Vikings, Bengals plan to avoid Brock Lesnar-inspired mayhem of 2004 joint scrimmage

NFL joint practices are combustible settings that need strict adult supervision or else things tend to go kablooey.

Right, Shaun Hill?

"Well, I just remember a Chiefs coach down around [Jim] Kleinsasser's ankles during one of the brawls," the Vikings backup quarterback said. "I thought that was kind of interesting. Bodies were flying around that day for sure."

Hill is in his 15th NFL season and second stint with the Vikings. He's the only current Viking who played for Mike Tice, the tough-talking coach who always pushed the envelope on what was acceptable physicality. He's also the only current Viking who was teammates with Brock Lesnar, the professional wrestler-turned-defensive tackle who incited, to Tice's delight, the WWE-style melees during those infamous joint practices with Kansas City in Mankato 12 years ago.

Hill will be in Cincinnati on Wednesday for his first joint practice as a Viking since Summer Slam '04. The Vikings and Bengals will practice Wednesday and Thursday and play a preseason opener at Paul Brown Stadium on Friday. Hill said he looks forward to the fresh competition and laughed when asked if it will be as, um, interesting as the last one.

"Different situation," he said.

Indeed.

Well aware of the ugly brawls that have marred many a joint NFL practice over the years, Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said the only reason he's doing this one is the trust and respect he and Bengals coach Marvin Lewis have for one another. Zimmer was Lewis' defensive coordinator for six seasons before getting the Vikings job in 2014.

"I'm honestly not worried about [brawls] because I know our guys and I know their guys," said Zimmer, looking ahead to the Vikings' first joint practice since 2008 against Kansas City. "I think their guys respect me. … I don't think there will be an issue, but we're going to address it beforehand with both teams anyway."

Believe it or not, Tice and then-Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil did the same thing in 2004. A year earlier, when the teams practiced against each other in River Falls, Wis., Tice and Vermeil had two completely different interpretations of "thudding," which is the term coaches use to describe controlled contact that stops short of going to the ground.

That led to an irate Vermeil telling reporters that Vikings cornerback Rushen Jones "should be shot in the head" for injuring Chiefs receiver Dameane Douglas, who suffered torn knee ligaments.

The hope was 2004 would be different. The chances, however, were remote with the tag team of Tice and Lesnar, a football neophyte and a national story line Tice became enamored of as soon as he found out the local WWE wrestler wanted a shot to make the Vikings roster. Eight days after a grand entrance to Mankato that included WWE starlet and then-girlfriend Sable accompanying him in full-body leather, Lesnar was wreaking havoc on the joint practices, which included two a day in full pads back then.

There were two full-squad brawls and other isolated conflicts in both sessions. Lesnar set the tone early when he ignored a no-contact rule on the quarterbacks. During a drill for the third-teamers, Lesnar blew past guard Jonathan Ingram and slammed into Damon Huard's midsection, knocking the quarterback to the ground. As Huard limped away to catch his breath, Lesnar whipped the crowd of about 6,000 fans into a standing ovation.

"That's just me, and I don't care what the Chiefs think about it," Lesnar said.

Later, Vikings defenders began tackling ball carriers. The Chiefs objected, saying that wasn't part of the agreed-upon terms of practice.

When Lesnar tackled running back Jonathan Smith, Ingram ran to the pile and shoved Lesnar. Lesnar pounced, jumping on Ingram's back, flipping him over his shoulder and pinning him to the ground. When Lesnar emerged from the pile of humanity that ensued, his helmet had been torn off. But he also had Ingram's helmet, which he raised in a celebration the WWE would have loved.

"I haven't had this much fun since I can't remember," said Lesnar, whose NFL career ended a few weeks later when he was released.

Benefits of joint practices include fresh looks and a natural increase in tempo. The key, of course, is finding proper balance between heightened tempo and helter-skelter tempo.

"I think it's that deal of approaching your team ahead of time and saying we are not coming in here to have a WWF situation," Vikings offensive coordinator Norv Turner said. "We are coming in here to help each other get better, and I think that when you have that starting point and understanding, you have a chance to have it work."

Somewhere, Brock Lesnar is shaking his head.

Mark Craig covers the Vikings and the NFL for the Star Tribune. • mark.craig@startribune.com