October 4, 2024 • 29 mins
Welcome to Skol Stories presented by 3M - The official science partner of the Minnesota Vikings. Tonight, Mark Rosen and Pete Bercich are reconnecting with Vikings legendary wide receiver Dr. Leo Lewis III. Leo reflects on his deep family connections with coach Bud Grant, the art of being a successful punt returner, looks back on playing international games with the Minnesota Vikings, the importance of giving back through his foundation, and digs into why writing a book about his father’s legacy on and off the field is so important. All of this and more is in this edition of Skol Stories presented by 3M - The official science partner of the Minnesota Vikings.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, Vikings fans, Ben Lever here, I'm so excited to
be a new Lifetime member, and so are my kids.
They love the tennis, the pickaball, the basketball, and of
course the yummy cafe. Check them out at Lifetime dot
life to find a club nearest you.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Welcome to Schools Stories presented by three M, the official
science partner of the Minnesota Vikings. Tonight we're catching up
with Vikings legend doctor Leo Lewis their.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Welcome back to Schools Stories presented by three M along
with Mark Rosen, I'm Pete Bursich, and tonight we're catching
up with a legendary wide receiver whose impact has still
felt both on and off the field. Please enjoy tonight's
conversation with Vikings legend doctor Leo Lewis.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Leo Lewis, thanks so much for joining the show. I
know you're a busy man. I see you at different
events around town, especially with the legends, the Viking Legends.
So let's tell the folks what you're up to these
days and what's keeping you pretty busy.
Speaker 4 (00:57):
Well, I tell you what. Right now, I'm teaching at
the Universe Minnesota. I've talked there for a while I
teach a sport management course there and we delve into
the underlining issues of sport, including current issues and historic
aspect of sports. So I'm really happy about that and
just have a passion for teaching, and it's good to
(01:19):
be able to do that at the university every year.
And then, you know, I'm continuing to do some research
on NFL athletes as well, something that I've been doing
for over thirty years now.
Speaker 5 (01:29):
And lastly, I'm writing a book about my dad, who
was a guy who was at one time Bud Grant's
teammate up in Winnipeg and who was a three time
All American in college and had a great career, even
better than mine.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
So, Professor Lewis, let's let's dig into this a little bit.
And the game, the NFL, it's never been bigger, blah
blah blah, and the game's changed quite a bit. I know,
we as players kind of are jealous, not only of
the salaries but also of course the you know, the
receiver you don't hit anybody and you can't, you know,
and all the protection. What's the biggest change to this
(02:06):
game that you've seen, you know, over the last I
don't know, ten years, twenty years, thirty years, and what
do you see this thing going in the future.
Speaker 4 (02:13):
Yeah, you know, football football, You still got to tackle, pass, hitch,
you know, defend. But you're right. I think the sensationalism
of it, which in some respects is a good, is
good because I think it's the ultimate team game. But
you know, social media has affected every part of our
lives as well, So I just think that the salaries
(02:33):
like you mentioned have really, you know, maybe distorted the
meaning of team play and the sacrifices that you have
as an athlete to be able to be good and
to be committed. But I think the game ultimately is
about the ingredients tackling, pass, rush, passing the ball, catching
for touchdowns. And I would say the thing that will
(02:53):
change it forever is the risk that individuals have to
endure while they play this great game.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
And Leo, and I don't mean you're the professor. I
don't mean to tell you to do your job. But
my thing, what I've always wanted to do, is a
study per se about technology and football. Because I've been
to as many professional sporting events from NASCAR to Premier
League soccer. Everything I try to you know, NBA. Obviously
(03:21):
NHL football is the only sport that is almost as good,
if not better, at home than it is at the stadium.
And it's been HDTV, and then you have the Internet
with just the growth of technology overlaid between the growth
and revenue from the NFL, and I just think technology
(03:42):
has such a big, big, is a huge, huge part
of why this game is what it is today.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
Yeah, But I bet you would say, though that being there,
being in that stadium is something that you just cannot describe.
And one of the things about sport is really how
it makes people feel. And certainly, you know, you can
feel committed on your couch to a team and have
loyalty to a team. But man, you don't know how
many people would love to come and see the Vikings
(04:10):
play in their stadium because that experience you just can't
get anywhere else, you know, and to be able to
have a captivated audience inside the stadium is something that
would be talked about forever. Everyone could be on their
couch and watch a game, but not everyone could be
in that stadium.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
Say they were there, right. I prefer being a couch
athlete these days, but it's not at least.
Speaker 4 (04:32):
That's okay, at least you know what I think. Yeah,
all those sports are built on spectator involvement, and if
you can get them in the couch without getting them
at all, that at least a win win.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
Again, we're talking with Leo Lewis, and you talk about
the synergy and the connection with your dad and Bud
Grant and what you did after your four years in
Missouri coming to the Vikings in nineteen eighty one receiver
return specialists. How amazing was it if I've used that
word to who joined Bud Grant's locker room and understanding
(05:03):
the historical significance of that with your family, Oh.
Speaker 4 (05:06):
No doubt. And you know it goes back when when
I was a kid, because Bud had the family in
his office up there in Winnipeg when my dad decided
to retire. I will never forget that being in Bud's
office when my father decided to retire in nineteen sixty six.
And believe it or not, when Bud cut me the
first time in his office in nineteen eighty one, that
(05:29):
flashback was amazing. It was amazing. How I'm in Bud's
office too, and possibly at a time in nineteen eighty
one when my career would have been over. Fortunately, Bud
brought me back later in the season, and you know,
I stayed on the team ever since. But to have
that family connection with Bud, and Bud talked about it.
He talked about it a lot because he thought my
(05:52):
dad was one of the greatest players that he coached,
and you know, Dad didn't upset him. You know, they
went to six Great Cups and eight years and won
four of them. So I think one of the things
that has been very motivating for me is to write
those stories that my dad gave to me and that
have been written in Winnipeg and around the country about
(06:15):
how the Winnipeg Brew Bombers, but more importantly, how Dad
and Bud became household names up there.
Speaker 5 (06:21):
So I think one of the things that I.
Speaker 4 (06:23):
Carried with me is the fact that Bud brought me
back like he said he would, and the fact that
he and Jerry Burns felt so compelled to give me
a chance and to have me come back in eighty
one and stay with the team and certainly have that
opportunity to go overseas. A couple of times. You know,
we're going to talk about the London game. But remember
(06:43):
in eighty eight we went to Sweden as well to play,
and certainly being able to know Frank Gilliam and Jerry
Reich out after my career ended in ninety one, they
brought me in in the scouting department for a few
years and that allowed me to go with the team Dennis,
one of Denny's first teams to Japan as well. So
(07:04):
it's been great. I had a twenty four year career
with the Minnesota Vikings as a player and you know,
front office person, and I'll never forget it.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
Let's and Rosie kind of talked to me, or at
least brought it up earlier. So I'm dying to hear
you know the story about when you guys, you were
part of the first team to go right to London
and play a game in London. Yeah, a little bit
different than what we're about to experience when we head
out there. And we've been out there three times already,
this will be the fourth time. Tell us about tell
(07:33):
us about that trip. And because I was on the
trip with you at ninety four in Tokyo and they
were still working out the kinks back at that time,
I can't imagine what it was like a decade earlier.
Speaker 4 (07:44):
Well, you know, I don't think the NFL had an
idea about making a commitment to showcase the NFL outside
our borders. It just was a novel idea. I would
say Mike Glenn had a lot to do with At
that time, it was the general manager. I had a
lot to do with being that initiative and thought about
what it would be like for those outside of the
(08:05):
United States to know what NFL football was about. So
I think if you can recall, you know, we went
over there during training camp, which was not the best
idea to do because our trip literally took three days
and that included flying over there. Wow. So we traveled
(08:26):
in a commercial confines. I mean, you know, everybody had
their seat, and you know sometimes the guys had seats
in between them. It wasn't like to say, Lost Cardinals,
whom I heard I had a person in every seat
on their plane. And you know, once we got there,
we went to practice. We landed, got dressed and went
to practice after the long flight, and you know, I
(08:47):
mean we just didn't think anything bad about that. Yeah,
we would have loved to be able to see London
and have more days to go and see London. But
it was training camp and getting paid five hundred dollars
a week was good, but to go over to London
to have to get paid that way was not good.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
Two anecdotal memories from that trip. I remember getting their
ahead of the Vikings and Bud Grant wearing his hush
puppies getting off the team bus, kind of looking around
in a typical Bud fashion, just kind of equipped. Whose
idea was this anyway? Number one? And then and then
number two the language barrier. Someone brought it up to
(09:26):
the authorities there at at old Wembley Stadium that we
got to get our coaches up in the press box
and how do we how do we get bad an
get up there? Because it was it was not an
easy place to get around, and of course in London,
coaches mean buses. They went, well, we probably have to
get a crane. We have to figure this out. You
remember that quite well, I'm sure.
Speaker 4 (09:45):
Yeah, for sure. And you know, I think it was
simple because we weren't there that long. And for us
as players, you know, it's just a matter of getting
getting our uniforms on for practice, taking them off, resting,
you know, trying to eat. Another thing was that they
couldn't believe how much food we ate either. I mean,
you know, they had they had you know, it was
(10:06):
such a custom that you would have tea at lunch,
you know, but we needed a full meal after practice
for lunch. You know. But I think that was a
Those are the two things that I thought were, you know,
practices that are certainly long gone by, and that the
players just did not have any rights or privileges over
and beyond the fact that they we were in trainee
(10:28):
camp and that's all we were there for. Even in London.
Speaker 3 (10:32):
Yeah, we had we kind of experienced the same thing
in Tokyo. And you said, you mentioned.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
You were out there.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
Do you remember when they they brought the sumo wrestlers
to practice. Yeah, so this is this is a great
story because they they you know, were out, we're done
with practice and they bring out a couple of sumo
wrestlers and Denny looks at him, and Denny's like, oh,
that that's nice. Dave Dixon come here. And then Dave
got up and walked over. And Dave's from New Zealand
(10:59):
and he's biggest human being, I mean six five three
fifty you die Coke from four hundred and just dwarfed
the sumo wrestlers. And then he's just was sitting there
with his arms crossed, just laughing, going, yeah, I just
went up. You got, I just went up.
Speaker 4 (11:14):
Oh, of course, And you know, certainly in Japan, certainly
in Japan, you know the size matters, you know, obviously. Yeah,
but and and again Pete, remember it was like one
hundred degrees all the entire time.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
It was the hottest, hottest week ever.
Speaker 4 (11:30):
Outrageous.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
And we thought Money, we thought we lost money Kiffin,
because Money would like to put this rubber suit on
and go run for a jog. And then he got
he's in toky. He gets lost, and we all thought
he died. We thought he was dead. We thought he
was gone. We thought we we you know, we're going
to go back with one less person than we showed
up with.
Speaker 2 (11:47):
Stick around for more from Leo Lewis right here on
school Stories presented by three M from the field to
the roof and everywhere in between. Three AM, the official
science partner of the Minnesota Vikings, is here. Visit Vikings
dot com slash school Science to learn more. We'll be
right back after the break, but first Unreal is back
(12:07):
with their limited edition Vikings Drop. Head over to nurl
dot com for more details.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
Ready to have your spirits lifted, then laugh out loud
comedy Ghosts is for you. The new season premiere is Thursday,
October seventeenth on CBS. Welcome back to tonight's edition of
Skull Stories, presented by three M, the official science partner
in the Minnesota Vikings. Let's get back into our conversation
with Vikings legend Leo Lewis.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
You perfected you were, whether you're choice or not. I started
in Missouri as as a putt returner, kick returner, whatever
it was, and continued on in the NFL. When did
you realize that was the skill set you needed to
kind of have for your longevity in the league. And
that's kind of a fearless position when you got those
crazy kamikaze guys coming running at you, trying to take
(12:57):
your head off, and your fielding of punt.
Speaker 4 (12:58):
Well, I do believe not just anybody could do that,
But you know, I started in high school. You know,
I'd been doing it since high school and that was
my niche. But I you know, I don't know if
you remember Rosie. I never returned the punt until you know,
my fourth or fifth year. I was always a wide
receiver buying a mode and Sammy and you know, you
(13:19):
had Rufus best returning punt, you had Eddie Payton returning Vikings.
I was kind of like the third choice until you know,
I was able to do well as a as a receiver,
and then once you know, once we had Anthony Carter
come and Hassan Jones, I was really kind of thought
of having more talent. Although Ac could return punts too,
(13:42):
they wanted to save him. They didn't want him to
get hurt. So I came to guy at the time
and did the best I could at that position.
Speaker 3 (13:51):
Leil talk about from my end of it, we saw
in the Green Bay game how important it is to
have a punt returner, and it's one of those it's
one of it's like a long snapper's one of those
things where you just everything goes fine, don't even notices
the other, but when something goes wrong, they realize it.
My opinion is based completely on what Denny would say,
and that's when the whistle blows after a punp we
(14:11):
just want to make sure it's our ball. It doesn't
matter where, just we get possession of it. But the
importance of a decision maker you have to be you
have to be trustworthy and an unbelievably good decision maker
because it's face that you're out there in the conditions,
in the wind, whatever, whatever, leo, and you've got to
make a decision on a punt in a fraction of
(14:33):
a second. I mean, what is it about you that
made you able to do that? And what else goes
into it that I might be missing?
Speaker 4 (14:39):
Yeah, well, I was very fortunate, you know, Jerry Burns
really believed that, you know, I had good hands and
could be trusted. I mean there's a lot of times
that I wanted to make some decisions, but he said,
just fare catch the ball, you know. Yeah, so then
you can ask for this. And also you didn't like
the ball to drop. I can't believe some of these
(15:00):
returners at the college elite college level and even pro
level allow the ball to drop because more than likely
it's going to continue to go forward from the punter's direction.
You know, obviously the team was going to lose field
position that way. So Burnsy didn't want that ball dropped
At all, he always wanted someone to catch the ball.
(15:20):
But I agree, you know, it takes some preparation. I
wrote an article in sports magazine about preparing for the
punt return, and it's a ritual. I mean, when third
down comes, you're preparing yourself mentally. You're trying to figure
out how far from the line of scrimmage is someone
going to be able to punt in case our defense holds,
(15:41):
and you have to prepare yourself. I normally went down
to that part of the field to be able to
kind of gauze where the sun was going to shine
and where I possibly could catch the ball and return it.
But I call it the punt return ritual, you know,
and that you have to really figure out what the
play id as well in case the defense did indeed hold,
(16:04):
because there could be a play that we have the
punt return team could possibly put on a block, so
you have to be ready just in case they missed
the punt, because you know you're not going to have
much blocking for you. So it is it is a ritual.
But then also, yes, being able to catch that ball
is the ultimate ass from a punt returner's perspective.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
We're talking with Leo Lewis, and you played on some
holatious football teams, as you mentioned, in particular the late eighties.
I want to get your perspective on this year's Vikings team.
And you know, to a man, the players, everyone says
things like, well, there's a different feel to this team
right now. I think we could we're picking up kind
of the vibe. I want to get your thoughts about
it from the kind of the outside looking in on
this fourig and old Minnesota Vikings team right now. What
(16:46):
impresses you?
Speaker 4 (16:47):
Well, you know what I think. From the very start,
you know, after they settled the Kirk Cousins issue, there
was a lot of curiosity as to what they would do.
And I think the first thing that I believe help
this team was to get defensive help, and not just
rookie defensive help, but veteran veteran players. I really believe
(17:09):
the linebacker group needed to be short up, and certainly
you had to find someone to replace Hunter. I thought,
you know, the Neil Hunter was out of place in
his forte as a pass rusher. I don't think they
utilized him well. I thought he was best as a
three point down rusher, but that's my thought, and then
I think I think we were okay offensively. We just
(17:30):
had to find that that quarterback that they feel was
going to be trustworthy. We talked about trust, but then
also have the qualities that they really want. And it
doesn't have to mean that we need to have the
best athletic quarterback in the league. That person's in Baltimore,
you know, but we certainly had to have someone who
knew what they were doing, and I think Donald presents
(17:52):
that role. But we also have to trust our coaches
and our general manager to be able to get the
right people in place, and it seems like they've done.
I think you have the best combination of players working
together and playing together, and it seemed like it's working
out well.
Speaker 3 (18:07):
Leo, I want to get your opinions on two players
justin Jefferson number one, I know, but number two's is
a guy that I think you know might have been
He's kind of a modern day Leo Lewis. And that's
Jordan Addison. I mean, he's just an unbelievable lotrunner. What
are your thoughts on those two?
Speaker 4 (18:23):
Well, I think both of them remind me of me
and ac Anthny Carter. You know, we weren't the biggest,
certainly weren't the we didn't. I know, I think Adison
has blazing speed, but I think he uses it craftedly well.
But they just get open, period, you know. And I
think that was our four k. I think Ac and
I just got open, and uh, it didn't matter how
(18:44):
big we were. Tommy and Wade, you know, knew that
and had a lot of confidence in getting the ball
to us. So but I do believe that they have
a great combination of receivers and when we get Ockison
back and or even be better because we can go
deep and have some sharp passing game as well.
Speaker 2 (19:02):
If you want to know, Holland Green, Leo Lewis has
been in this Twin Cities community for many years. All
I can tell you is that I have I can
close my eyes and envision you was King Borius back
in twenty twenty three of the Saint Paul Winner Carnival,
and you had I don't know how many stops you made,
how many parades, how many ribbon cutting events you went to, Leo,
(19:22):
But what proof did you to get involved with that?
What was that process like? And looking back on it now.
Speaker 4 (19:28):
Well, you know one of the people on my board.
By foundation board liked me because he had been a
past boreous and I think the whole idea behind my
motivation was, and I've told this many people, it was
three points. One was that my family's legacy is in
Saint Paul. My dad grew up in Saint Paul, went
to Old Marshall High School off of Holly and Saint
(19:53):
Alwans actually is now at Obama School, and he had
such a rich history. And not only that, my parents
were really they did a lot in the community. So
secondly it was what I do. I mean, I give,
I do a lot of public speaking. I'm in the
community quite a bit, and I use my foundation to
have a great attachment to youth. And so that was
(20:15):
another reason this was going to enable me. The Saint
Paul Winter Carnival enabled me to get into other communities
and spread the word about leadership, citizenship, perseverance and hard work.
And then lastly that's who I am professionally. I think
one of the things that I have in my Bailey
Wick is that I like to motivate young people and
(20:36):
I felt that the Winter Carnival was a good way
to showcase my foundation who I am and what I do.
So it was very easy. Now, I didn't anticipate I
didn't forty five parades and the three hundred appearances throughout
the year, the fact that we went across the country
(20:57):
to Winnipeg, to make in Georgia, to Florida, San Antonio.
But the most important thing that we did was that
we were ambassadors for the city of Saint Paul and
that we conveyed that Minnesota is a good place even
in the winter. So consequently, that's why I've called keeen
winter borious Rex the eighty six.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
So did you have to relinquish the crown in the
road when you were done with you with your time?
Speaker 4 (21:23):
You know what? Thank goodness, it was over. Yes, thank goodness,
it was over. But every year there's a new one
and you'll be interested to know next year's Borias is
someone that you've heard of that but I can't relinquish.
Speaker 3 (21:37):
That, Okay, stay tuned.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
Yeah, well, Leo, we really appreciate your time, your credit
to this community in so many ways, and your influence
on the youth of today is does not go unnoticed.
So we appreciate your time here on school stories tonight.
Speaker 4 (21:52):
Well, thank Pete and Rosie. You guys are good. You know,
I know you. I've known you for a while and
it's no better to people who can really give us
the essence of sport in our culture, particularly in the
Twin Cities. So you got to keep doing what you
do best, and that is to convey your knowledge and
can certainly your wisdom to our listeners.
Speaker 2 (22:16):
Thanks again to Leo Lewis for joining the show. It
was great to be able to reconnect with number eighty seven.
All right, Pete, I know it was your favorite week
of the year the Vikings. Anytime they win at Lambeau
is a great day. Thirty one to twenty nine. They
led twenty eight to nothing to keep their perfect season intact.
Started out, as I mentioned, red hot in the first half,
(22:36):
got a little close for comfort in the fourth quarter,
but that's how good teams are tested. Aaron Jones return
did his thing, Jordan Addison got scored a couple of touchdowns.
What were your overall thoughts about the game against the
Packers and we can move ahead because they're going to
face it their old quarterback Aaron Rodgers in London on Sunday, Yeah,
how about it?
Speaker 3 (22:53):
If it was the scriptwriters for the NFL. Got this right.
You take care of the Packers and then you got
to go face the old Packers in London. I think
what impressed me the most was just the first half,
the first let's say, twenty eight minutes of that game.
It was brilliantly executed. I don't know if I had
seen a team or remember a time, because the Packers
(23:15):
are a good football team, right, The Texans are a
good football team. The forty nine ers are a good
I mean, but the Packers are right up there with him.
We saw that at the end of last year. To
come out and just go up twenty eight to zero
was absolutely brilliant. Offensively, the impact of having Jordan Addison
back and just he just makes a play here and
(23:37):
makes a play there, and you don't have to be
all fancy. It's a little double move here, you hand
them hand the ball off on a jet sweep, a
play that is a defensive coordinator, you're like, it's drawn up.
We had guys there to make the play, but a
good block by Jefferson and a good move by Addison
and next thing you know, it's a touchdown. I mean,
how do you know, what do you do it's very frustrating,
(23:58):
but defensively absolute thing of beauty with how they pressured
and the guys that were in coverage knew exactly where
Jordan Love wanted to go, whereas outlets were, and just
the way you know, it's it's just I guess, the
whole thing that goes into it, with the game planning,
drawing all that up, installing it and installing it to
a point where the players can go out and execute it.
(24:21):
That's a ton of work. And it was just like
I said, just I was so just taken back really
by how well this team played for twenty eight minutes.
And then things started happening right and we talked, we're
going to talk to Leo Lewis, the punt returner, right, Well,
that's where things started to fall. The wheel started to
fall off a little bit with a with a botch
punt return, and then you know that that allows a
(24:44):
good team like Green Bay to get back into it.
You make a couple of mistakes and they make you
pay for it, and the next thing you know, we
got ourselves a football game. But the resilience that you
get to get it done when we needed it, we
moved the chains h burned some time off the clock,
got a field goal late, and so wow, I mean
the team was It's hard I think when you play
(25:05):
that well for a half and then you switch into
a different mode, especially offensively, to hit the gas pedal
again right at the end of the game, right, because
sometimes you go in that conservative just run the ball,
run the ball, run the ball. It's tough to do,
and we did it. We stuck to our guns. We're
an aggressive team. We throw the ball. That's what we
do and that's what they stayed with.
Speaker 2 (25:24):
As a former player and assistant coach with this Vikings team,
what are you sensing about them not getting caught up
in this kind of lofty area they're in unexpected four
and oh start, and how the coaching staff is handling them,
because we keep hearing there's something different about this team,
there's a different field to it. Are you sensing that?
Speaker 3 (25:42):
Yeah? I think so. It's the teams I don't think
are because everything's bigger. The locker room's bigger, the rosters
are bigger. I don't know if it's as tight as
it used to be back in the day, but the
group of guys that they have from a character standpoint,
are are are pretty impressive?
Speaker 4 (26:02):
Right?
Speaker 3 (26:02):
And and Aaron Jones is kind of the personification and
his words after the game where he's like, we really
haven't you know, we haven't done anything yet, right, so
don't just your four and oh congratulations, but it doesn't
mean anything yet yet is the key word. But just
that humbleness that you have to go about. And I
remember I remember getting here as a rookie, and and
(26:25):
and talking to Warren Moon. And Warren Moon didn't obviously
talk to rookies much, but I remember him telling me
one day, He's like, here's the key to this whole thing.
He don't get too high, don't get too low. Just
stay right here, stay in the middle, right, just just
And that's what Aaron, It's what Aaron Jones was saying, Hey,
great job, enjoy it for twenty four hours. But guys,
this is where we really haven't done anything yet. So
(26:47):
if you have that's your mindset when you walk into
this building. So far, so good, but we really haven't
accomplished anything yet. That sets the tone for how you
how you are in meetings, how you are in the
practice field, how you rehab, I mean, all all the
other things that go into it, and I think that
part of it is the character of these guys I
think is what's different.
Speaker 2 (27:07):
Well, as you mentioned, quite a stage will be set
in London on Sunday morning here in the Twin Cities time,
facing their old buddy Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets,
which will present a different challenge because they just lost
to Denver.
Speaker 3 (27:22):
Yeah, they just lost to Denver. I think Denver did
did a wonderful job of pressuring Rogers and making making
him have to be mobile, and I don't know if
he responded. I know the weather wasn't wasn't the best.
It was raining and everything else. So but yeah, you
sit there and go, Okay, well you got a team
that blitz their way to a victory against the Jets.
Well here we go game and something that is something
(27:45):
that obviously we can do well. So I'm really I'm
really looking forward to it. I you know, is Rogers
what he used to be I think pre snap? Yes,
he's every bit of what he used to be post snap.
I don't, but he's still a formidable opponent. It's a
good football team, a lot of young talent. We have
to you know, check the injury wires and see who's
up and who's down and everything else. But it's a
(28:08):
different it's a it's a unique situation anytime you go
over to London to play a football game. We've had success.
We did it just two seasons ago, so a lot
of guys have been through this on this roster. I
don't know how many of the guys on the Jets
have been to London and played a game there, so
it might be a little bit of an advantage for
us that way, but we'll.
Speaker 2 (28:28):
See, yeah, exactly, and this is officially a home game
for the Vikings on like a couple of years ago
when they beat the Saints in London. The Vikings, yes,
are heading over to the Pond to take on an
old familiar face once again on Sunday. Kickoff as an
early one, be a lot of fun. Get up and
have your breakfast. NFL network an eight thirty am local
time in the Twin Cities. Be sure to check your
local listings for details. You can also of course catch
(28:50):
Paul Allen, Ben Leeber and yes, Pete Burst. It's right
here all across the Vikings Radio network. The Vikings Football
Sunday pregame show starts at six. Yeah, I'm a KFA
and so be sure to tune in with host Mike
Mussman and the rest of the crew leading up to kickoff. Peter,
of course, always a pleasure. Thanks again to Leo Lewis
for joining the show, and thank you fans for tuning
(29:11):
into another edition of Skull Stories presented by three M,
the official science partner of the Minnesota Vikings. We'll see
you all again next week.
Hey, Vikings fans, Ben Lever here, I'm so excited to
be a new Lifetime member, and so are my kids.
They love the tennis, the pickaball, the basketball, and of
course the yummy cafe. Check them out at Lifetime dot
life to find a club nearest you.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Welcome to Schools Stories presented by three M, the official
science partner of the Minnesota Vikings. Tonight we're catching up
with Vikings legend doctor Leo Lewis their.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Welcome back to Schools Stories presented by three M along
with Mark Rosen, I'm Pete Bursich, and tonight we're catching
up with a legendary wide receiver whose impact has still
felt both on and off the field. Please enjoy tonight's
conversation with Vikings legend doctor Leo Lewis.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Leo Lewis, thanks so much for joining the show. I
know you're a busy man. I see you at different
events around town, especially with the legends, the Viking Legends.
So let's tell the folks what you're up to these
days and what's keeping you pretty busy.
Speaker 4 (00:57):
Well, I tell you what. Right now, I'm teaching at
the Universe Minnesota. I've talked there for a while I
teach a sport management course there and we delve into
the underlining issues of sport, including current issues and historic
aspect of sports. So I'm really happy about that and
just have a passion for teaching, and it's good to
(01:19):
be able to do that at the university every year.
And then, you know, I'm continuing to do some research
on NFL athletes as well, something that I've been doing
for over thirty years now.
Speaker 5 (01:29):
And lastly, I'm writing a book about my dad, who
was a guy who was at one time Bud Grant's
teammate up in Winnipeg and who was a three time
All American in college and had a great career, even
better than mine.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
So, Professor Lewis, let's let's dig into this a little bit.
And the game, the NFL, it's never been bigger, blah
blah blah, and the game's changed quite a bit. I know,
we as players kind of are jealous, not only of
the salaries but also of course the you know, the
receiver you don't hit anybody and you can't, you know,
and all the protection. What's the biggest change to this
(02:06):
game that you've seen, you know, over the last I
don't know, ten years, twenty years, thirty years, and what
do you see this thing going in the future.
Speaker 4 (02:13):
Yeah, you know, football football, You still got to tackle, pass, hitch,
you know, defend. But you're right. I think the sensationalism
of it, which in some respects is a good, is
good because I think it's the ultimate team game. But
you know, social media has affected every part of our
lives as well, So I just think that the salaries
(02:33):
like you mentioned have really, you know, maybe distorted the
meaning of team play and the sacrifices that you have
as an athlete to be able to be good and
to be committed. But I think the game ultimately is
about the ingredients tackling, pass, rush, passing the ball, catching
for touchdowns. And I would say the thing that will
(02:53):
change it forever is the risk that individuals have to
endure while they play this great game.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
And Leo, and I don't mean you're the professor. I
don't mean to tell you to do your job. But
my thing, what I've always wanted to do, is a
study per se about technology and football. Because I've been
to as many professional sporting events from NASCAR to Premier
League soccer. Everything I try to you know, NBA. Obviously
(03:21):
NHL football is the only sport that is almost as good,
if not better, at home than it is at the stadium.
And it's been HDTV, and then you have the Internet
with just the growth of technology overlaid between the growth
and revenue from the NFL, and I just think technology
(03:42):
has such a big, big, is a huge, huge part
of why this game is what it is today.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
Yeah, But I bet you would say, though that being there,
being in that stadium is something that you just cannot describe.
And one of the things about sport is really how
it makes people feel. And certainly, you know, you can
feel committed on your couch to a team and have
loyalty to a team. But man, you don't know how
many people would love to come and see the Vikings
(04:10):
play in their stadium because that experience you just can't
get anywhere else, you know, and to be able to
have a captivated audience inside the stadium is something that
would be talked about forever. Everyone could be on their
couch and watch a game, but not everyone could be
in that stadium.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
Say they were there, right. I prefer being a couch
athlete these days, but it's not at least.
Speaker 4 (04:32):
That's okay, at least you know what I think. Yeah,
all those sports are built on spectator involvement, and if
you can get them in the couch without getting them
at all, that at least a win win.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
Again, we're talking with Leo Lewis, and you talk about
the synergy and the connection with your dad and Bud
Grant and what you did after your four years in
Missouri coming to the Vikings in nineteen eighty one receiver
return specialists. How amazing was it if I've used that
word to who joined Bud Grant's locker room and understanding
(05:03):
the historical significance of that with your family, Oh.
Speaker 4 (05:06):
No doubt. And you know it goes back when when
I was a kid, because Bud had the family in
his office up there in Winnipeg when my dad decided
to retire. I will never forget that being in Bud's
office when my father decided to retire in nineteen sixty six.
And believe it or not, when Bud cut me the
first time in his office in nineteen eighty one, that
(05:29):
flashback was amazing. It was amazing. How I'm in Bud's
office too, and possibly at a time in nineteen eighty
one when my career would have been over. Fortunately, Bud
brought me back later in the season, and you know,
I stayed on the team ever since. But to have
that family connection with Bud, and Bud talked about it.
He talked about it a lot because he thought my
(05:52):
dad was one of the greatest players that he coached,
and you know, Dad didn't upset him. You know, they
went to six Great Cups and eight years and won
four of them. So I think one of the things
that has been very motivating for me is to write
those stories that my dad gave to me and that
have been written in Winnipeg and around the country about
(06:15):
how the Winnipeg Brew Bombers, but more importantly, how Dad
and Bud became household names up there.
Speaker 5 (06:21):
So I think one of the things that I.
Speaker 4 (06:23):
Carried with me is the fact that Bud brought me
back like he said he would, and the fact that
he and Jerry Burns felt so compelled to give me
a chance and to have me come back in eighty
one and stay with the team and certainly have that
opportunity to go overseas. A couple of times. You know,
we're going to talk about the London game. But remember
(06:43):
in eighty eight we went to Sweden as well to play,
and certainly being able to know Frank Gilliam and Jerry
Reich out after my career ended in ninety one, they
brought me in in the scouting department for a few
years and that allowed me to go with the team Dennis,
one of Denny's first teams to Japan as well. So
(07:04):
it's been great. I had a twenty four year career
with the Minnesota Vikings as a player and you know,
front office person, and I'll never forget it.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
Let's and Rosie kind of talked to me, or at
least brought it up earlier. So I'm dying to hear
you know the story about when you guys, you were
part of the first team to go right to London
and play a game in London. Yeah, a little bit
different than what we're about to experience when we head
out there. And we've been out there three times already,
this will be the fourth time. Tell us about tell
(07:33):
us about that trip. And because I was on the
trip with you at ninety four in Tokyo and they
were still working out the kinks back at that time,
I can't imagine what it was like a decade earlier.
Speaker 4 (07:44):
Well, you know, I don't think the NFL had an
idea about making a commitment to showcase the NFL outside
our borders. It just was a novel idea. I would
say Mike Glenn had a lot to do with At
that time, it was the general manager. I had a
lot to do with being that initiative and thought about
what it would be like for those outside of the
(08:05):
United States to know what NFL football was about. So
I think if you can recall, you know, we went
over there during training camp, which was not the best
idea to do because our trip literally took three days
and that included flying over there. Wow. So we traveled
(08:26):
in a commercial confines. I mean, you know, everybody had
their seat, and you know sometimes the guys had seats
in between them. It wasn't like to say, Lost Cardinals,
whom I heard I had a person in every seat
on their plane. And you know, once we got there,
we went to practice. We landed, got dressed and went
to practice after the long flight, and you know, I
(08:47):
mean we just didn't think anything bad about that. Yeah,
we would have loved to be able to see London
and have more days to go and see London. But
it was training camp and getting paid five hundred dollars
a week was good, but to go over to London
to have to get paid that way was not good.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
Two anecdotal memories from that trip. I remember getting their
ahead of the Vikings and Bud Grant wearing his hush
puppies getting off the team bus, kind of looking around
in a typical Bud fashion, just kind of equipped. Whose
idea was this anyway? Number one? And then and then
number two the language barrier. Someone brought it up to
(09:26):
the authorities there at at old Wembley Stadium that we
got to get our coaches up in the press box
and how do we how do we get bad an
get up there? Because it was it was not an
easy place to get around, and of course in London,
coaches mean buses. They went, well, we probably have to
get a crane. We have to figure this out. You
remember that quite well, I'm sure.
Speaker 4 (09:45):
Yeah, for sure. And you know, I think it was
simple because we weren't there that long. And for us
as players, you know, it's just a matter of getting
getting our uniforms on for practice, taking them off, resting,
you know, trying to eat. Another thing was that they
couldn't believe how much food we ate either. I mean,
you know, they had they had you know, it was
(10:06):
such a custom that you would have tea at lunch,
you know, but we needed a full meal after practice
for lunch. You know. But I think that was a
Those are the two things that I thought were, you know,
practices that are certainly long gone by, and that the
players just did not have any rights or privileges over
and beyond the fact that they we were in trainee
(10:28):
camp and that's all we were there for. Even in London.
Speaker 3 (10:32):
Yeah, we had we kind of experienced the same thing
in Tokyo. And you said, you mentioned.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
You were out there.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
Do you remember when they they brought the sumo wrestlers
to practice. Yeah, so this is this is a great
story because they they you know, were out, we're done
with practice and they bring out a couple of sumo
wrestlers and Denny looks at him, and Denny's like, oh,
that that's nice. Dave Dixon come here. And then Dave
got up and walked over. And Dave's from New Zealand
(10:59):
and he's biggest human being, I mean six five three
fifty you die Coke from four hundred and just dwarfed
the sumo wrestlers. And then he's just was sitting there
with his arms crossed, just laughing, going, yeah, I just
went up. You got, I just went up.
Speaker 4 (11:14):
Oh, of course, And you know, certainly in Japan, certainly
in Japan, you know the size matters, you know, obviously. Yeah,
but and and again Pete, remember it was like one
hundred degrees all the entire time.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
It was the hottest, hottest week ever.
Speaker 4 (11:30):
Outrageous.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
And we thought Money, we thought we lost money Kiffin,
because Money would like to put this rubber suit on
and go run for a jog. And then he got
he's in toky. He gets lost, and we all thought
he died. We thought he was dead. We thought he
was gone. We thought we we you know, we're going
to go back with one less person than we showed
up with.
Speaker 2 (11:47):
Stick around for more from Leo Lewis right here on
school Stories presented by three M from the field to
the roof and everywhere in between. Three AM, the official
science partner of the Minnesota Vikings, is here. Visit Vikings
dot com slash school Science to learn more. We'll be
right back after the break, but first Unreal is back
(12:07):
with their limited edition Vikings Drop. Head over to nurl
dot com for more details.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
Ready to have your spirits lifted, then laugh out loud
comedy Ghosts is for you. The new season premiere is Thursday,
October seventeenth on CBS. Welcome back to tonight's edition of
Skull Stories, presented by three M, the official science partner
in the Minnesota Vikings. Let's get back into our conversation
with Vikings legend Leo Lewis.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
You perfected you were, whether you're choice or not. I started
in Missouri as as a putt returner, kick returner, whatever
it was, and continued on in the NFL. When did
you realize that was the skill set you needed to
kind of have for your longevity in the league. And
that's kind of a fearless position when you got those
crazy kamikaze guys coming running at you, trying to take
(12:57):
your head off, and your fielding of punt.
Speaker 4 (12:58):
Well, I do believe not just anybody could do that,
But you know, I started in high school. You know,
I'd been doing it since high school and that was
my niche. But I you know, I don't know if
you remember Rosie. I never returned the punt until you know,
my fourth or fifth year. I was always a wide
receiver buying a mode and Sammy and you know, you
(13:19):
had Rufus best returning punt, you had Eddie Payton returning Vikings.
I was kind of like the third choice until you know,
I was able to do well as a as a receiver,
and then once you know, once we had Anthony Carter
come and Hassan Jones, I was really kind of thought
of having more talent. Although Ac could return punts too,
(13:42):
they wanted to save him. They didn't want him to
get hurt. So I came to guy at the time
and did the best I could at that position.
Speaker 3 (13:51):
Leil talk about from my end of it, we saw
in the Green Bay game how important it is to
have a punt returner, and it's one of those it's
one of it's like a long snapper's one of those
things where you just everything goes fine, don't even notices
the other, but when something goes wrong, they realize it.
My opinion is based completely on what Denny would say,
and that's when the whistle blows after a punp we
(14:11):
just want to make sure it's our ball. It doesn't
matter where, just we get possession of it. But the
importance of a decision maker you have to be you
have to be trustworthy and an unbelievably good decision maker
because it's face that you're out there in the conditions,
in the wind, whatever, whatever, leo, and you've got to
make a decision on a punt in a fraction of
(14:33):
a second. I mean, what is it about you that
made you able to do that? And what else goes
into it that I might be missing?
Speaker 4 (14:39):
Yeah, well, I was very fortunate, you know, Jerry Burns
really believed that, you know, I had good hands and
could be trusted. I mean there's a lot of times
that I wanted to make some decisions, but he said,
just fare catch the ball, you know. Yeah, so then
you can ask for this. And also you didn't like
the ball to drop. I can't believe some of these
(15:00):
returners at the college elite college level and even pro
level allow the ball to drop because more than likely
it's going to continue to go forward from the punter's direction.
You know, obviously the team was going to lose field
position that way. So Burnsy didn't want that ball dropped
At all, he always wanted someone to catch the ball.
(15:20):
But I agree, you know, it takes some preparation. I
wrote an article in sports magazine about preparing for the
punt return, and it's a ritual. I mean, when third
down comes, you're preparing yourself mentally. You're trying to figure
out how far from the line of scrimmage is someone
going to be able to punt in case our defense holds,
(15:41):
and you have to prepare yourself. I normally went down
to that part of the field to be able to
kind of gauze where the sun was going to shine
and where I possibly could catch the ball and return it.
But I call it the punt return ritual, you know,
and that you have to really figure out what the
play id as well in case the defense did indeed hold,
(16:04):
because there could be a play that we have the
punt return team could possibly put on a block, so
you have to be ready just in case they missed
the punt, because you know you're not going to have
much blocking for you. So it is it is a ritual.
But then also, yes, being able to catch that ball
is the ultimate ass from a punt returner's perspective.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
We're talking with Leo Lewis, and you played on some
holatious football teams, as you mentioned, in particular the late eighties.
I want to get your perspective on this year's Vikings team.
And you know, to a man, the players, everyone says
things like, well, there's a different feel to this team
right now. I think we could we're picking up kind
of the vibe. I want to get your thoughts about
it from the kind of the outside looking in on
this fourig and old Minnesota Vikings team right now. What
(16:46):
impresses you?
Speaker 4 (16:47):
Well, you know what I think. From the very start,
you know, after they settled the Kirk Cousins issue, there
was a lot of curiosity as to what they would do.
And I think the first thing that I believe help
this team was to get defensive help, and not just
rookie defensive help, but veteran veteran players. I really believe
(17:09):
the linebacker group needed to be short up, and certainly
you had to find someone to replace Hunter. I thought,
you know, the Neil Hunter was out of place in
his forte as a pass rusher. I don't think they
utilized him well. I thought he was best as a
three point down rusher, but that's my thought, and then
I think I think we were okay offensively. We just
(17:30):
had to find that that quarterback that they feel was
going to be trustworthy. We talked about trust, but then
also have the qualities that they really want. And it
doesn't have to mean that we need to have the
best athletic quarterback in the league. That person's in Baltimore,
you know, but we certainly had to have someone who
knew what they were doing, and I think Donald presents
(17:52):
that role. But we also have to trust our coaches
and our general manager to be able to get the
right people in place, and it seems like they've done.
I think you have the best combination of players working
together and playing together, and it seemed like it's working
out well.
Speaker 3 (18:07):
Leo, I want to get your opinions on two players
justin Jefferson number one, I know, but number two's is
a guy that I think you know might have been
He's kind of a modern day Leo Lewis. And that's
Jordan Addison. I mean, he's just an unbelievable lotrunner. What
are your thoughts on those two?
Speaker 4 (18:23):
Well, I think both of them remind me of me
and ac Anthny Carter. You know, we weren't the biggest,
certainly weren't the we didn't. I know, I think Adison
has blazing speed, but I think he uses it craftedly well.
But they just get open, period, you know. And I
think that was our four k. I think Ac and
I just got open, and uh, it didn't matter how
(18:44):
big we were. Tommy and Wade, you know, knew that
and had a lot of confidence in getting the ball
to us. So but I do believe that they have
a great combination of receivers and when we get Ockison
back and or even be better because we can go
deep and have some sharp passing game as well.
Speaker 2 (19:02):
If you want to know, Holland Green, Leo Lewis has
been in this Twin Cities community for many years. All
I can tell you is that I have I can
close my eyes and envision you was King Borius back
in twenty twenty three of the Saint Paul Winner Carnival,
and you had I don't know how many stops you made,
how many parades, how many ribbon cutting events you went to, Leo,
(19:22):
But what proof did you to get involved with that?
What was that process like? And looking back on it now.
Speaker 4 (19:28):
Well, you know one of the people on my board.
By foundation board liked me because he had been a
past boreous and I think the whole idea behind my
motivation was, and I've told this many people, it was
three points. One was that my family's legacy is in
Saint Paul. My dad grew up in Saint Paul, went
to Old Marshall High School off of Holly and Saint
(19:53):
Alwans actually is now at Obama School, and he had
such a rich history. And not only that, my parents
were really they did a lot in the community. So
secondly it was what I do. I mean, I give,
I do a lot of public speaking. I'm in the
community quite a bit, and I use my foundation to
have a great attachment to youth. And so that was
(20:15):
another reason this was going to enable me. The Saint
Paul Winter Carnival enabled me to get into other communities
and spread the word about leadership, citizenship, perseverance and hard work.
And then lastly that's who I am professionally. I think
one of the things that I have in my Bailey
Wick is that I like to motivate young people and
(20:36):
I felt that the Winter Carnival was a good way
to showcase my foundation who I am and what I do.
So it was very easy. Now, I didn't anticipate I
didn't forty five parades and the three hundred appearances throughout
the year, the fact that we went across the country
(20:57):
to Winnipeg, to make in Georgia, to Florida, San Antonio.
But the most important thing that we did was that
we were ambassadors for the city of Saint Paul and
that we conveyed that Minnesota is a good place even
in the winter. So consequently, that's why I've called keeen
winter borious Rex the eighty six.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
So did you have to relinquish the crown in the
road when you were done with you with your time?
Speaker 4 (21:23):
You know what? Thank goodness, it was over. Yes, thank goodness,
it was over. But every year there's a new one
and you'll be interested to know next year's Borias is
someone that you've heard of that but I can't relinquish.
Speaker 3 (21:37):
That, Okay, stay tuned.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
Yeah, well, Leo, we really appreciate your time, your credit
to this community in so many ways, and your influence
on the youth of today is does not go unnoticed.
So we appreciate your time here on school stories tonight.
Speaker 4 (21:52):
Well, thank Pete and Rosie. You guys are good. You know,
I know you. I've known you for a while and
it's no better to people who can really give us
the essence of sport in our culture, particularly in the
Twin Cities. So you got to keep doing what you
do best, and that is to convey your knowledge and
can certainly your wisdom to our listeners.
Speaker 2 (22:16):
Thanks again to Leo Lewis for joining the show. It
was great to be able to reconnect with number eighty seven.
All right, Pete, I know it was your favorite week
of the year the Vikings. Anytime they win at Lambeau
is a great day. Thirty one to twenty nine. They
led twenty eight to nothing to keep their perfect season intact.
Started out, as I mentioned, red hot in the first half,
(22:36):
got a little close for comfort in the fourth quarter,
but that's how good teams are tested. Aaron Jones return
did his thing, Jordan Addison got scored a couple of touchdowns.
What were your overall thoughts about the game against the
Packers and we can move ahead because they're going to
face it their old quarterback Aaron Rodgers in London on Sunday, Yeah,
how about it?
Speaker 3 (22:53):
If it was the scriptwriters for the NFL. Got this right.
You take care of the Packers and then you got
to go face the old Packers in London. I think
what impressed me the most was just the first half,
the first let's say, twenty eight minutes of that game.
It was brilliantly executed. I don't know if I had
seen a team or remember a time, because the Packers
(23:15):
are a good football team, right, The Texans are a
good football team. The forty nine ers are a good
I mean, but the Packers are right up there with him.
We saw that at the end of last year. To
come out and just go up twenty eight to zero
was absolutely brilliant. Offensively, the impact of having Jordan Addison
back and just he just makes a play here and
(23:37):
makes a play there, and you don't have to be
all fancy. It's a little double move here, you hand
them hand the ball off on a jet sweep, a
play that is a defensive coordinator, you're like, it's drawn up.
We had guys there to make the play, but a
good block by Jefferson and a good move by Addison
and next thing you know, it's a touchdown. I mean,
how do you know, what do you do it's very frustrating,
(23:58):
but defensively absolute thing of beauty with how they pressured
and the guys that were in coverage knew exactly where
Jordan Love wanted to go, whereas outlets were, and just
the way you know, it's it's just I guess, the
whole thing that goes into it, with the game planning,
drawing all that up, installing it and installing it to
a point where the players can go out and execute it.
(24:21):
That's a ton of work. And it was just like
I said, just I was so just taken back really
by how well this team played for twenty eight minutes.
And then things started happening right and we talked, we're
going to talk to Leo Lewis, the punt returner, right, Well,
that's where things started to fall. The wheel started to
fall off a little bit with a with a botch
punt return, and then you know that that allows a
(24:44):
good team like Green Bay to get back into it.
You make a couple of mistakes and they make you
pay for it, and the next thing you know, we
got ourselves a football game. But the resilience that you
get to get it done when we needed it, we
moved the chains h burned some time off the clock,
got a field goal late, and so wow, I mean
the team was It's hard I think when you play
(25:05):
that well for a half and then you switch into
a different mode, especially offensively, to hit the gas pedal
again right at the end of the game, right, because
sometimes you go in that conservative just run the ball,
run the ball, run the ball. It's tough to do,
and we did it. We stuck to our guns. We're
an aggressive team. We throw the ball. That's what we
do and that's what they stayed with.
Speaker 2 (25:24):
As a former player and assistant coach with this Vikings team,
what are you sensing about them not getting caught up
in this kind of lofty area they're in unexpected four
and oh start, and how the coaching staff is handling them,
because we keep hearing there's something different about this team,
there's a different field to it. Are you sensing that?
Speaker 3 (25:42):
Yeah? I think so. It's the teams I don't think
are because everything's bigger. The locker room's bigger, the rosters
are bigger. I don't know if it's as tight as
it used to be back in the day, but the
group of guys that they have from a character standpoint,
are are are pretty impressive?
Speaker 4 (26:02):
Right?
Speaker 3 (26:02):
And and Aaron Jones is kind of the personification and
his words after the game where he's like, we really
haven't you know, we haven't done anything yet, right, so
don't just your four and oh congratulations, but it doesn't
mean anything yet yet is the key word. But just
that humbleness that you have to go about. And I
remember I remember getting here as a rookie, and and
(26:25):
and talking to Warren Moon. And Warren Moon didn't obviously
talk to rookies much, but I remember him telling me
one day, He's like, here's the key to this whole thing.
He don't get too high, don't get too low. Just
stay right here, stay in the middle, right, just just
And that's what Aaron, It's what Aaron Jones was saying, Hey,
great job, enjoy it for twenty four hours. But guys,
this is where we really haven't done anything yet. So
(26:47):
if you have that's your mindset when you walk into
this building. So far, so good, but we really haven't
accomplished anything yet. That sets the tone for how you
how you are in meetings, how you are in the
practice field, how you rehab, I mean, all all the
other things that go into it, and I think that
part of it is the character of these guys I
think is what's different.
Speaker 2 (27:07):
Well, as you mentioned, quite a stage will be set
in London on Sunday morning here in the Twin Cities time,
facing their old buddy Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets,
which will present a different challenge because they just lost
to Denver.
Speaker 3 (27:22):
Yeah, they just lost to Denver. I think Denver did
did a wonderful job of pressuring Rogers and making making
him have to be mobile, and I don't know if
he responded. I know the weather wasn't wasn't the best.
It was raining and everything else. So but yeah, you
sit there and go, Okay, well you got a team
that blitz their way to a victory against the Jets.
Well here we go game and something that is something
(27:45):
that obviously we can do well. So I'm really I'm
really looking forward to it. I you know, is Rogers
what he used to be I think pre snap? Yes,
he's every bit of what he used to be post snap.
I don't, but he's still a formidable opponent. It's a
good football team, a lot of young talent. We have
to you know, check the injury wires and see who's
up and who's down and everything else. But it's a
(28:08):
different it's a it's a unique situation anytime you go
over to London to play a football game. We've had success.
We did it just two seasons ago, so a lot
of guys have been through this on this roster. I
don't know how many of the guys on the Jets
have been to London and played a game there, so
it might be a little bit of an advantage for
us that way, but we'll.
Speaker 2 (28:28):
See, yeah, exactly, and this is officially a home game
for the Vikings on like a couple of years ago
when they beat the Saints in London. The Vikings, yes,
are heading over to the Pond to take on an
old familiar face once again on Sunday. Kickoff as an
early one, be a lot of fun. Get up and
have your breakfast. NFL network an eight thirty am local
time in the Twin Cities. Be sure to check your
local listings for details. You can also of course catch
(28:50):
Paul Allen, Ben Leeber and yes, Pete Burst. It's right
here all across the Vikings Radio network. The Vikings Football
Sunday pregame show starts at six. Yeah, I'm a KFA
and so be sure to tune in with host Mike
Mussman and the rest of the crew leading up to kickoff. Peter,
of course, always a pleasure. Thanks again to Leo Lewis
for joining the show, and thank you fans for tuning
(29:11):
into another edition of Skull Stories presented by three M,
the official science partner of the Minnesota Vikings. We'll see
you all again next week.
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