Adam Thielen is tired of all the talk and has his eyes on a Minnesota Vikings Super Bowl.
There is never any shortage of hype in the NFL. Whether it is fans of the media talking about this being the year a team like the Minnesota Vikings plays in the Super Bowl, the chatter can get mighty loud before the team even takes the field.
The Vikings have been the target of many analysts and fan hype over the years. Sadly, that hype hasn’t resulted in the team making a Super Bowl appearance since Jan. 9, 1977 despite having many Pro Football Hall of Fame players on their roster and some amazing seasons since then.
One player who is tired of hearing all about the hype is Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen. The Minnesota native has been with the team since being signed as an undrafted free agent in 2013 and has worked his way up from the team’s practice squad to becoming their number one wide receiver.
Thielen was recently a guest on SiriusXM NFL Radio with Bruce Murray and Bruce Gradkowski when he got passionate while talking about the hype surrounding the purple and gold…and how it is time to put up or shut up.
Here is part of that conversation as shared on Twitter by SiriusXM NFL Radio:
https://twitter.com/SiriusXMNFL/status/1294699482391678979
Thielen started by talking about how a team’s makeup on paper or in practice doesn’t translate directly to wins on the football field. Fans know this all too well after watching many high-potential teams crumble every season in the NFL.
"“I think it really comes down to, ‘Quit talking about it,’ right? Like, we can talk about in the offseason how great we feel about our team, how great we feel about all the weapons we have and our defense and our defensive scheme, and our offensive scheme, how great all that is. Well, that’s great on paper, but that doesn’t win you games.”"
The solution to battling the hype is a simple one. The Vikings wide receiver says the key is to do your job and make things happen. Fans have seen Thielen work his magic on the sidelines or in the end zone on many occasions during his career and knows it is those types of plays that can help a team inch toward the Super Bowl.
"“Take advantage of every rep. Whether it be these walk-throughs we’ve been having because we can’t practice yet. The teams that are taking advantage of those and getting better on a daily basis, those are the teams that are gonna make a run and have a chance when it comes [in] February.”"
When thinking of players who put their everything into every game, odds are that Minnesota fans will think of Adam Thielen rather quickly. The passion and hard work he has put into his career are obvious to anyone who has watched him play since putting on a purple and gold jersey and every week he continues to prove how competitive and Super Bowl focused he is.
Will this finally be the year the Minnesota Vikings get over the hump and reach the Super Bowl for the first time since 1977? It is possible. But let’s not get too excited until the team takes the field and starts proving they are worthy of a spot in the big game.
Note: S/O to Pro Football Talk for transcribing the video.