Verizon Vikings Training Camp will look entirely different this year due to the guidelines and restrictions in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
At least one thing will remain the same, however, as the team enters its 60thseason: the bonding and camaraderie between teammates, socially distanced or not.
Training camp over the years has brought a number of different experiences – bocce ball with Bud Grant, two-a-day practices in Mankato, the yearJared Allen arrived in an RV, a move in 2018 to Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center. So as Verizon Vikings Training Camp is ramping up, we took some time to catch up with Vikings Legends and listen to their favorite training camp memories.
For this segment, we focus on the vibe at the start of 1998, when Minnesota went on to record a franchise-best 15 victories and score an NFL-record 556 points (since broken) during a regular season filled with highlights by a revolutionary rookie.
Randall McDaniel, Mike Morris, Dixon Edwards, Pete Bercich, Robert Smith and Leroy Hoard each recently reminisced about 1998 during video chats.
View photos of Vikings legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer Randall McDaniel.
Guard Randall McDaniel (64) of the Minnesota Vikings sets for play against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Oct. 13, 1996 in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo / Al Messerschmidt)
Minnesota Vikings running back Herschel Walker (34) runs upfield behind Hall of Fame guard Randall McDaniel (66) during an NFL game against the Green Bay Packers in Minneapolis, Dec. 21, 1991. The Packers defeated the Vikings 27-7. (AP Photo/Vernon Biever)
Minnesota Vikings offensive lineman Randall McDaniel (64) rests during an NFL game against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, Oct. 3, 1993, in San Francisco. The 49ers won the game, 38-19. (AP Photo/Greg Trott)
Guard Randall McDaniel (64) of the Minnesota Vikings sets for play against the New York Giants Oct. 30, 1989 in East Rutherford, NJ. (AP Photo / Al Messerschmidt)
Guard Randall McDaniel (64) of the Minnesota Vikings sets for play against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in October 1998 in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo / Al Messerschmidt)
Minnesota Vikings guard Randall McDaniel (64) at the NFL Pro Bowl, a 20 -13 NFC victory on Feb. 4, 1996, at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu. (AP Photo / Al Messerschmidt)
NFC guard Randall McDaniel of the Minnesota Vikings during Pro Bowl media day before the NFC's 17 - 3 victory over the AFC in the 1994 NFla Pro Bowl played on February 6, 1994 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Al Messerschmidt via AP)
NFC guard Randall McDaniel of the Minnesota Vikings during Pro Bowl Media Day before the NFC's 17 - 3 victory over the AFC in the 1994 NFL Pro Bowl played on Feb. 6, 1994 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu. (AP Photo / Al Messerschmidt)
2009 Hall of Fame members (L-R) former guard Randall McDaniel of the Minnesota Vikings (and Tampa Bay Buccaneers), former defensive end Bruce Smith of the Buffalo Bills, and former defensive back Rod Woodson of the Pittsburgh Steelers (and Oakland Raiders and Baltimore Ravens) pose for a photo before the 2009 NFL Pro Bowl at Aloha Stadium on February 8, 2009 in Honolulu, Hawaii. The NFC defeated the AFC 30-21. (AP Photo/Paul Spinelli)
Minnesota Vikings players John Randle, Randall McDaniel, Chris Doleman, and Cris Carter pose on photo day before the NFL Pro Bowl, a 17 - 3 NFC victory on Feb. 6, 1994, at Aloha Stadium in Honolul. (AP Photo / Al Messerschmidt)
Former Minnesota Vikings and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers player Randall McDaniel speaks during the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2009, in Canton, Ohio. (AP Photo/David Richard)
Former Minnesota Vikings and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers player Randall McDaniel stands with his bronze bust during the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2009, in Canton, Ohio. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)
Presenter O.K. Fulton, left, and former Minnesota Vikings and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers player Randall McDaniel unveil the bust of McDaniel during the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2009, in Canton, Ohio. (AP Photo/David Richard)
Former Minnesota Vikings guard Randall McDaniel has his bust unveiled by his high school athletic director O.K. Fulton during the 2009 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement in Canton, Ohio on Aug. 8. (AP Photo/Ben Liebenberg)
Charles Haley and Randall McDaniel pose for a photograph during a game between the Minnesota Vikings and thePittsburgh Steelers at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio on Aug. 9, 2015. (AP Photo/Johnny Vy)
Minnesota Vikings guard Randall McDaniel (64) is seen in action during an NFL game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Oct. 15, 1995, in Tampa, Fla. (Allen Kee via AP)
Guard Randall McDaniel (64) of the Minnesota Vikings sets for play against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in October 1995 in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo / Al Messerschmidt)
Guard Randall McDaniel (64) of the Minnesota Vikings sets for play against Los Angeles Raiders Sept. 5, 1993 in Los Angeles. (AP Photo / Al Messerschmidt)
Minnesota Vikings guard Randall McDaniel (64) is seen in action during an NFL game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Nov. 1, 1998, in Tampa, Fla. (Allen Kee via AP)
Guard Randall McDaniel (64) of the Minnesota Vikings sets for play in an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Nov. 8, 1992 in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo / Al Messerschmidt)
Guard Randall McDaniel (64) of the Minnesota Vikings sets for play against the Chicago Bears in September 1997 in Chicago. (AP Photo / Al Messerschmidt)
Minnesota Vikings guard Randall McDaniel (64) is seen in action during an NFL game against the Green Bay Packers Sept. 4, 1994, in Green Bay, Wis. (Allen Kee via AP)
Minnesota Vikings guard Randall McDaniel before the NFla Pro Bowl, a 17 - 3 NFC victory on February 6, 1994, at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Al Messerschmidt via AP)
Minnesota Vikings guard Randall McDaniel (64) is seen in action during an NFL game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Nov. 1, 1998, in Tampa, Fla. (Allen Kee via AP)
Minnesota Vikings guard Randall McDaniel (64) tries to keep Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Dan Saleaumua (97) away from Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre (4) during the NFL Pro Bowl, a 20 - 13 NFC victory on Feb. 4, 1996, at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu. (Al Messerschmidt via AP)
Minnesota Vikings guard Randall McDaniel (64) is seen in action during an NFL game against the Chicago Bears, Sunday, Sept. 15, 1996, in Chicago. (Allen Kee via AP)
Minnesota Vikings Randall McDaniel (64) during a game from his 1997 season with the Minnesota Vikings. Randall McDaniel played for 14 seasons with 2 different teams, was a 12-time Pro Bowler and inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2009.(David Durochik via AP)
Minnesota Vikings guard Randall McDaniel (64) is seen in action during an NFL game against the Chicago Bears, Sunday, Sept. 15, 1996, in Chicago. (Allen Kee via AP)
Minnesota Vikings guard Randall McDaniel (64) is seen in action during an NFL game against the Green Bay Packers, Sunday, Sept. 21, 1997, in Green Bay, Wis. (Allen Kee via AP)
Minnesota Vikings Randall McDaniel (64) during a game from his 1994 season with the Minnesota Vikings. Randall McDaniel played for 14 seasons with 2 different teams, was a 12-time Pro Bowler and inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2009.(David Durochik via AP)
Former Minnesota Vikings player and Pro Football Hall of Fame member Randall McDaniel looks on as he receives his Ring of Excellence award in a halftime ceremony during a week 13 NFL football game between the Dallas Cowboys against the Minnesota Vikings, Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016, in Minneapolis. The Cowboys won 17-15. (Scott Boehm via AP)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - OCTOBER 5: Former Minnesota Vikings player and current Hall of Fame member Randall McDaniel walks on the sidelines during the game between the MInnesota Vikings against the Green Bay Packers at Mall of America Field at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome on October 5, 2009 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings defeated the Packers 30-23. (AP Photo/Scott Boehm)
Days of a particular training camp often melt together, but the same can be true for years for those players that are able to stack multiple NFL seasons.
Vikings camps were held in Mankato from 1966-2017, and Gage Hall served as the dormitory for the first 47 of those 52 summer sessions.
But when the Vikings arrived on the campus of Minnesota State University, Mankato, in 1998, it was clear to all that something special was in the air, from the practice field to the elevator of the dorm.
Edwards, who was a member of three Cowboys teams that won Super Bowls before joining Minnesota, recognized a "magical team" in the works.
Edwards: "You could just tell something about that training camp that the entire group clicked. Everything was just meshing right. The offensive side of the ball was right, the defensive side of the ball was right. Special teams was great. You had a lot of headhunters — hungry people on special teams — and you could see the excitement of whenever they would go down on kickoff. That would fire us up on defense, 'If the special teams did this, we've got to keep this and echo this for the rest of the game.' We were all feeding off each other. That's the one thing I remember about the '98 training camp. Everything was clicking, even the coaching and the timing of everything they were doing. There were no selfish acts in any portion of the team. It was just a very magical team that was put together, a great team. I was fortunate enough to be on Super Bowl teams, and I could just see it and feel it: 'This is the team, the one that can make it all the way.' "
Morris: "[The camps] all kind of run together, but I do remember seeing Randy Moss in the elevator of Gage Hall [in 1998]. He already had a pretty-good-sized chunk of platinum around his neck. I think it was a dollar sign with diamonds."
The seasoned long snapper recalled telling the fresh-faced receiver, " 'You've got a chance to be pretty good.' "
Moss entered camp with a high-ankle sprain from playing basketball but quickly previewed what was to come.
Bercich: "I remember watching that 7-on-7 film … it took about seven plays to figure out he was the real deal."
Smith and Hoard said Moss was the most-athletic teammate they've ever had. Smith explained how his hunch about Moss began the moment the phenom was drafted at No. 21 overall.
Smith: "I remember in the locker room, we would watch ESPN between meetings. I remember seeing highlights of Randy catching these long touchdowns at Marshall, and you could just see his speed was just so different. When he got drafted, we got him 21st, and I was like, 'This just isn't going to be fair.' We already had Cris [Carter] and Jake [Reed], a lot of talent at wide receiver.
"But that first camp practice … having seen guys like Cris and Deion Sanders and Emmitt Smith, just great players … but I saw Randy, and I've never seen anyone look so much better than everybody else. Even without pads, you just know. You guys remember the first time you saw him, there was just something so different about the way he moved in relation to everyone else. I got a call from my agent during a break in camp and he was like, 'How does Randy look?' And I was like, 'If he stays healthy, he's going to be a Hall of Famer.' I'd never seen anyone so good, and so different athletically than anyone else. It was easily the most impressive thing I've ever seen in camp."
Hoard: "People don't realize it, because it was hard to see how fast that dude was. I'd never seen a guy put stress on more DBs in camp than Randy did in one camp.
"It was almost like the offense wanted to show him off, too. All he did for the first month was run go routes … like, three weeks straight. There's only one other guy I was on a football field and thought, 'Holy smokes, he's fast,' and that was Eric Metcalf. I don't think anyone could explain to people how freakishly fast [Randy] was because he had those big thigh pads on."
McDaniel: "That was a special year. The offensive side, everything just clicked for us that year. … We just marched down the field on people.
"The Green Bay game when Randy had [five receptions, 190 yards and two scores on Monday Night Football], I'm blocking Gilbert Brown in front of me and I'm talking to him at the same time, 'Man, you should see what he's about to do out there now.' 'Did he get another one?' 'Yeah, he got another one.' Everybody just came together, and it was all about the team."
Moss claimed NFL Rookie of the Year honors after totaling 69 receptions for 1,313 yards and setting a league record for a first-year player with 17 touchdown receptions.
Morris: "A monster year, but that's what kind of guy he was. He was running past people and catching one-handed, just to be catching them one-handed in practice. That was one thing I remember about that year, how he came in and just, it was a big splash. He was an outstanding athlete, and we had outstanding athletes on that team: Randall McDaniel, Randy Moss, John Randle. Those three guys are on the Top 100 players list of all time, and three were on the same team."
