Viktor
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- Mar 19, 2019
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EAGAN, Minn. – Duke Thomas joined a new locker room but was welcomed by familiar faces.
Thomas signed with Minnesota in April after spending time in the now-defunct Alliance of American Football, where he played for the San Antonio Commanders. When the Vikings inked Thomas to a deal, they also signed his Commanders teammate, safety Derron Smith.
Thomas also reunited in the Vikings secondary with former Texas standouts Holton Hill and Kris Boyd.
The three overlapped during the Longhorns’ 2015 season.
“It’s awesome,” Thomas said. “My mom actually called me [Tuesday] and I was talking to her, I was just telling her how fun it is to have Holton and Kris in the room again, because I had them my senior year back at Texas. It’s a lot of fun to have my young boys back around.
“It always makes things easier when you go someplace new and you have someone there that you already know,” Thomas added. “There’s a lot of familiar faces.”
After completing Organized Team Activities, minicamp and now partially through Verizon Vikings Training Camp, Thomas said he is feeling good in the system and comfortable with his new teammates.
“I’m just having a lot of fun right now,” he said with a smile.
Thomas is grateful to learn under a former DBs coach in Head Coach Mike Zimmer, along with the expertise of the Vikings defensive backs coach Jerry Gray, who also happens to be a former Longhorn.
Gray played at Texas from 1981-84 before going on to a successful NFL career that spanned nine seasons.
“Coach Gray is awesome,” Thomas said. “He knows the game, and every day he’s telling me something new about a new concept, teaching me the press technique. Just all-around, he’s a great football coach.”