MANKATO – One of the Vikings’ top reinforcements looks at the world upside down as he catches a series of mechanically-hurled footballs behind his legs, helmet nestled between them.
Vikings gofers, handlers and autograph seekers are at Laquon Treadwell’s whim until he finishes the lengthy ritual. Thirty-eight minutes after most teammates hit the showers, his nearly three-hour afternoon practice ends with one Vikings employee vowing to save future interviews for mornings — when he’s hydrated.
Another staffer gets in the first question with: “Water or Gatorade?”
“Both,” he says.
Treadwell, the Vikings’ top pick in this year’s NFL draft, has taken on a heavy workload in training camp that still doesn’t include many passes from starting quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.