vikings/nfl
Dan Wiederer began covering the Vikings in 2011, enthusiastically delivering insight on the team across the Star Tribune's print and digital products. Prior to joining the Access Vikings team, he spent seven seasons covering ACC basketball at The Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer. He also covered the Chicago Bears in 2003 and 2004. Follow him on Twitter @StribDW.
Mark Craig has covered football and the NFL the past 20 years, including the Browns from 1991-95 and the Vikings and the NFL since 2003. Since 2008, Craig has served as one of the 44 Pro Football Hall of Fame selectors. He can be followed on Twitter at @markcraignfl.
The words in Christian Ponder's pre-game speeches don't matter
Posted by: Dan Wiederer under Vikings, Jared Allen Updated: January 2, 2013 - 2:18 PM
The latest glowing endorsement for Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder came Wednesday afternoon via defensive end Jared Allen. The Pro Bowl regular openly praised Ponder’s energy and self-belief during the team’s four-game winning streak to close the regular season. Most of all, Allen said, he’s seen Ponder grow more assertive, leading animated pre-game team huddles to energize the Vikings.
Said Allen: “Hearing your quarterback’s voice and knowing that he’s excited, when he’s pumped up, it gives you the confidence that ‘OK, the head of our offense, he’s ready to go.’”
Allen said he recognized similar leadership qualities while playing with Trent Green in Kansas City and insisted there’s an enlivening reaction within teams when the quarterback feels driven to have his voice heard.
“Even though he’s young and there are older guys on the team that are in leadership positions as well, to be a winning organization, a winning team, your quarterback has to be that dominating force and has to be that guy that everybody looks to,” Allen said. “I think that’s really what he’s starting to do.”
As for precisely what Ponder says in those huddles before games? Let’s just say the words aren’t quite as important as the gesture itself.
“It’s loud. You usually can’t hear what they’re saying,” Allen said. “But just the fact that he’s calling the team up, it’s just him physically getting everybody going like ‘Alright, let’s get ready to play!’ … To see him in the center and him being the dominant voice of that whole team huddle sends a message that ‘OK, he’s ready to go.’”
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