Monthly archive: May, 2012

Vikings Trim Two To Fit Incoming Rookies

May 2, 2012, by 1 comment

The Vikings selected ten players in the 2012 NFL Draft last weekend and immediately agreed to terms with 15 undrafted free agents.

With Caleb King having already been released, the Vikings announced another pair of cuts on Wednesday.

The team has waived tight end Daniel Hardy and guard Butch Lewis.  Neither had ever appeared in a regular season game with the Vikings and both seemed to have incredibly long odds of landing a full time role with the team.

The Vikings now have 65 players on the roster, so once all the rookies are signed, they will be at the roster maximum of 90 players.

Anoka County Releases Caleb King, And So Do Vikes

May 1, 2012, by 6 comments

I imagine it was a good feeling for Caleb King to walk out of an Anoka County jail on Tuesday, but probably not as good of a feeling to find he isn’t only a free person but also a free agent.

The Vikings released King on Tuesday after he spent three days in jail on suspicion of severely beating a man at a party who supposedly teased King for looking like Eddie Murphy.  King has not yet been charged.

The Vikings seemingly placed a great emphasis on talent, leadership, and character in this weekend’s Draft.  The decision to cut King, a player that would likely be nothing more than the third running back, should surprise nobody.

The Inseparable Pair: Vikings Newest Receivers

May 1, 2012, by 4 comments

Almost everyone has that childhood friend that they’ve known all the way back to elementary school. You grew up down the block from each other and played every day together until the porch lights came on. Because of your close proximity, you also went to elementary school, middle school and then eventually high school together. You had the same teachers and the same friends. You even graduated together. Typically, though, that’s where it ends. Not many childhood friends, especially ones you went to grade school with, end up attending the same universities. At some point, you part ways for various reasons and go on without that childhood friend by your side every step of the way.

That is what makes the story of wide receivers Jarius Wright and Greg Childs so incredibly fascinating.

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WELCOME TO THE BIG SHOW: Harrison Smith

May 1, 2012, by 13 comments

Welcome to part two of our ten part series called “Welcome to the Big Show” where we give you an in-depth look into each of the Vikings ten Draft selections of 2012.  Brett did a fine job handling Part One, a look at Matt Kalil, and now we move onto our other first round pick, Harrison Smith.

PERSONAL HISTORY

Born on Groundhog’s Day in 1989, Harrison Smith grew up as an extremely gifted athlete.

From a young age, adults took notice of Smith’s leadership abilities and willingness to include everyone.  His mother received calls from summer camp counselors telling stories of Smith comforting kids through the night as they cried from being homesick, and often including other kids in activities even when other children considered them outcasts.

Smith went to high school at Knoxville Catholic where he was a do-it-all player.  Heck, he was even a solid basketball player.  He ran wild as a running back, was a gifted receiver, and showed prowess on defense, and even averaged 14 yards per punt return as a senior.  In 2006, he was selected as Tennessee’s Gatorade Football Player of the Year.

Having grown up at a Catholic school with a strict dress code, Smith got to Notre Dame and let his hair grow out.  While drawing comparisons by some to Justin Bieber, he preferred the Scooby Doo comparisons and embraced the “Shaggy” role when Halloween rolled around.

He was a four star athlete coming out high school, with some schools envisioning him on offense and some wanting him to play defense.  With offers on the table from a number of schools that included Tennessee, Auburn, and Alabama, Smith ended up choosing Notre Dame.  His decision not to play for Tennessee ended up seeing his family be semi-spurned in their hometown.

At Notre Dame, he graduated from Mendoza College of Business with a management-entrepreneurship degree and enrolled in a graduate studies program.

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