Viktor
Well-known member
- Mar 19, 2019
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“You want to be the nicest guy in the world when you’re not on the field, but when you’re on the field, it’s about business, and it’s about being better than the person across from you,” Odorizzi said. “And that’s exactly what football is. That taught me to be the competitor that I am. Nobody wants to lose, and I’m no different.
“You want to have the edge over [the opponent]. You want to feel in control as a pitcher. … You want to dictate the pace, dictate what’s going on,” he continued. “It’s all about the work you put in and what you’re going to get out of it.”
Odorizzi grew up in Breese, Illinois, which is located 40 miles outside of St. Louis.
He recalled watching the Rams “in their hey-day,” and at 9 years old he watched Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk and Isaac Bruce lead the team to a victory in Super Bowl XXXIV.
Nearly 20 years later and with a sideline view of the Vikings prepping for their 2019 season, Odorizzi shares and understands the common drive to be great.
“Now being in professional sports myself and having that desire to win championships, it gives you a different perspective on being a part of it opposed to watching it from the outside,” Odorizzi said. “You know why people get drawn into it.”