With U.S. Bank Stadium nearly completed, several legendary members of the Minnesota Vikings franchise got a chance to tour the state-of-the-art facility.
It’s an exciting time to be a fan of the Minnesota Vikings. The young team just captured the division title in 2015 and will get to raise that banner inside the brand new U.S. Bank Stadium when it opens this season. But, before the current members of the Vikings get to take the field, several legendary members of the franchise got to take the tour and experience some of the futuristic aspects of the facility before construction is completed.
Included on the tour, according to Vikings.com, were several Pro Football Hall of Fame members and notable players from the past. Carl Eller, Paul Krause, Bud Grant, Jim Marshall, Matt Blair, Joey Browner, Tim Baylor, John Henderson, Dave Osborn and Doug Sutherland were all on hand to take in the future home of the Vikings and all left impressed by what they saw.
Being the first to do something isn’t new to Carl Eller. Back in the glory days of the Purple People Eaters, Eller was always the first one to take the field, and now that he was one of the first to see U.S. Bank Stadium, he feels the same kind of excitement.
"“I was always the first one to be introduced. All the fans would cheer and yell and all of that stuff. That brought back memories.Every time, there’s a little bit more progress being made,” Eller said. “It’s fantastic … I’m impressed from all angles.”"
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John Henderson was excited about the idea of the Minnesota Vikings playing in the new stadium. He sees it as one of the best in the NFL and looks forward to the franchise playing in a “real stadium”.
"“It looks like a real stadium now,” Henderson said. “It’s real impressive. It looks like a first-class operation.”"
Paul Krause looked back upon the past stadiums for the team and compared all the new features to the ones of old. The Pro Football Hall of Fame safety was so impressed with the facility that sounded like he wanted to lace up his shoes and play some football in U.S. Bank Stadium when it opens.
"“It’s like hamburgers and steak,” Krause said as he compared the two stadiums. “It would have been a privilege to play in this place … it’s like a mansion. I think it’s going to be fantastic,” Krause said. “Everybody in the country will want to come see this stadium. Especially if the Vikings keep winning, this thing is just going to pop … you can bet I’m going to come to this field and watch football games.”"
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Fans can get their first look at the Minnesota Vikings playing in U.S. Bank Stadium this preseason, when they host the San Diego Chargers and the Los Angeles Rams prior to the kickoff of the 2016 NFL regular season. It should be an experience like none other for fans, and one that will hopefully help bring the team to the next level.