Harrison Smith had just spent 2 hours and 50 minutes playing sleeveless football in the seventh-coldest game for a Vikings franchise that once upon a time played 22 outdoor seasons long before anyone had even heard of global warming.
"You got to go 'tough guy, guns out,' " Smith joked after Sunday's 31-13 victory over Carolina at TCF Bank Stadium. "Once you put sleeves on, you already kind of give in to the cold. That's kind of my mind-set."
Asked if his fellow defensive backs considered him crazy considering the 12-degree kickoff and/or the minus-7 degree windchill, Smith gave a frostbitten nod to cornerback Xavier Rhodes, who went sleeveless, and half of another one to strong safety Robert Blanton.
"I guess Blanton was sleeveless, but he rocks the one-sleeve look," Smith said. "That's kind of his thing."
That left cornerback Captain Munnerlyn as the only starting defensive back to discuss. Munnerlyn just happened to be at the locker next to Smith.
For full disclosure, Munnerlyn is from Mobile, Ala. He played collegiately at South Carolina and professionally for five seasons in North Carolina with the Panthers.
"How many layers did you wear today?" Smith asked.
"Three," Munnerlyn said.