The Vikings are in the midst of building a new stadium, and one of their newest players is familiar with the process. As such, he knows the benefits a new stadium will bring to the community and to the franchise.
Defensive tackle Linval Joseph, signed last month by the Vikings, made his NFL debut as a second-round pick of the New York Giants in 2010, the same year the Giants and NY Jets opened Met Life Stadium, a state-of-the-art structure located in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
View the final images of the new Vikings stadium showing the Vikings' locker room, concourses and other shots. For more visit newminnesotastadium.com.
"It was cool being among the group of players who were the first to touch it, the first to use it," Joseph said. "I remember my teammates who were with the Giants when they played at the old Meadowlands would always tell us rookies how much better the new building was and how lucky we were to come into the League this way."
In playing for the Giants from 2010-12, Joseph also realized first-hand the benefits the new stadium provided beyond just the Giants, Jets and the NFL. He watched the community in and around East Rutherford become revitalized thanks to the new structure and the economic activity it spurred. The moment that illustrated this the most, Joseph says, was the Super Bowl, which Met Life Stadium hosted this past February.
"That was probably the best part," Joseph explained. "The Super Bowl is the premier sporting event in America. The Super Bowl really shined a light on how great the new stadium is, but I'd also say the new stadium gave the Super Bowl a great stage. I think that can happen here in Minnesota, too."
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