Chart: Vikings player quotes on Frazier's firing

"He's a good man. I wanted to see him here next year. He's a great coach and off the field, he's a good man. It's kind of hard seeing a man go through that, from my first year going through all this coaching change. Like I said, my hat's off to him. I wish he was here next year."

Rookie wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson, who led the NFL in kickoff return (32.4 yards per return)

"I think he tried to keep giving me a chance, and so that was big. He gave me a chance just to come here and just be the starter. So I'll appreciate that. And again that's a relationship I'd like to have for the rest of my life. He's a great guy and gave me that opportunity and it just stinks that it didn't work out."

Third-year quarterback Christian Ponder, who struggled during the season and was benched

"It was tough for me, man, but I didn't really want to talk about it because I didn't really know what was going to happen. Today it was hard to fight back the emotions when he came in and talked to us and seeing how some of the guys reacted. I wish him the best of luck. He's a great coach and I know he'll get another opportunity somewhere else to show what he can do and prove himself."

Cornerback Chris Cook, who Frazier kept on the team in 2011 despite a domestic assault charge. Cook was found not guilty in a trial the following spring.

"At the end of the day, we're all people and we all have feelings. I just hate to see a good man hurt like he was hurting this morning. Coach Frazier, he's going to have a bright future because he's a good man. At the end of the day, he's a man of his word. He'll be good."

"I got his cellphone number. I'm going to call him as soon as I leave here. I'm sure he's probably got all kinds of stuff coming today, but I think it's important he knows how I really feel and how much I appreciate all he's done for me in all six years I have been here."

Linebacker Erin Henderson, who emerged as a starter during Frazier's tenure, was moved to middle linebacker this season and benched late in the season.

"It's the nature of the business we live in. You never want to see anybody get fired, whether it's a player, whether it's a coach. … But at the same time, what matters in this league is winning ballgames, and that's just as much on the players as it is the coaches and everything else."

Defensive end Brian Robison, who got a contract extension during the season.

"Locker rooms usually don't get divided from coaching staffs. At least I haven't seen it. You're not always going to agree with someone or always get along. … But locker rooms get divided when people start doing their own thing. That didn't happen here. From the standpoint of sticking together and seeing it through, yes, the message did get through."