MANKATO -- Finally, a camp scuffle ensued on the 11th day of Vikings practice.
Star receiver Percy Harvin and rookie Harrison Smith, a hard-hitting safety who quickly has gained the reputation for not taking any guff from anyone, were the key combatants during a shoving episode that came during an 11-on-11 team drill.
Players wore shells rather than full pads, but the tempo was aggressive because players are fed up with practicing against each other. This was the last practice before Friday's night's preseason opener at San Francisco.
The incident began when Harvin caught a short pass and turned hard upfield into a crowd of defenders. Safety Eric Frampton tried to strip the ball, but was unsuccessful. Another defender swiped at the ball as Harvin kept running. When Smith became the third defender to reach in and tug on the ball, Harvin lost his temper and the two players started pushing and shoving.
Teammates hurried into the fray. Receiver Jerome Simpson shoved Smith. Defensive end Jared Allen and offensive tackle Phil Loadholt were separating players. Meanwhile, safety/team screamer Jamarca Sanford yelled "Calm down, 1-2. [Harvin's number]" a few times from the defensive sideline.
Smith, a first-round draft pick who's still running primarily with the second team but has seen some action with the first team, shrugged the incident off after practice.
"It's football," Smith said. "That stuff happens sometimes when you play football."
Smith said players are getting tired of hitting each other without being able to unleash at full game speed. That comes -- finally -- on Friday.
