Minnesota Vikings seeking out mentally tough players

In the physically demanding world of the National Football League, the Minnesota Vikings are focused on bringing mentally tough players to the team.

The Minnesota Vikings roster has been decimated by injuries during the 2015 NFL season. With how physically demanding the game is, it’s strange to hear head coach Mike Zimmer talking about mental toughness instead of physical toughness.

In a recent article on the Star Tribune website, Zimmer gave a bit of a breakdown as to what he looks for in a player when helping decide whether to bring them in to the team or pass on them. Surprisingly, the list of questions about his prospects seems pretty exhaustive, which is a good sign about how seriously the head coach takes having a smart, mentally tough player to add to a freakish physical talent.

Here is just an example of some of the things Zimmer wants to know about guys before they become Minnesota Vikings:

"“You talk to a lot of their coaches. What kind of competitor is a guy? How does he handle adversity? How smart is he? Is he moody on the practice field? Does he pay attention in meetings? There’s a big combination of things that helps figure it out. How does he react when you get after him? How is the best way to coach this guy? Does he put the team first? Is he all about stats?”"

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That’s a lot to learn about a guy in a short period of time. When you consider all the players who are evaluated before the NFL Draft, these questions are likely asked hundreds of times each. But that also says a lot about how extensive the Minnesota Vikings are in finding players to fit what they are trying to build for the franchise.

The other thing Mike Zimmer is looking for is consistency among his players. He doesn’t want yo-yo type players who can be good one week and dismal the next. Instead, knowing what to expect from his players can be real advantage. That something Zimmer learned from his former boss Bill Parcells.

"“Up one week, down the next. He wanted the same guys all the time.”"

Finding consistency can be tough, but the Minnesota Vikings have assembled a roster with a lot of players who are regular performers. However, the work is never done and soon the team will find themselves looking for more talent to add to the team.

But hopefully not too soon, as Minnesota is still in the hunt for a playoff berth and NFC North title.