EAGAN, Minn. — Let's set the record straight.
Blake Cashman was drawn to long-time Vikings rival Brett Favre when he was Green Bay's quarterback and the NFL's gunslinger prototype. Favre's style was captivating. But rooting for the Packers was a blip.
"Even with an opportunity to go play in Green Bay, I would have picked to come here any day," he said.
Cashman reflected on several topics near and dear to Minnesotans in this Water Break presented by Crown Royal: boating and ice fishing; loudly cheering on the Vikings; parading The Axe at Camp Randall.
We excluded a couple other fun nuggets for the sake of brevity that we'll mention briefly because they shed light on Cashman's ravenous appetite – for burgers at Red Cow downtown or Parlour Bar (Cashman couldn't pinpoint a favorite spot; His friends tell him he doesn't appreciate food enough because he inhales all of it.) — as well as running a tight ship as the green-dot player on the impressive Vikings defense.
Cashman, 28 years old and in his sixth NFL season, broke out with the Texans in 2023, taking direction from Houston Head Coach DeMeco Ryans, who urged staff and players to adopt a "Kobe Bryant-like mentality."
The inside linebacker inked a three-year deal with his hometown team and has 19 tackles in two games.
On Tuesday, after Cashman racked up 13 tackles, a sack and three passes defensed in Week 2, helping choreograph an indomitable performance by the ironclad Vikings defense against San Francisco, Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores relayed a story.
His introduction to the depths of Cashman's abilities with insight from Gophers great Mike Sherels — the older brother of Vikings Legend Marcus, who repped the Purple in 123 games from 2010-19 (and returned a punt 79 yards for a score during Houston's previous visit to Minnesota in 2016).
"His daughters and my daughter are the same class, so I got to know Mike that way," said Flores, pausing his examinations of the victory over the 49ers and lookahead at Houston to recall a conversation he and Cashman's position coach for two seasons at the University of Minnesota had last fall while their girls played. "He's like, 'You know, Blake Cashman, I had him at the U, man. He was the best guy we had.' And I didn't know much about Blake at that point. And that's when I turned the tape on, and he was right."
Flores did a little digging, and Cashman was among the initial additions the Vikings made when free agency opened.
Q: What are your hobbies here?
A: I used to go on an ice-fishing trip up north at Lake of the Woods. I'd like to get back to doing that. I used to do that with my cousins and uncles and my dad and brother. In the summers I love to be on the lake – my dad grew up on the lake; we keep our boat on Lake Minnetonka – so whether that's bringing good food and drinks out there and hanging out, or fishing or just tooling around until sunset, being on the water is something I really enjoy. Other than that, I like to be a homebody. I think my neighbors think I'm crazy because I'm outside all the time doing landscaping. I used to hate that work growing up but now that I actually own some property, I really enjoy it. It relaxes me, too, when I'm able to get out there and do something that's productive and feel some kind of accomplishment. I'm becoming an adult!
Q: What are you excited for in Minnesota besides football?
A: The comfortability of being home gives you a sense of peace, and that's been great. Also, being able to spend time – as corny as it sounds – with friends and family. I see my family quite a bit. They would always travel to games wherever I was playing. But by the end of the season, I always miss my boys. I still talk daily to the same guys I've been friends with since I was in elementary school. You can just imagine all the [trash]-talking and what we do when we're all together – there's a group of like 12 of us – because we basically were raised together. Being able to see them whenever I want and have the support from everybody that knows me and is excited for me is really special and makes you feel good.
Q: How was your recent experience throwing out the first pitch at Target Field?
A: That was really fun. I'm glad I got to share that with the other guys there. It was a great experience for us and our guests. That was my first game – I'm ashamed to admit it – this summer. I grew up being a season ticket holder for Twins games, so it was great to get back out there and watch the Twinkies play.
Q: Were you nervous at all?
A: Not really until I was on the phone with my dad, then my girlfriend and her dad, and they were giving me a hard time: 'Oh when was the last time you threw a baseball? It's not something that you're just able to pick up right away and throw very accurately if you haven't been doing it.' So then I started getting a little bit nervous, and everyone else was giving me a hard time once they found out. They were like, 'You have to just rip a heater down the middle!' I'm like, 'Ahhhh, I don't trust my accuracy!' I got up there and I saw a bunch of kids in the back, too, and the only thing I thought about was if I tried to just smoke a fastball in there and I had bad accuracy, that's not good. So I threw a nice, easy changeup.
Q: Do you have a favorite Vikings fandom moment?
A: It's funny, I was going through pictures – so my mom and step-dad, they bought a house in Florida and I was going through all these different pictures she had and she was asking me if I wanted to keep some of them at my house – and a picture I saw was of me at the Metrodome. I'm assuming it was a Vikings game, but it could have been a Gophers football game. I was wearing a Green Bay Packers winter hat and a Vikings Starter jacket. All my family are diehard Vikings fans. Growing up in Eden Prairie, I had a lot of players in my community, so I followed the Vikings really closely. I idolized those guys. Honestly, I didn't go to too many games. The one that sticks out to me the most when I was younger, they played the Baltimore Ravens. I think it was a shootout. It ended up being 31-30. (Editor's note: The final score of the 2009 contest was 33-31.) I always say Minnesota fans are awesome and they always create a loud environment that players want to play in. I remember the Metrodome was going crazy that whole game.
Q: What do you appreciate about hosting a football camp at Eden Prairie with former Eagles Ryan Connelly and Carter Coughlin?
A: It's a full-circle moment because you grow up seeing professional athletes throw camps. You might have been one of those kids that went to those camps – I sure was. To be able to do that and give back in your own community and do something that you enjoyed doing when you were young is really special.
Q: What was the highlight of your Gophers career?
A: My favorite moment was winning [Paul Bunyan's] Axe. We hadn't beaten Wisconsin in 15 years. I can't stand that school. That's just a game that's on everybody's radar as a Minnesotan — especially as a Gopher. That year, Wisconsin had struggled so there was a little boost of confidence. To do it in Camp Randall was extra sweet; to parade The Axe around their fans. I actually got ejected from that game in the second quarter, but I was still as hyped as I would have been if I played the whole game. I had to watch the game on the [video board] from the end of the tunnel because they wouldn't let me go onto the field. There was a security guard with me. He said, 'You can't go on the field until the clock hits zero.' And with about 12 seconds left in the game, as it's winding down, I see our team starts to storm from the sideline over to The Axe and … I took off. The dude tried to stop me. I ran right by him onto the field because I was not going to miss that moment to chop down the goal post and parade that Axe around with my teammates, because we all wanted it so desperately.
Q: Why are you so happy to be a Minnesota Viking?
A: This is a grade-A, first-rate organization from the top down. They really, truly care about each individual. They do a great job taking care of us. Plus people in Minnesota rooting for me are also Vikings fans, so it makes it a little bit sweeter. People watch my games, and they want to see me do well and they want the team I'm on to do well, but now that it's their team, the Minnesota Vikings, it makes the whole experience so much greater and more awesome. That's the best way I can put it.
