Detroit Lakes, MN native and Minnesota State-Mankato alum Adam Thielen beat the odds just by making an NFL team.
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The undrafted Thielen was an extreme long-shot to ever play in the league when he first arrived at Vikings camp in 2013 after showing off his skills in rookie tryouts. After making a solid impression in his first NFL camp, Thielen scored a spot on the Vikings’ practice squad.
The Thielen story got even juicier in 2014 when, not content to just be a practice squad player, the receiver upped his game another notch and made himself the talk of camp.
A certain sarcasm could be perceived in Thielen’s crowning as “Mr. Mankato” by cynical media types but Thielen proved he was more than just a camp sensation and fan favorite.
Thielen flashed a versatile skill set in camp, proving his value not just as a receiver but a special teams ace as well.
As a receiver Thielen may not have been good enough to make the roster, but as a football player he was. When the Vikings whittled down their roster to 53, Thielen was one of the 53.
The Vikings’ decision to keep Thielen was proven to be a wise one this weekend when the local favorite, playing in front of his parents and no doubt a bunch of his buddies at TCF Bank Stadium, not only blocked a punt against the Panthers but scooped the punt and housed it.
For that play, Thielen was awarded this week’s NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honor.
This individual honor is just the capper on what has been an amazing story. Adam Thielen is no longer just a feel-good story, he’s a legit NFL player by any standard.
Pretty awesome for him.