Minnesota Vikings using leadership as example for young and new players

The Minnesota Vikings have team leaders in place to help guide the newly acquired players and young hopefuls to success in the National Football League.

Putting together a high-quality team in today’s National Football League can be a huge challenge, but the Minnesota Vikings veteran and experienced players want to be sure that everyone on the roster has the best chance possible.

In a cutthroat league where each player is itching to take the spot of another or earn more playing time, the mentality with the Vikings is a bit different. While the competition is definitely still there, the players realize that working together and helping out can make everyone better.

Recently, the official website of the Minnesota Vikings shared an article with an interview featuring defensive tackle Tom Johnson discussing the mentality of the team this offseason and the desire to continually get better.

More from The Viking Age

• 6 biggest draft steals in Minnesota Vikings history
• Former Vikings first-round pick could reportedly return to NFC North
• Bears analyst has extremely embarrassing Kirk Cousins take
• 6 Vikings who (maybe) won’t make the 53-man roster in 2023
• Predicting what the Vikings will do in the 2023 NFL Draft based on 2022

"“Everybody wants to be great in their own individual lane, so it pushes you,” Johnson said. “But you also have to be able to lead by example.”"

At 32 years old, Johnson is a veteran of the NFL and is entering his fourth season with the Minnesota Vikings. He has seen extra playing time during that period due to injuries and was even declared one of the NFL’s most improved players by Pro Football Focus in 2017.

"“When a younger guy sees you doing things and making plays, he wants to do the same thing. So I give them little tips that they can build upon, so when he’s in a similar situation, he already knows. Everybody here wants to make the next person better,” Johnson said. “Because when you’re in a game, I’m depending on him just like he’s depending on me to do my job at a high level.”"

Next: Tom Johnson fully recovered from hamstring injury

Johnson has plenty of experience to share with rookie Jaleel Johnson and recently acquired Will Sutton as the Minnesota Vikings approach the 2017 NFL season and the team will be better in the long run thanks to the unselfish nature of players like Tom Johnson.