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Vikings players reflect on the NFL stars who inspired them Every time the Minnesota Vikings take the field, it’s a reminder that many NFL dreams begin long before a player ever reaches the professional level. For Vikings players, Sundays are the culmination of years spent watching games from living rooms and backyards, imagining themselves making the same plays as the stars they admired growing up. Those childhood favorites often became more than heroes. They became role models who helped shape the careers the players would eventually build themselves. When asked which NFL player inspired them most as kids, Vikings safety Josh Metellus offered an answer that might surprise some fans. “You guys are going to get a kick out of this,” Metellus said. “A-Rod was my favorite national football player. For the longest, I was a big Packers fan. Something about 12 in Madden, he always gave me the dub against my brothers.” Tight end T.J. Hockenson pointed to another player who helped define his position. “My favorite NFL player growing up was Dallas Clark,” Hockenson said. “Hawkeye tight end, won a couple of Super Bowls.” For many Vikings players, those childhood favorites directly influenced the positions they play today. Cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. said former NFL standout Patrick Peterson was one of the players he followed closely. “Patrick Peterson and them LSU guys were dogs in college,” Murphy said. “That was the DB-U when I was growing up. Those guys I watched every single day.” Offensive tackle Christian Darrisaw looked up to fellow Maryland native Trent Williams. “Trent Williams,” Darrisaw said. “I grew up in the Upper Marlboro area. That was my squad. Having a guy like that from your hometown, going to see him play live. The way he played the game, it’s not like your average offensive lineman. He got that swagger to him. Anybody that lines up against him, he’s going to dominate them.” Some players grew up cheering for the Vikings and idolizing stars who wore purple and gold. Others found themselves balancing favorite players with rival allegiances. Quarterback Carson Wentz said that was the case with Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre. “I was a big Brett Favre fan growing up, which was conflicting because I was a Vikings fan,” Wentz said. “Very conflicting. I just loved watching him play. The energy and passion he played with. The gunslinger mentality. Ultimately bringing joy to that field, playing, running around, slapping guys, just being fun.” Linebacker Blake Cashman, a Minnesota native who grew up in Eden Prairie, said two former Vikings stood above the rest. “My favorite Viking of all time was Adrian Peterson,” Cashman said. “Growing up in Eden Prairie, so many of those guys lived in the community. Antoine Winfield Sr. was a role model, being close to the Winfield family.” Years later, the players who once watched NFL highlights and dreamed of making it to the league are creating their own memories on Sundays. The stars who inspired them helped shape the journey, and now a new generation of young football fans is watching them in the same way.