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Vikings safety Harrison Smith takes flight on and off the field

MANKATO – Throughout his college career at Notre Dame and into his early years in Minnesota, star Vikings safety Harrison Smith felt a gripping anxiety whenever he flew to games on official team charters.

So two winters ago, after taking a puddle-jumper to Thief River Falls, Minn., to make an appearance at the Vikings’ Arctic Blast event, Smith decided there was no better way to get over his fear than to learn how to fly a plane himself.

“I was actually always scared of it, flying on the team plane. It was something I thought I should learn more about, and in the process I actually started flying and enjoyed it,” Smith said Monday while signing autographs for dozens of fans in Mankato.