In the sixth round of the NFL Draft, the Vikings made German wide receiver Moritz Boehringer’s dreams come true.
Boehringer is the first international player to be drafted by the NFL without any prior college football experience.
In fact, Boehringer had no idea about the game of American football until he stumbled upon highlight tapes of running back Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings on Youtube. Boehringer became an instant fan of football and Peterson.
“Just the way he ran, the aggressiveness with the ball. When he runs over people, it’s crazy,” explained Boehringer on what impressed him about Peterson.
Soon after, Boehringer began playing for a local youth team known as the Crailsheim Titans. Three years later, he landed with the Schwabisch Hall Unicorns of the German Football League (GFL).
In his only season with the Unicorns, Boehringer made an immediate impact, finishing with 70 receptions for 1,461 yards and 16 touchdowns in their 21 game season. Enough to earn the GFL’s Rookie of the Year Award.
Moritz Boehringer 2015 GFL Rookie of the Year || HD
Following his standout season with the Unicorns, Boehringer flew to the United States to participate in the Florida Atlantic University Pro Day. It was at his pro day where he would gain the attention of NFL scouts with his elite athleticism. The 6’4 receiver finished with a 40-time of 4.43 and a vertical of 39”. During the receiving drills, Boehringer didn’t allow a single football to hit the ground. Scouts for the Vikings came away very impressed and let him know of their interest.
When it finally came time for the draft, Boehringer waited until the third day to hear his name called by his favorite team, the Minnesota Vikings. Boehringer is already looking forward to that first meeting with the man who inspired him to put on the pads, former hero turned teammate, Adrian Peterson.
“I heard he has a very strong handshake,” said Boehringer. “I will be prepared for that.”
Follow Jake on Twitter: @Jake_Przytarski
