.@TroyAikman is at Winter Park checking out #Vikings mini camp today. pic.twitter.com/eZ07n9Z5Yn
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) June 17, 2015
These days you never know who might drop by Winter Park. Last month, during the offseason program former Packers and Vikings quarterback Brett Favre made an appearance; last week former NFL defensive lineman Greg Ellis dropped by; and now so has former Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman.
According to 1500 ESPN, the Vikings – with one of the younger rosters in the NFL – have embraced an open-door policy when it comes to successful former players and coaches visiting the team. In addition to Ellis, Favre and Aikman, the list also includes John Randle, Jerry Burns, Bud Grant and Hudson Houck.
Aikman was at the Vikings second day of minicamp on Wednesday. The Hall of Famer has ties to the Vikings coaching staff – most notably offensive coordinator Norv Turner, who held the same post in Dallas during Aikman’s glory days.
Aikman, who was in Minnesota visiting family, went out to Vikings camp and came back impressed by what he saw from Minnesota’s young quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.
“I’m a fan,” Aikman told the Pioneer Press. “I like him. Having gone through last year, I thought he did a real nice job, especially when all of a sudden you’re without your big back in the backfield (Adrian Peterson – who missed all but one game in 2014).
Aikman thinks 2015 could be a big year for Bridgewater.
Troy Aikman on Teddy Bridgewater: "This will be a good year for him, having been through the season and knowing what’s required.’’
— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) June 17, 2015
One thing that will surely help Bridgewater is consistency. He comes into 2015 knowing he’s the starting quarterback after starting the final 15 games last season, and not a lot around the second-year signal caller has changed. That’s something offensive coordinator Turner thinks is important for a young quarterback’s success.
“The people who have success, the Bradys the Peyton Mannings, Troy when he was in Dallas, they get in the same system, get the same people around them and do the same things over and over,” Turner told reporters Wednesday. “Not one year or two years, but six, seven, eight, nine years. That’s what we’d like to do for this young group.”
The Vikings conclude minicamp on Thursday.
