Laquon Treadwell was the star of the show at a recent practice, hauling in four touchdowns from quarterback Kirk Cousins in a six-play span inside the red zone.
The Vikings wide receiver is hoping his performance in training camp so far can translate over to the regular season.
Treadwell recently chatted with Dane Mizutani of the Pioneer Press about his game as he enters his **third season in the NFL**.
Mizutani wrote:
A first-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, the 23-year-old Treadwell hasn't lived up to his billing, barely playing as a rookie and catching 20 passes for 200 yards last season.
Mizutani added that the 'lack of production has weighed on Treadwell,' who is determined to prove doubters wrong in 2018.
"You have all these goals, and when you fall short, you kind of stress yourself out," Treadwell said. "Sometimes it takes time. Now I feel like I'm coming into my role. I just want to relax and have fun. That's the biggest thing for me."
Mizutani also wrote that Treadwell has drawn plenty of praise from those in the organization, including Vikings Offensive Coordinator John DeFilippo and Cousins.
At 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, Treadwell certainly has the size to be a productive NFL receiver and already has spent time working with the first team alongside the dynamic duo of Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen.
"I'm really proud of (Treadwell)," offensive coordinator John DeFilippo said. "He has worked his butt off to really improve. I think from what I've heard, he has matured. You see a young man having some success and not letting that success go to his head.
"We are going to continually challenge him every single day to stay mentally focused," DeFilippo added. "He can do that. There is no doubt in my mind he can do that. I'm really happy where he is right now."
Treadwell, a first round-pick in 2016, has 21 career catches for 215 yards.
Linval Joseph opens up about traumatic experience
Vikings defensive tackle Linval Joseph has been a significant addition to the defensive line since signing as a free agent in 2014.
The powerhouse has been an anchor on the middle of the line, stuffing the run and allowing fellow linemen to rack up sacks. Joseph also has tallied 11 sacks of his own in 60 games.
People have taken notice of Joseph's play, resulting in him making the past two Pro Bowls.
Joseph come a **long way from a traumatic experience** that happened in August 2014 when he was shot. He agreed to open up about the night with The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski.
Krawczynski wrote:
He was an innocent bystander when a gunman opened fire in the night club, allegedly targeting another man in what police determined was a gang-related incident. Nine people were shot and one eventually died from wounds suffered that night. Joseph took a bullet in his calf that went straight through his leg.
In his determination to move forward, put a traumatizing experience behind him and recover from an injury that has been known to inflict almost as much psychological damage as physical, Joseph has never publicly discussed what he went through that night and in the days and weeks that followed.
"That was a big moment in my life," Joseph told Krawczynski. "It showed me that as hard as it is to get here, it can be gone just as fast. Never walking again, never playing football again, and not even being here. Those are the three things that ran through my head. At the end of the day, you can't take it for granted."
