5 Things to Remember About Stephen Weatherly

[Viktor]

The Vikings know exactly who Weatherly is, which is extremely valuable when adding a free agent, and Weatherly knows exactly what to do in order to do his job in the Vikings defense, which is even better.


His return is similar to that of Shamar Stephen, a seventh-round pick in 2014 who played for Minnesota until 2017 before spending a season in Seattle and returning to the Vikings in 2019.


In addition to being a reliable contributor, Weatherly also is one of the most interesting players in the entire NFL.


Here are 5 things to remember about the Vanderbilt alum:


1. Instrumental player


Weatherly knows how to play nine musical instruments. It all began with the flute in elementary school in the suburbs of Atlanta. Between then and college, Weatherly learned clarinet, trumpet, trombone, baritone, tuba and tenor saxophone.


He learned steel drums and piano during his time in Music City, and the latter really helped him de-stress from scrapping for playing time as he headed into 2017 after spending most of his rookie season on the practice squad.


You can read more about how the piano helped Weatherly's progression here or opt for the digital version of the 2018 Week 17 Playbook.


2. It really is a symphony


Weatherly, perhaps more than any other player on the Vikings roster, can appreciate the way each instrument contributes to a symphony. That understanding can translate to understanding just how interconnected each member of the defensive line is to the success of a play.


Weatherly's most famous play as a Viking is forcing the fumble by former Eagles QB Carson Wentz that Linval Joseph returned 64 yards for a touchdown in 2018. Doing his job well enabled Joseph's rumble. He took information that Jalyn Holmes passed along between plays about an Eagles offensive lineman tiring to know it would be a good time for an inside rush move.


"The ball was snapped … I tried to sell it as hard as I could to the outside and pop inside really fast. I saw Wentz with the ball, loading it back, so I was putting my head down and tried to drive as quickly as possible so he [couldn't] get it off. I thought he threw it."