The year
like everything else saw no Vikings Training Camp for fans in 2020 as we lived
through the pandemic. I am a passionate Vikings fan and 20 year Season ticket
holder proud to say have only ever missed two home games up until last year.
Vikings
Training Camp have been so much of my summer time over the past 25 years
starting back in 1994 in Mankato.
I had so
much so fun when I started going I was taking anywhere from 80-100 hours of
vacation from work to make the journey to Mankato ad now Eagan to live my dream
life of a football fan.
I know when
I first started going I would drive over for morning practice go back to
Owatonna and back to Mankato for the afternoon practice. I used to tell people
I would do an oil change before and after Training Camp was over as I would be
about 1200- 1500 miles on my car going twice to Mankato a day.
The memories
I make each year is a lot of reason I go back and of course watching the
players trying to make the 53 man squad each camp.
The words
Training Camp also brings the word heat as yes late July to early August it is
typically steamy and you can’t drink enough water sometimes to help. Yes I am
the man who makes the decision to go and watch in the heat but I can’t help it
as it is a true passion being committed to my favorite team.
I know one
memory amongst many and not so good of memory is having a kidney stone attack
at camp and was it ever a painful drive home to Owatonna only to end up in the
ER to get some IV’s and help alleviate the pain and hopeful to pass it which I
did a day later.
Training
Camp is huge for me as stated earlier and know its football we are watching but
what I truly love is meeting fans from all over. I know we all share something in
common as we are fans of the Vikings so it makes for easy to converse.
I have met
fans from Germany, Belguim, Hawaii and other fans from all over. I know many
years back I met three guys at camp who said they left their wives for three
weeks to see how many NFL camps they can get to. I loved talking to these guys
as they had a plan to get to 13 different camps.
I know
through the years camps have changed but back in the mid 90’s the Vikings
weight room was under tents outside on the parking lot at MSU-Mankato. I had
more fun meeting players who were typically very kind in stopping over to meet
fans and give autographs and take pictures with fans. I met many but two that
stick out in my mind is meeting Korey Stringer and Robert Smith and getting a
picture with each.
The thrill
of meeting players after practice can’t be described. It’s strange because I am
old enough to be their fathers but the rush is crazy. I know in 25 years of
going I have gotten pictures with almost 400 different players through the
years. It’s a collection I am so proud of. I know I have got my share of
autographs but to get a picture with an NFL star just makes me smile.
The memories
continue as one year I had EJ Henderson come up to me and say “ you are here
every day aren’t you?” I smiled and said yes while EJ responds, “you should put
on a set of pads and come out and hit with us.” Ah, no thanks!! I said.
I have a
plastic bin in my basement with a year taped to it having memories in each bin
from each year along with pictures I took.
I know the
last year of Mankato Vikings Camp was extremely hard on me as there were hundreds
of memories including every year going to move in day seeing these large men
moving into the dorms. I went to MSU and stayed in the Gage A Tower and know
they were small so seeing these guys dragging their TVs, quilts, blankets,
clothing and anything else they need for the two to three weeks was so
interesting to me.
I look back
to 1998 when Randy Moss entered camp and watched him along with Cris Carter and
Jake Reed spending time after practice catching ball after ball from the jug
machine. There was a ball boy I will never forget as he too practiced catching
balls and who was that? Yes, Larry Fitzgerald Jr. Oh if I would have only known
he would turn out to be an elite athlete in the NFL I would have loved to meet
Larry.
I could
write page after page and even a book on the Vikings Training Camp but instead
I wanted to try and show you reading that camp is a must go and see what you
think. I always tell people just try it once and if you don’t like it you never
have to go but I got a feeling you may see the thrill that I do.
I can’t wait
for July 28th to make my first trip to Eagan and get ready for the
2021-22 Vikings season.
SKOL!!!!!
Thank you
for reading
Todd
Walkingstick
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