Viktor
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- Mar 19, 2019
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Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer said during his media session that it is good to start working with the rookies, even if it was in a limited capacity.
“You always like to see them with your own eyes,” Zimmer said. “I know we had someone down at the Alabama workout, but I wasn’t there.”
Smith is the youngest player selected in this year’s draft (he’ll turn 21 in August), but he didn’t seem wide-eyed the day after signing his first pro contract.
He can credit the experiences of his father, a first-round pick by the Saints in 1993, and his time at Alabama for helping him ready for this dream-come-true moment.
“Coach [Nick] Saban, his philosophy is not only preparing us for football but for life,” Smith said. “Just coming here now and being here, he definitely prepared us. You know there’s definitely going to be a difference, but I feel like it’s the closest thing to NFL.”
The New Orleans native was asked to compare his emotions between Friday and when he first arrived on campus in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
“Coming in as a freshman in college, you’re moving into a dorm,” Smith said. “I was 17 years old; you have a lot of maturing to do, so I feel like I matured a lot through that process, and my family, my team and my coaches at Alabama helped me prepare for this moment.”
Smith, who was born Aug. 9, 1998 (the day of Minnesota’s first preseason game of the season, a 28-0 victory at New England), said he has a personal reason for why he’s excited to wear the No. 84 donned by 1998 Rookie of the Year (and future Pro Football Hall of Fame receiver) Randy Moss.
“Well, it’s funny because I wore 82 in college, and my dad wore 82 in the league,” Smith said. “He wore 84 in college, so I felt like it would be cool to switch it up a bit.”