Ice baths, cold towels: How Vikings got through first brutally hot days of training camp
By Christian Veninga, WCCO intern
EAGAN, Minn. -- Dozens of coolers, water, and Gatorade bottles lined the sidelines of the Vikings' outdoor training fields at TCO Performance Center. Ice baths, cold towels, and huge metal fans awaited in tents should a player need to cool down.
Reporters, eager to get pictures, interviews, and footage, stood by the turf, sweating and waiting patiently in the Minnesota heat for the moment when practice ended. The team, practicing without heavy pads, seemed unbothered by the heat. Some of them, including coaches and trainers, were wearing long sleeves and black pants, quite bold for a heat wave.
Not one of them complained as the team ran punt blocking, fumble recovery, and interception drills. For rookies vying for a spot on the 53-man roster, complaining was the last thing they wanted to do. An Offensive Lineman, trying to get his teammates hyped up, exclaimed, "We're outside today!"
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Players, including Justin Jefferson and Cam Bynum, ran out from the facility into the sweltering heat excited as ever to play. At the end of the first practice, Alexander Mattison had a lengthy conversation with a staff member while most players went back inside. He seemed in no hurry to get back to the cold embrace of the air conditioning.
Quarterbacks Kirk Cousins, Nick Mullens, and 2023 fifth-round pick Jaren Hall took turns running plays (at which point journalists and photographers were told to turn off their cameras). Cousins threw a contested pass that the speedy first-round pick Jordan Addison and his USC teammate Mekhi Blackmon fought for possession of, ruled out of bounds before it could be declared a catch or interception.
Harrison Smith nabbed an interception off a tightly contested throw from backup QB Nick Mullens. Players ran from the sidelines, hyped as if the 12-year veteran secured a game-sealing pick during the regular season.
In a previous article, it was stated that there were more questions than answers heading into the season, and there still are. However, just like the team seemed unbothered by the heat, they certainly seemed unbothered by the unknowns heading into 2023 season.