Leave it to Justin Jefferson to set a record during the offseason.
The Vikings receiver, who set the NFL rookie mark for receiving yards with 1,400 in 2020, will be the first NFL player featured in Fortnite.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Fortnite is implementing "The Griddy" dance, made popular by Jefferson, into the video game.
Jefferson reacted to the news via Twitter, saying it's a dream come true.
The former LSU standout got hooked on Fortnite by playing with friends and family members upon its release in 2017. And although he doesn't play quite as much these days, he still enjoys hopping on when he can – especially when given the chance to interact with Vikings fans.
Jefferson recently teamed up with Verizon to play Fortnight with nearly 40 avid fans who bought into the experience using Verizon Up points.
The unique event took place on the one-year anniversary of Jefferson being selected 22nd overall by Minnesota in the 2020 NFL Draft.
He reflected a bit on the experience of draft night:
"The crazy part is, during that time when Philly was on the board, I had gotten the call. I'm thinking it's Philly about to get me. And when I answered, it was the people from Minnesota. So that was a shocker for me," Jefferson shared during the game. "To see the video come out of all the reactions, that was heartwarming for me to see how excited they were. … I remember everything about that day. That was just fuel for the season."
Interestingly, Jefferson was asked while playing if his avatar could do The Griddy.
"Not yet," said Jefferson, who has also been working to get the touchdown celebration in Madden. "That was my goal the whole season. Hopefully we can get that done."
Thanks to Fortnite, the vision is coming to fruition.
According to the game’s blog site, the "Get Griddy" Emote will debut in the Item Shop on Wednesday. And that's not all. Jefferson also will be the first NFL player to have his own Locker Bundle, which features the following:
Outfit: Hit Man Outfit
Back Bling: Hit Me!
Emotes: Get Griddy & Signature Shuffle
Pickaxe: Weathered Gold
Wrap: Arcade Kid
Jefferson told fans that it was "crazy" to see The Griddy become a viral sensation, even being referenced by athletes beyond the NFL.
"Growing up, I watched some of my favorite NFL players and they were doing touchdown celebrations and stuff like that," Jefferson said. "To actually have a dance come out in the league and for it to be one of the top dances in the league is so crazy."
Calvin, a 7-year-old fan who competed against Jefferson in Fortnite, said he even broke out The Griddy after scoring a goal in his hockey game. The receiver was impressed.
"I barely know how to roller skate. So I'm definitely staying away from the ice," he laughed.
Jefferson, who shared his Fortnite gamer tag with the event's participants, made sure to deck out his avatar in Vikings gear.
"If you all see a person in Vikings [gear], run away," he quipped. "Yes sir, so they know exactly who I am. I want that smoke."
Jefferson played the game from Miami but said he's looking forward to putting together a gaming setup in Minnesota when he returns to the Twin Cities.
The 21-year-old made it to the final 10 players before being taken out by Khong, another competitor.
Jefferson provided a bit of play-by-play:
"Somebody is pressing me right now. He's too advanced for me, bro! He's too advanced for me!"
Following the game, Jefferson told Khong with a smile, "We can definitely run at this [some more]. That will be your extra prize."
All participants, thanks to Verizon, received a gaming headset and miniature Vikings helmet autographed by Jefferson.
"Now that I'm in the league, a lot of my fans play Fortnight, so I definitely wanted to join the fanbase and connect with them through gaming," Jefferson said.
"It's exciting to visit with the fans and interact with [them]," he noted. "Sadly, we didn't have any fans [at U.S. Bank Stadium] last season; they're talking about [potentially] having a full stadium this year, so hopefully I can see some of the guys that I'm playing Fortnite with tonight."
