Minnesota Vikings HC Zimmer: ‘I love the young players’
By Adam Carlson
Minnesota Vikings head coach loves bringing in young players because he feels he can develop them into the kind of players he wants for the franchise.
Mike Zimmer is a unique head coach. His hands-on approach and vocal leadership make him a very intimidating, yet highly respected man. The veterans on the team know what he expects and have experienced just how high the coach’s expectations are. But what about the young guys on the roster?
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It’s almost easy to feel bad for a rookie getting drafted to the Minnesota Vikings. While they get to be on an exciting young team with a lot of potential, those players have to know that they are entering a system where they will be working their butts off to succeed.
Mike Zimmer recently spoke about the rookies and young players that join the Minnesota Vikings and how he loves what he can do with them in an article on Vikings.com.
"“I love the young players,” Zimmer previously told Vikings.com. “The good thing about them is that you can kind of mold them into what you’re trying to get them to be. You’re trying to get them to understand what it’s like to be a professional."
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Zimmer has a great point. These players haven’t been through the ringer with another team and can be taught concepts without them conflicting or being clouded by what other NFL coaches have drilled into them. That way, the player can have a clear understanding of what is expected of them as they join the team.
But that doesn’t mean that veteran leadership isn’t important either.
"“It’s always great to have the veterans,” Zimmer added. “Those guys kind of help when we’re not around. We try to teach [the young players] the game of football and how to do things right, and [the veterans] try to teach them the game of life and how to be professional.”"
Currently, the Minnesota Vikings have a great group of Veterans to help out this young roster. Guys like Terence Newman, Chad Greenway, Brian Robison, John Sullivan, and others can be there to help these young players understand the concepts of what the team is trying to make them learn.
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With so much young talent, great coaching, and veteran leadership, the Minnesota Vikings could continue to grow and develop as a team and continue their push toward the ultimate prize in football: a Super Bowl championship.