'Be the Change': Vikings address social justice reform after practice at U.S. Bank Stadium
Vikings running back Ameer Abdullah addressed reporters after Friday's practice at U.S. Bank Stadium to talk about what the team is doing to battle racial inequality.
MINNEAPOLIS - The Minnesota Vikings and their coaches headed to U.S. Bank Stadium on Friday to get a look at their facility with just more than two weeks to go before hosting the Green Bay Packers Week 1 on Sept. 13.
But the talk after the workout, much like it was on Thursday, had little to do with football. At least eight NFL teams opted not to practice Thursday, but the Vikings did at TCO Performance Center after a team meeting that lasted around two hours. Players got a chance to express their emotions and opinions on the police shooting of Jacob Blake, and what they want to do to create change to fight racial inequality.
Vikings voice concern over social injustice
At practice, Minnesota Vikings players voiced their concerns over social injustice following the recent police shooting in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Head coach Mike Zimmer said Thursday they practiced because they didn’t want to create “a 24-hour shock” by taking the day off and sending players home in protest. Civil unrest broke out in Kenosha, Wis., after Blake was shot seven times in the back by police, who were responding to a domestic incident. The Vikings’ goal is to create change, or as the U.S. Bank Stadium scoreboard displayed at Friday’s practice, “Be the Change.”
So what are the Vikings doing to take action in the fight against social justice issues? They’re urging citizens, and the team itself, to get out and vote in November, and increase voter education and registration. They’re supporting the adoption and implementation of a curriculum on racism and Black history, and they’re advocating for police and criminal justice reform.
Vikings owners Mark and Zygi Wilf released a statement after the workout, offering their full support as the team takes initiative on various issues.
“We wholeheartedly support the message Vikings players delivered from U.S. Bank Stadium today and continue to be proud of how they are using their platform to productively and peacefully bring awareness to critical issues of racism and injustice with the goal of creating transformational change. We are angered and distressed by the continued horrendous acts of violence against members of the Black community, most recently the shooting of Jacob Blake,” the statement reads.
After about a 90-minute practice, Mike Zimmer, Ameer Abdullah, Kyle Rudolph and Anthony Harris each took the microphone on the field and addressed media members in attendance, with the entire team behind them listening. Abdullah spoke about the Blake shooting, and how Minneapolis has been the epicenter of racial inequity this year after the death of George Floyd.
“I know I speak for a lot of men behind me right now when I say we’re sick to our stomachs, we’re disgusted by the things that we’re seeing. No children should ever witness their father being shot seven times in the back, regardless of the circumstance.
“We want proper (prosecution) of Derek Chauvin, the police officer that kneeled on George Floyd’s neck for eight minutes, along with the other officers. That’s all we want, just to start there. We need the politicians, we need the government officials, the bureaucratic system to stand up and be leaders. Right now, we’re saying we’re going to put the pressure on the bureaucratic system to implement a proper (prosecution) of Derek Chauvin, along with the other officers who murdered George Floyd in the streets of Minneapolis. I’m one man, but the army behind me is much stronger when we’re together,” Abdullah said. “We’re sick of the process and the system failing us. We’re standing up right now as the Minnesota Vikings and saying we want a proper jury, we want a proper (prosecution) of Derek Chauvin.”
Rudolph, who organized a food and supply drive for residents directly affected by the riots after Floyd’s death, talked about how the Vikings have come together as a team despite different ethnicities, different backgrounds and different life experiences. He says they can be an example for what life can and should be like moving forward.
“I couldn’t be more proud of these men behind me, and it’s our goal as we move forward, we want to be an example for the entire world of what things can be like. We put our differences aside and we go to work. We also want to be at the forefront of change,” Rudolph said. “This team is working towards two things: Winning a championship, and being the change. We’re going to do both of those.”
While they continue to fight for social justice causes, there’s also the reality that their season opener is nearly two weeks away amid a global health pandemic. The Vikings will host the Packers, without the fortune of fine-tuning in the preseason, two weeks from Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium.
For the 11th straight practice, defensive end Danielle Hunter stood and watched as his teammates worked out for a half of game-like situations. Zimmer reiterated Thursday he has a “little tweak” and said “sometimes they take a long time.” The Vikings don’t have to disclose his injury until the week leading up to playing the Packers, but it’s something to monitor moving forward.
Dakota Dozier has the inside track to win the starting left guard job on the offensive line. He got a majority of the first-team reps on Friday. Rookie Justin Jefferson was all over the field Friday, but got several reps as a slot receiver. Rookie K.J. Osborn got most of the reps at both punt and kick returning, and rookie Cameron Dantzler got reps at the third defensive back spot, behind Mike Hughes and Holton Hill.
Kirk Cousins had an up and down day with the first-team offense. Cousins had five drives in one half of play. They resulted in three punts, and Dan Bailey field goals from 35 and 31 yards.
The Vikings are off Saturday and will resume practice on Sunday at TCO Performance Center.