EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — The week was a blur, but halftime felt like "an hour-and-a-half" to Linval Joseph.
The defensive tackle was recalling his experience winning Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis as a member of the New York Giants during a KFAN radio interview this week with Vikings play-by-play announcer Paul Allen.
Joseph and Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer, who was defensive backs coach in Dallas when the Cowboys won Super Bowl XXX in Tempe, Ariz., told Allen in separate interviews that the sight of flashbulbs on fans' cameras at kickoff is a visual that is still illuminated in their memories of the sport's pinnacle game.
"The week leading up to it, there were all kinds of things going on," Zimmer told Allen. "I really didn't enjoy it as much as I should have. I was trying to study every third down they had throughout the course of the season and if I ever go back again, I'm going to enjoy it a little more, but during the course of the game, it's unbelievable.
"The flashes that go off during the kickoff from all the cameras throughout the stands, all the flyovers that you have before the game, and really the moment, the atmosphere of knowing that this game is for all the marbles and whoever wins this game at the end gets to hold up that Lombardi Trophy," Zimmer continued. "It's a pretty special deal, and once the game is kicked off, it's pretty much the same, but the intensity of the playoffs and really the Super Bowl is so magnified from everything.
Joseph also recalled last month, in a Timeout with Vikings.com, the way the confetti flickered to the ground.
"It was a great feeling," Joseph said. "I'll never forget that."
Three years later, Joseph is coming off his first season in Minnesota, a year in which he pleased coaches with the way he helped install Zimmer's system.
The eyes of the sporting world have turned to Arizona this week where Seattle and New England will play in Super Bowl XLIX on Sunday, three years before the Twin Cities will host Super Bowl LII in the new Vikings stadium.
Like anyone who has won one, Joseph wants another Super Bowl ring. All 30 teams that didn't make it to the spectacle this week are working to improve their chances next season.
Here's a look at current Vikings players and coaches with past Super Bowl experience (names of stadiums reflect what they were called when the game took place).
Players:
Linval Joseph and Justin Trattou
Super Bowl XLVI: Giants 21, Patriots 17
* Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis*
Joseph was credited with two tackles and a quarterback hit, one of eight that a very active Giants defensive line recorded against Tom Brady. Joseph drew a double team that helped Justin Tuck force an intentional grounding penalty against Brady in the Patriots end zone for the first points of the game.
Trattou, who joined the Vikings in 2013, was a reserve for the Giants that season. He appeared in six games during the regular season but was inactive for the playoffs.
Greg Jennings
Super Bowl XLV: Packers 31, Steelers 25
* Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas*
Jennings, who's led the Vikings in catches, receiving yards and touchdowns in the past two seasons, led the Packers with two receiving touchdowns against the Steelers. Jennings had four catches for 64 yards with TD catches of 21 and 8 yards.
Charlie Johnson
Super Bowl XLI: Colts 29, Bears 17
* Dolphin Stadium, Miami Gardens, Fla.*
Super Bowl XLIV: Saints 31, Colts 17
* Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Fla.*
Johnson played in two Super Bowls with Indianapolis, helping the Colts beat the Bears when he stepped in at right tackle for injured teammate Ryan Diem. Johnson started at left tackle in the Colts return trip to South Florida three years later, but the Saints prevailed.
Matt Cassel
* Super Bowl XLII: Giants 17, Patriots 14*
* University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.*
Cassel appeared in six games during New England's 16-0 regular season in backing up Brady. He didn't play in the game.
Coaches:
Head Coach Mike Zimmer
Super Bowl XXX: Cowboys 27, Steelers 17
* Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Ariz.*
Zimmer was defensive backs coach of a Dallas team that intercepted Neil O'Donnell three times. CB Larry Brown returned two of the picks a total of 77 yards and was named MVP. He is one of three DBs in SB history to claim that honor.
Offensive Coordinator Norv Turner
Super Bowl XXVII: Cowboys 52, Bills 17
* Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Calif.*
Super Bowl XXVIII: Cowboys 30, Bills 13
* Georgia Dome, Atlanta*
Turner held the same title in Dallas from 1991-93 and has two rings to show for the title game appearances in which the Cowboys denied the Bills in their third and fourth straight appearances in the championship.
Running backs Coach Kirby Wilson
Super Bowl XXXVII: Buccaneers 48, Raiders 21
* Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego*
Super Bowl LXIII: Steelers 27, Cardinals 23
* Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla.*
Super Bowl XLV: Packers 31, Steelers 25
* Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas*
Wilson had the same position with Tampa Bay (2002-03), Arizona (2004-06) and Pittsburgh (2007-13) and experienced different thrills of victory in those first two appearances (a heavy-handed win over the Raiders and a dramatic finish over the Cardinals).
Offensive Line Coach Jeff Davidson
Super Bowl XXXVI: Patriots 20, Rams 17
* Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans*
Super Bowl XXXVIII: Patriots 32, Panthers 29
* Reliant Stadium, Houston*
Super Bowl XXXIX: Patriots 24, Eagles 21
* Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville, Fla.*
Davidson was offensive line coach for the Patriots from 1997-2004 (working for current Seahawks Head Coach Pete Carroll the first three seasons and for current Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick the next five). A 48-yard game-winning field goal by Adam Vinatieri as time expired on the 2001 season began a stretch of three titles in four seasons. Vinatieri had a 41-yard game-winner with four seconds remaining against the Panthers, and a 22-yarder in the fourth quarter against the Eagles that built an insurmountable lead.
Assistant Offensive Line Coach Hank Fraley
Super Bowl XXXIX: Patriots 24, Eagles 21
* Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville, Fla.*
Fraley started at center for Philadelphia in the Super Bowl against Davidson and the Patriots. Little did Fraley or Davidson know at the time that they'd begin working together in Minnesota in 2014.
Defensive Backs Coach Jerry Gray
Super Bowl XXXIV: Rams 23, Titans 16
* Georgia Dome, Atlanta*
Gray coached a Titans secondary against the Rams "Greatest Show on Turf." Tennessee held its own against the prolific St. Louis attack, despite injuries on the back end of its defense. The Rams preserved a win with one of the most dramatic tackles in the history of the big game as time expired.
Linebackers Coach Adam Zimmer
Super Bowl XLIV: Saints31, Colts 17
* Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Fla.*
Adam Zimmer was assistant defensive backs coach for the Saints in 2009 and secured his ring after New Orleans sealed the game with a 74-yard interception return for a touchdown by cornerback Tracy Porter in the fourth-quarter.
