Everson Griffen Growing Into Role As Vikings' Captain
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- It starts at practice, where Everson Griffen wants to prove he's there every day, for everyone.
"I'm a hard worker, hard-working, trying to do the right thing each and every day. We all make mistakes here and there," Griffen said. "Doing the right things, helping the young guys, being the guy that they can count on."
That's the idea, and why he was voted captain by his team a year ago -- a role he had to figure out on the fly.
"Last year was a little new to him. I called him in, talked to him about being a captain," head coach Mike Zimmer said. "I think at first he tried to be the image of the captain and not the image of himself."
He is part of the brotherhood that is the defensive line -- a group built on a bond. At the other end is Brian Robison, his teammate and his friend.
"More of a brothers type deal," Robison said. "We talk a lot about things off the football field. It's just one of those bonds that we have that I think we'll have even when this game's over."
What he really wants is for the defense he helps anchor to be the best and to be the reason this team moves on.
"Defense wins championships. This is a team-driven mindset. It's all about the team. It's team football, team defense, team everything," Griffen said. "And that's our main goal. If each guy can play up to their best potential."
What he really wants to be is a player who would be categorized as unselfish.
"If I could be the best player I could be for my team day in and day out, win my individual battles, and each guy does that," Griffen said. "You're winning your battles so you just got to keep on doing that and we got ourselves a team."
