Much like Peyton Manning calling ‘Omaha’ at the line of scrimmage, Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater will honor Prince with ‘Purple Rain’.
The passing of music legend Prince left a lot of people in Minnesota with their hearts broken and scrambling to find copies of the cult classic Purple Rain to watch in tribute. Since then, many others have offered their tributes to the late musician, including U.S. Bank Stadium, where a beautiful painting will honor his legacy.
Related Story: U.S. Bank Stadium's Prince artwork
But the situation isn’t done there. In fact, it appears as though the Minnesota Vikings will honor Prince on the field as well. During practice on Monday, quarterback Teddy Bridgewater could be heard making his line calls before each snap, and one of those calls in particular should be very familiar to fans of the Vikings loving singer/songwriter.
According to ESPN, Bridgewater could be heard shouting “Purple Rain” to his offensive teammates.
Of course, “Purple Rain” is the title of a hit 1984 movie starring and scored by Prince. The song of the same name reached #1 on some international Billboard charts upon initial release and once again after the passing of the leader of The Revolution.
Prince was a native of Minnesota, being born in Minneapolis, Minnesota and embracing everything the area had to offer. He could often be seen in attendance of different sporting events and was even in talks to be the first concert at U.S. Bank Stadium before his passing.
NFL fans probably remember Prince the most for his astounding halftime show during Super Bowl XLI, where he unleashed some amazing guitar riffs and excited a crowd during a heavy rain. For many, this performance has set the bar for Super Bowl halftime shows, combining theatrics, showmanship, and fantastic music.
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“Purple Rain” could become as iconic for Teddy Bridgewater as other signals like “Omaha” and “New York Bozo” became for Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers. However, it is not yet known if this call will be used during the regular season or if this was just a special thing done by the team during training camp.