It’s possible that with the No. 11 pick in the first round of this year’s NFL Draft the Vikings will choose a former teammate of quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. DeVante Parker was a much targeted wide receiver when the two played their junior seasons at Louisville in 2013.
Parker, 6-3 and 210, is one of the best wide receiver prospects for the 2015 draft. Although Parker doesn’t have elite speed, he has quickness and has shown ability to get open and make yards after a catch. In 2013 he gained 785 yards on 55 catches while scoring 12 touchdowns.
After his junior year he considered coming out for the draft but remained at Louisville. A broken bone in his foot last season limited him to seven games but he had team best and impressive stats—855 receiving yards, averaging 19.9 yards per reception and 122.1 yards a game.
The Vikings have multiple needs including offensive line, linebacker and in the secondary, but it might be difficult to pass on Parker, a player Bridgewater knows well. Bridgewater established himself as the team’s No. 1 quarterback during the 2014 season but the passing game has plenty of room for improvement.
The Vikings were 29th in the 32-team NFL last season in touchdown passes. They had 17 touchdown throws and 18 interceptions, making them one of three teams in the league with more interceptions than touchdowns. Minnesota’s average pass gain of 6.9 yards ranked No. 25 and only four teams had fewer pass plays of 40 yards or more than the Vikings with seven.
Former Viking Bob Lurtsema, who remains close to the team, said “absolutely” he believes the front office should select a wide receiver with the No. 11 pick who can stretch the field. “You gotta get the corners off, get the corners to back up and respect you,” he told Sports Headliners. “Teddy Bridgewater is the real deal.”
Lurtsema learned to admire Bridgewater during the season including the poise of the 22-year-old and how teammates warmed to him. “He’s a great kid,” Lurtsema said.
Bridgewater was named to the All-Rookie Team by the Pro Football Writers Association, according to an announcement today. The Vikings had a 6-6 record in his 12 starts. He completed 259 of 402 attempts (64.4 percent) for the third-highest completion percentage among rookie quarterbacks in NFL history.
Bridgewater’s 85.2 passer rating ranks as the seventh-highest passer rating among rookies in league history and best for a rookie in Vikings history. He led all rookie quarterbacks with 224.5 passing yards per game. He threw for 14 touchdowns and had 12 interceptions.
Worth Noting
Lurtsema has a lot of praise for another Vikings newcomer last season. He compares head coach Mike Zimmer’s no baloney style with legendary Bud Grant. “Zimmer is out of sight,” Lurtsema said. “Players love playing for him. … He tells it like it is. He’s got a little Budism. He’ll tell you the truth.”
Later this month the Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee will consider former Vikings center Mick Tingelhoff among 18 finalists for induction into the Canton, Ohio shrine. Tingelhoff played in 240 consecutive games over 17 seasons with the Vikings. He participated in six Pro Bowls.
Former Vikings running back Clinton Jones, who played collegiately at Michigan State, is part of the 2015 College Football Hall of Fame group announced by the National Football Foundation.
Giovan Jenkins, who played at Washburn and later became an assistant coach, is resigning as head football coach for the Minneapolis high school. In March he will become a volunteer assistant for the Gophers.
“I am very excited for the opportunity of a lifetime,” Jenkins told Sports Headliners. “It was a tough decision.”
During his 14 seasons as an assistant or head coach, the Millers compiled a 109-34 record. They won 13 city championships, appeared in six section playoff finals and one state tournament. Jenkins had many outstanding players on his team including Jeff Jones, a Rivals.com four-star recruit in 2014, who hopes to be the starting running back at Minnesota this fall.
Jenkins will continue his position as ninth grade dean of students at Washburn. Moving up into a college football role is something he’s thought about for years. “Leaving home is never easy,” Jenkins said. “I bleed orange and blue.”
With the Gophers Jenkins’ assignments are expected to include on-campus recruiting and analyzing game films. “It will be an opportunity to learn college football at the highest level from some of the best people in the business,” he said.
No announcement has been made about Jenkins’ successor at Washburn.
Aaron Hicks, 25, has played parts of two seasons in the major leagues for the Twins but hasn’t established himself as the team’s regular center fielder. In 150 total games with 467 at bats the athletic center fielder’s batting average is .201. Twins president Dave St. Peter recently told Sports Headliners it can take time for the “game to slow down” for some players and noted Torii Hunter, who became an All-Star, went “back and forth” between the majors and minors before establishing himself as one of the Twins’ best players ever.
St. Peter said there is no update on whether former manager Ron Gardenhire will accept an offer to stay with the organization. Gardenhire’s role hasn’t been defined. St. Peter said after 13 seasons leading the Twins, Gardenhire has earned the opportunity to set his own schedule regarding future plans.
Glen Taylor, the longtime Timberwolves owner, is the new owner of the Star Tribune and the Mankato-based billionaire meets monthly to be advised about the newspaper. Taylor said his daughter, Jean Taylor, represents him and typically meets weekly regarding newspaper details.
Gophers football coach Jerry Kill said on WCCO Radio’s “Sports Huddle” program Sunday that he expects four newcomers to participate in spring practice which begins March 2. Kill said he wasn’t sure if NCAA policy allowed him to identify them on the air. One player is known to be Iowa Western Community College transfer Charlie Rodgers, a defensive back. As a junior college player, he was allowed to sign his National Letter of Intent last month.
Kill also said among players who have been injured and unable to play, defensive lineman Scott Ekpe is the only one not expected to participate in spring practice. Ekpe, a junior, made his first career start in Minnesota’s opening game in 2014 but suffered a season-ending knee injury.
The Gophers will be looking to find a replacement for record-setting senior running back David Cobb. Kill mentioned multiple candidates but the most surprising name was Josh Parks from Chisago Lakes. Parks is a redshirt freshman and preferred walk-on who joined the program last year. His senior year in high school he averaged 9.5 yards per carry and was named third team all-state.
National Football Signing Day for high school players is February 4. Kill said the Gophers 2015 recruiting class may total about 23 players.
Zac Epping, who started 47 consecutive games on the offensive line for the Gophers and this fall was named first team All-Big Ten by the media, has retained Minneapolis-based attorney James Selmer of Selmer Sports Management as his agent. Epping is preparing for the NFL Draft with the help of Gophers strength and conditioning coach Eric Klein, and offensive coordinator and line coach Matt Limegrover.
It won’t be surprising if the College Football Playoff National Championship is played in Minneapolis within the next several years. Last night’s first ever game was hosted by AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The 2016 game has been awarded to the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Raymond James Stadium in Tampa will host the 2017 game. Arlington and Glendale have retractable roof stadiums while Raymond James is open air.
The College Football Playoff is run by FBS schools including the Big Ten. With schools represented from all over the country there is likely to be sentiment for staging the championship game in varied locations including the north. The new domed Vikings stadium is scheduled to open in 2016 and its only competition to host the national title game within Big Ten country comes from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis and Ford Field in Detroit. With the Minneapolis stadium expected to be state-of-the-art and among the newest NFL covered football facilities in the country, odds seem high the city will one day host the game. Stadium promoters can already boast of booking the 2018 Super Bowl and 2019 Final Four.
The Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority, the Vikings and SMG announced recently that Patrick Talty has been hired as SMG’s general manager for the new Minneapolis stadium. SMG is contracted to operate and manage the facility on behalf of the MSFA. Talty joins SMG from World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) where he most recently served as the senior vice president of Live Events. Talty’s career experiences include assistant general manager for the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale.
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