EAGAN, Minn. – Dwight McGlothern had compiled about a decade's worth of questions for Harrison Smith.
Twelve years, to be exact.
McGlothern was just 10 years old – but already a dedicated football fan – when the Vikings drafted Smith 29th overall out of Notre Dame in 2012. And despite living in Houston, the youngster immediately was drawn to Smith's play style. McGlothern watched Vikings games whenever possible and followed the safety's career path that included 10 interceptions over his first three seasons and five straight Pro Bowl appearances from 2015-19.
"I knew of Harry when he first came into the league," McGlothern said earlier this week. "That was a person I always [was] keeping up with this whole time."
So, now being Smith's teammate?
Honestly, it still feels a little surreal to McGlothern, who joined the Vikings as an undrafted free agent this spring after two seasons at LSU and two at Arkansas.
"It's a blessing just being in Harry's presence, being around him. He's here, so I'm gonna ask him every question in the book I've been wanting to ask him since 2012," McGlothern quipped. "It's pretty cool just having a vet like him in the room, and he's seen almost – possibly every – outcome on the field. So just [taking advantage of] his knowledge and asking him about information that I haven't seen yet or don't know about. It'll be very helpful, for sure."
Landing in Minnesota feels full circle for McGlothern in more than one way.
He loved watching Adrian Peterson (drafted by the Vikings when McGlothern was 5) turn would-be short gains into improbable touchdowns, and he's always modeled his game after former Viking Xavier Rhodes (2013-19).
"It was so cool watching the shutdown corner he was," McGlothern said. "I'd watch him, like, 'That's crazy.' "
At 6-foot-2, McGlothern appreciates the way Rhodes, 6-1, used his length in matching up against the league's best receivers. He also admired the elder corner's execution of press coverage.
"I'm trying to get better every day at press, the way that Rhodes was, because whenever he was going against the top receivers … the first thing he'd do was, he went at the line of scrimmage, and by that time it's already over; he wins the rep. He got his hands on the ball," McGlothern said. "I even just ask Harry for information on him, how he carried himself around the building and how he went about things, how he would match up against certain receivers around the league."
McGlothern uses his own experience at wideout, as well, having played both sides of the ball all the way up to college. He racked up 2,593 receiving yards and 34 touchdowns for Klein Oak High School (Texas), in addition to 15 interceptions defensively.
Asked if he preferred one position over the other, McGlothern smiled widely and casually shrugged his shoulders.
"I was just a team player," he said. "Really, I was all about trying to impact the team and help us win – and also give fans a show, you know? It's just a blessing to keep going."
McGlothern can hardly remember a time in his life when he wasn't playing football.
He laughs, recalling stories he's heard from family members about his love for the pigskin … and toddling around the family home au naturel.
"I was the kid running around the house, diaper off, with a football in my arms," McGlothern said.
His wardrobe preferences – or lack thereof – earned McGlothern the nickname "Nudie" from his Uncle Pat, and the moniker stuck around for multiple years. When Pat nearly lost his life in 2016 after being shot in the face, the nickname he'd given McGlothern became even more meaningful.
"My uncle lived, and it was such a blessing," he said. "I kept the name around, then."
The name has become part of his social media handles, and Vikings Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores cracked a grin from the podium when asked about the first-year corner.
"Not a lot of people call him Dwight," Flores noted with a chuckle. "He goes by 'Nudie,' for those who didn't know. I'm just gonna put that out there."
McGlothern will likely answer to anything, though, provided he gets a chance to show what he can do.
"In Flores' defense, you've just got to play with your eyes and be patient on things, play together as a [unit]. That's what I like about it the most," McGlothern said.
Each day at practice, he aims to make the most of any rep he's given. His efforts recently have showed up during training camp practices open to fans, whether a pass breakup intended for Brandon Powell last week or the interception he nabbed Wednesday.
Veteran cornerback Byron Murphy, Jr., pointed to the play against Powell in talking about McGlothern.
"We were in the goal line, he comes off to the flat and makes a PBU. That just shows me, 'Nudie, you can go make plays. You've just gotta trust it. Trust in yourself,' " Murphy said. "You can't overthink. When you overthink, sometimes that's when you miss your opportunity.
"When he made the most of that opportunity, you could just tell what type of corner he is – twitchy, long arms, good at using his leverage," Murphy added. "When he made that play it made me realize, 'Yeah, little bro, you've got it. You go make plays.' "
Murphy has joined Smith in taking McGlothern under his wing and showing him the NFL ropes.
"He's a great dude. Probably the funniest guy in our room," laughed Murphy. "But he's always asking me questions. Always after practice, he'll be like, 'Murph, do you see anything I can correct?' So I'm just helping, trying to correct stuff. But he's always asking me questions to get better. So to have a young guy like that, that's just props to him to come in and learn and get his technique and stuff down."
McGlothern credited his parents with supporting his pursuit of the NFL and pushing him to be the best he could be.
He's grateful for the past two seasons at Arkansas, during which he took his game to another level and totaled 72 tackles, seven interceptions and 16 passes defensed. But he's equally thankful for his two seasons at LSU, where he overlapped in 2021 with Vikings passing game coordinator/defensive backs coach Daronte Jones, then serving as the Tigers defensive coordinator.
So while McGlothern naturally hoped to be drafted in April, he appreciated the chance to select Minnesota's offer and reunite with his former coach, as well as learn from the likes of Smith and Murphy.
"My confidence was very high with Daronte," McGlothern said. "The defense he installed at LSU was very good. My play style fits. Everything he was teaching us back then, I'm really getting a refresher on right now.
"It makes me happy coming out here and being able to be coached again by someone like him," he continued. "This is a blessing. I'm trying to take advantage of every opportunity they're giving me."
Flores and the Vikings other coaches have taken notice of McGlothern, who's vying for a spot in a cornerbacks room that tragically lost Khyree Jackson in a July 6 car accident and has been without Shaq Griffin due to injury.
"Nudie's done a nice job. We liked a lot of things about him coming out. Ball skills would be the first thing that comes to mind," Flores said. "He's a guy who's just got a knack in the field for being around the ball when it's in the air. Obviously, he's got height and length and speed, but instincts are the thing that jumped out. His familiarity with [Jones] was certainly a plus.
"There's a lot to like about Nudie," Flores added. "It's important to him; he works hard. He wants to do it right."
McGlothern will have upcoming training camp practices and three preseason games, to "do it right" and make his case.
Minnesota will host the Raiders at 3 p.m. (CT) Saturday, giving the rookie his first chance at playing inside U.S. Bank Stadium in front of Vikings fans.
Murphy has encouraged McGlothern to approach the exhibition contest "like a starter," take each snap seriously and do what he can to make a name for himself.
"And remain calm," Murphy reminded.
For McGlothern, it's all a chance to make an (unclothed) childhood dream come true.
"I've been trying to get to this point my whole life," he said. "Playing imaginary football in the living room, imagining myself being all these players that now I'm going against and playing with. It's pretty eye-opening.
"I'm just going to make sure I have fun – go out there and turn up with my teammates," McGlothern added. "Play with the defense, play confident, how I come out here every day and work hard at practice. Just give the fans a show while I have my opportunity."
