The Vikings season has been one of up and downs losing players for the year for various reasons. Mike Zimmer has done a wonderful job getting 5 wins out of 12 games considering all the outside factors. The playoff hopes are still alive though very slim.
It has been a season where rookie, Anthony Barr won defensive player of the week for his performance in Tampa Bay. The season has also seen Everson Griffen get named defensive player of the month in October. Teddy Bridgewater was names Pepsi Rookie of the week in week 4 for his performance at home vs the Atlanta Falcons. The awards keep coming with the announcement on Wednesday December 3rd that Adam Thielen was named NFC Special Teams player of the week.
Thielen blocked a punt in the first quarter and returned it 30 yards for a touchdown. It was the first such happening since October 12, 1986 when Isaac Holt did it.
The 30 yard return was the longest in Vikings history until Everson Griffen ran back a 43 yard blocked punt in the same game. The 2 blocked punt touchdown return touchdowns marked the 4th time since the 1970 merger and the first time since September 30, 1990 when the Kansas City Chiefs did it.
Adam becomes only the 4th Vikings in history to block a punt and return it for a touchdown. The Vikings had gone an amazingly long period of 453 games without a blocked punt returned for a TD.
Thielen is the first Vikings player to win the award in 2014 and the 6th since Special Teams coach, Mike Priefer took over Special Teams in 2011. The team has scored an amazing 8 touchdowns in 3 different ways (4 kickoff return, 2 punt returns and 2 blocked punt returns).
Thielen is an example to all young athletes aspiring to go professional that hard work does pay off. He is a receiver by trait but does everything asked of him by the coaching staff. He has come into the NFL the hard way not being drafted but instead coming in as a rookie free agent. He was cut in training camp in 2013 but later signed to the practice squad. He made the 53 man roster coming out of the 2014 Training Camp and has hung onto that spot. His week he had vs Carolina does nothing but help his case on why he should suit up each week.
Congrats to Adam
Thanks for reading
Todd Walkingstick
