Fox 9 goes 1-on-1 with Vikings long snapper, Air Force member Austin Cutting

Austin Cutting was with family and friends in his native Texas when he got a phone call last spring that would change his life forever. Scott Studwell, a Minnesota Vikings scout at the time, was on the other end of the phone. The Vikings were taking him with their 250th overall selection.

Fast forward eight months, and Cutting is a rookie on a team chasing a spot in the NFC Playoffs while he also fulfills service duties locally with the Air Force. He was welcomed to Minnesota by veteran snapper Kevin McDermott, then took his job. He overpacks on game days, and loves skittles. Fox 9's Jeff Wald sat down with Cutting for a 1-on-1 interview in the week leading up to the Vikings' game against the Packers.

What was the moment like getting the call from the Vikings with their final draft choice?

It was awesome. I was at home with all my family, home for the weekend from school and I was able to spend it with my parents, my friends, my brothers, all that. So it was really fun, just a different experience. It was actually (Scott) Studwell that called. They just asked if I was ready to be up here and all that kind of stuff. It was a neat experience, he was 250 also (250th overall pick). That’s what I was, 250, so that was cool. That was his last draft class that he was doing, so that was cool. It hit me more so when I got here, because it was like OK this is the real deal type of thing. It was a neat experience, something that I’ll have forever.

You’re the first long snapper drafted in Vikings history, and the first from Air Force since 1999. What does that mean to you?

It means a lot. It means a lot for me, it means a lot for the school too. It helps me, it helps them, I don’t take it lightly because, like you said, I am the first person in 20 years. A bunch of things with that went into it, and so it helps them.

What was the motivation behind attending Air Force and going to a service academy?

To be honest, I wanted to serve the country and I wanted a “free” education. But I wanted to be challenged, I wanted to go somewhere that would set me up for after college. That’s any academy, that’s West Point, that’s Navy, that’s Air Force. Anywhere you go for those, it’ll set you up and each one has their different challenges and all that, but at the end of the day, as much as Air Force, you like to brag about your own, they’re all equivalent on that level.

How difficult was the balance of chasing an NFL dream after being drafted and fulfilling your service duty?

I was very fortunate because I had a lot of people that were helping me. I was able to focus on the football aspect of it because after you graduate, you get 60 days of summer basically. So during that whole time, that fell into OTAs and Training Camp and stuff. They were working it the whole time and they were like you have 60 days of summer, you go focus on that. Once it gets closer, we’ll figure it out type of thing. It was a long process, but I’m thankful it worked out.

What is life like as a recruiter while also playing in the NFL?

So it changed at the very beginning of the season. I’m actually an aircraft maintenance officer. So every Tuesday, or every off day, I’m going to Fort Snelling and I’m doing that. There’s a base over there, so I’m doing that and it’s fun. It’s challenging, it’s different, but it’s fun.

What was the moment like when you learned you had beaten Kevin McDermott for the long snapper job? How much did you learn from him in offseason workouts?

It was awesome, Kevin did a really good job of just like helping me being able to understand things here and there. At the same time, he understood that it was a competition still, so he was helping me on everything. Never was saying one thing, but didn’t mean type of thing. I was very fortunate to come into a place that had Kevin here, who’s been playing for a while. He helped me a lot. There’s still a good relationship there, but I mean you know it’s a competition so I feel like it was probably the same for both of us. Kevin has been through it more though, he’s come out on top every single time so I’m just fortunate to be here. He helped me a lot with just anything, everything. Stuff that was football-related, stuff that wasn’t football-related. I can’t be more thankful for him.

What was the moment like when you won the long snapper job?

I don’t really like know how to explain it. I was just like OK, this is it type thing. It wasn’t like I was like freaking out, like OK I gotta do this, gotta do that. It’s just OK, keep doing what I’ve been doing and that’s ultimately what will take you further instead of thinking OK now I got it, now I have to do this and I have to do that. It was exciting, but at the same time, but now I realize it’s me and I have to keep doing what I’ve been doing.

How has the chemistry come together between yourself, Britton Colquitt and Dan Bailey?

It’s just fun. It wasn’t not fun before, but it’s just everyone brings something different to the table. We take it serious but at the same time, have fun with it. That’s one of the things I’ve learned is you have to take it serious, but you also have to have fun with it. If you’re always so serious about it, it’s not going to be as good. Britton has done a great job, not just with the specialists, he’s brought a different mood to the entire locker room. He likes to have fun and it’s fun.

What’s been the biggest adjustment to life as an NFL rookie?

Pretty much living on my own is kind of funny as it is. At the academy, you’re in dorms the entire four years, you have food every day, weekends too at the cafeteria we have. You never really had to do much as far as living on your own type of things. Now it’s more so I’ve got to do this, do that, buy this, buy that, all that kind of stuff. Non-football related as well as football, it’s just a little different.

Do you have a game day ritual or routine?

I think everyone has their own thing. I find myself always just like with packing, I pack pretty much the same stuff every week, even if I don’t like need it. Small things like that, we talk about it too, it almost gets to the point where you build up so many that you pretty much get tired of them and you start to break them down as the season goes. It’s like no I didn’t do this and everything is OK. I don’t have to do that type thing. Just little kind of pointless things that mean something to you type of thing.

What is your go-to snack or cheat food and why?

I’m always a fan of Skittles, I love Skittles. I’ve always been a fan.