As MyCole Pruitt flashed behind a trio of Pittsburgh Steelers linebackers into open space Sunday night, he looked up and saw the football floating in the night sky like a hot-air balloon. He had about a second to process what he was seeing, but in NFL time, that can feel like an eternity — especially for a rookie.
"Just don't drop it, man," the 23-year-old tight end thought to himself.
He didn't. After his spinning catch, Pruitt ran the final 16 yards untouched.
In his first NFL game, albeit a preseason exhibition, Pruitt scored that touchdown and led the Vikings with 51 receiving yards on four catches. In the process, a national TV audience got a glimpse of the athleticism and talent that has made the Vikings so excited about Pruitt since they drafted him in the fifth round out of small-school Southern Illinois.
"Some guys get in games — in real games — and it's too big for them," offensive coordinator Norv Turner said this week. "Certainly, that's not the case with MyCole."
No Division I tight end was more productive in 2014 than Pruitt, who led his peers with 81 catches, 861 receiving yards and 13 receiving touchdowns. Granted, he did most of that damage at the FCS level. But in Southern Illinois' only game against a FBS team, a loss to Purdue, Pruitt caught 10 passes for 136 yards.
"I just feel I have a knack for getting open," Pruitt said. "I had a great relationship with my quarterback [Mark Iannotti] my senior year. We were on the same page and able to connect."
Since arriving in Minnesota, Pruitt proved to be a viable target here, too, whether he was running routes for Teddy Bridgewater or Shaun Hill in training camp or in the preseason opener for Mike Kafka, the man who tossed him the touchdown pass.