One of these guys is a #Vikings legend whose jersey I'm wearing right now. The other is Daunte Culpepper. (@Vikings) pic.twitter.com/olfD70naKx
— Drew Mahowald (@DrewMahowald) April 28, 2016
Vikings fans can expect to see a familiar face walk to the podium Friday to announce the team’s second round draft pick.
Daunte Culpepper, who was drafted in the first round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the Vikings, will have the opportunity to announce the team’s second round pick on Friday.
Former QB Daunte Culpepper will announce #Vikings 2nd-round pick in Chicago I'd previously noted E.J. Henderson will announce 3rd-round pick
— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) April 28, 2016
Coming off a 15-1 season the Vikings had the 11th pick in the 1999 draft after they traded Brad Johnson to Washington. Former Vikings coach Dennis Green chose Culpepper to be the team’s quarterback of the future.
Just over a year later, the Central Florida product responded by throwing for 3,937 yards and 33 touchdowns to lead the Vikings to the NFC Championship game in 2000.
The Daily Norseman recalls that Culpepper had one of the greatest seasons of any NFL quarterback in league history in 2004 when he set the single-season yardage record of 5,123 yards and threw for 39 touchdowns. That year Culpepper finished second to Peyton Manning in the NFL’s MVP balloting.
However, Culpepper’s Vikings career ended almost as quickly as it began. In 2005, as the Vikings struggled to a 1-5 start, Culpepper blew out his ACL in the first half of a game against the Carolina Panthers.
He never took another snap in a Vikings uniform as he was traded to Oakland in the offseason.
