Vikings’ offensive coordinator has ‘always admired’ Kirk Cousins

Before he became the offensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings this year, John DeFilippo has always been fan of the team’s new quarterback.

When the Minnesota Vikings hired John DeFilippo to be their new offensive coordinator last February, no one was really sure who the team’s starting quarterback was going to be in 2018.

Despite this, DeFilippo still joined the Vikings’ coaching staff after spending the last two years as the Philadelphia Eagles quarterbacks coach. A few weeks later, the new Minnesota offensive coordinator found out who his starting signal caller would be next season after the team agreed to a deal with free-agent quarterback Kirk Cousins.

Even though this is the first time DeFilippo and Cousins have worked together in the NFL, the Vikings’ offensive coordinator has always appreciated the type of person and player his new quarterback has been during his football career.

Minnesota Vikings

DeFilippo recently spoke to the Star Tribune and had this to say about Cousins.

"“I’ve always been a fan of Kirk’s. I don’t know the exact grade I gave him when he was coming out of college, but I know I liked him a lot. I’ll never forget that speech he gave at Michigan State. That was part of the evaluation process, just being like, ‘Wow, this guy’s really impressive.’Seeing the way he moves, the way he throws, I’ve always admired him from afar.”"

The speech DeFilippo is referring to is the one Cousins gave during the 2011 Big Ten kickoff luncheon. One where the quarterback emphasized the responsibility that comes with being a top college athlete and being a role model for younger fans.

When Cousins was being evaluated as an NFL prospect in 2012, DeFilippo was entering his first season as the Oakland Raiders quarterbacks coach. The Raiders opted not to draft the quarterback that year, but DeFilippo has clearly still kept an eye on Cousins’ time in the league.

Next: Who will be the Vikings' best offensive player in 2018?

Now that the two are finally able to work together in 2018, how will it turn out? Minnesota is at least hoping that these two new pieces of their offense will be able to help in making their upcoming season a success.