Everson Griffen embraces the high expectations placed on him by the Minnesota Vikings when they drafted him in round 4 of the 2010 draft and then opted to recently sign him to a five year 42 million dollar contract extension. With Jared Allen unlikely to return, the Vikings clearly expect Griffen to step up and become the player they envisioned with they made their initial investment and he is ready to meet that challenge.
Everson Griffin recently spoke about his new deal with the Minnesota Vikings, the free agency process and his thoughts on the new Vikings coaching staff with head coach Mike Zimmer. While embracing the high expectations placed on him, Griffen also relished the mutual trust he experienced when he talked to the new coaching staff.
The following are some excerpts from his interview:
On why he didn’t test free agency
“I wanted to be a part of the Minnesota Vikings organization. I wanted to be a part of the family. When I saw them put together a coaching staff like this and having Coach [Mike] Zimmer and [Defensive Coordinator] George Edwards and all of the guys they brought in, my D-line coach, Andre Patterson. When they brought all of them guys in, I just knew this was the right place for me and the Minnesota Vikings.’
On what excites him about the new coaching staff
“How they’re going to teach us technique, how they’re going to teach us to be a smarter football player, how to be a more disciplined football player and the reason I know that is because he’s a disciplined guy. He wants the most out of you. He’s going to pull the most out of you, he’s going to find what you’re made of. He’s going to make sure that he gets the best out of this team. He’s going to be disciplined and he’s going to be ready to coach.”
On how the Vikings intend to use him
“It’s going to be on the defensive line, but he’s going to use me. These guys here, they know how to use their players. I feel that just talking to the coaches that I sat down with a little bit, they know how to use their players, they know how to put you in the right situation at the right time to make the big play. I just feel with his mastermind skills and what he brings to the table, he’s going to use not just me, he’s going to use every single player on the team the right way and that’s what we need. We’ve got all the talent in the world but when all of the talent is used right, then the sky is the limit.”
On the Vikings expectations for him
They have high expectations of me on and off the field, not just on the field, and off the field, too. I’ve got to be a man in my household and I’ve got to be a leader on the field with these guys. I’ve got to earn their trust and I’ve got to earn their respect. We’re starting fresh now. We’ve got a new coaching staff, we’ve got this. We’re starting fresh. This is a whole new slate. I just know that he expects the most out of us and he’s ready for us to compete and that’s what I’m about.
In listening to Griffen talk, he is clearly excited about the direction of the Vikings under the new coaching staff. A former University of South Carolina Trojan, he compares his time there under former head coach Pete Carroll to what he expects the Vikings to experience under new head coach Mike Zimmer:
“Back at USC, that’s all we did is compete. It’s going to be about competing. He’s going to compete. He’s going to play the best players and I’m ready to compete. It was all about competing and a guy that comes off and says, The best players are going to play. Are you ready to compete? That’s all you can ask for. None of this is given, this is all a blessing.”
Griffen is ready to respond to the competition. He relishes the level of expectations the new coaching staff has shown, and he is prepared to meet the challenge:
“I’ve got a workout at 10 o’clock tomorrow. I’m going to go right back to work. With more responsibility, that means you’ve got to work harder, you’ve got to be disciplined, and the biggest thing is is you’ve got to listen. This whole game is built on listening, that’s why the coaches are here. These coaches are here to coach you and you are here to listen. There should be no ifs, ands, or buts about it. They are going to tell you what to do and you do it. I’m here to listen, I’m here to take this next step and be a leader.”
He also feels he has only scratched the surface for what he can do. He is ready to work hard and learn all he can under the new coaching staff. He wants to absorb all the knowledge he can and integrate it with his outstanding athletic ability to make an impact on the field. Never afraid of hard work, Griffen is prepared to do whatever it takes to be the player the team expects.
Finally, Griffen is grateful to the Wilf family for the trust they have shown in him and he is ready to reward that trust:
“I just want to say thank you to the Wilf family. To trust in me like that, it means a lot and I never want to lose that. I just want to thank you, to Rick [Spielman], to Rob [Brzezinski], to Coach Zimmer, George Edwards, Andre Patterson, for believing in me. This is all believing in one and what they could do. I’m going to work my hardest. I’m going to come prepared. I’m going to be that leader and I’m going to earn my teammates trust and their respect. It starts April 7 at 7:15 a.m. in the morning and let’s get back to work. Minnesota Vikings – stand up!”
Good luck to you and your beautiful fiancee Everson Griffin as you work hard to satisfy the mutual trust and expectations from the Minnesota Vikings.
