know a favorite toy
because I always broke them. Honestly, I think the one thing was a
Harley Davis motorcycle I got for Christmasone year. I ended up breaking mind,
and so then I took my brothersand broke kids also. But I
think that's probably my favorite toy.Hey, Josh Dobbs, real quickly is
(22:32):
we just have less than in ithere Josh Dobbs nine different teams here he
is, and he's actually replaced TaylorSwift on the official NFL Twitter extra page.
But Josh Dobbs, how cool isthat the whole experience been? Honestly,
Dust Dobbs is a dog, youknow, even his last couple of
games the Gardinals, I happened tojust look at Dust Dobbs as a dog.
(22:53):
He's a great person, you know, this real humble guy. Every
time you look at me, healways has a smile, no matter what.
Algie Thompson, Ladies and gentlemen,heared Vikings Country with Millerli, the
official peer sponsor of the Minnesota Vikings. Thank you so much for doing the
show man. And by the way, when we do photos with this guy.
He smells unbelievable. I don't knowwhat it is and he's worrying.
(23:15):
He can ask him, but wegotta do something else. Next on the Fan
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