EAGAN, Minn. – Stephon Gilmore's oldest son already has The Griddy down.

The Vikings signed Gilmore Monday, welcoming the 2019 NFL Defensive Player of the Year to their cornerbacks room.

Gilmore also has a Super Bowl ring, two First-Team All-Pro honors and five Pro Bowl appearances to his name. It was during the 2022 Pro Bowl that his son Sebastian acted as a junior reporter for the Panthers and interviewed a number of Gilmore's NFC teammates, including Jefferson.

"My son danced with [Jefferson] at the Pro Bowl … so he was definitely excited about that," laughed Gilmore of joining the Vikings.

At 34 years old (he'll turn 35 on Sept. 19), Gilmore is getting up there by NFL standards – but he's shown he's got plenty of juice left in the tank. Last season for the Cowboys, he started all 17 regular-season games and racked up 68 tackles, two interceptions, a forced fumble and 13 passes defensed.

Gilmore doesn't plan to slow down anytime soon.

"Anytime I step in between those lines, I try to go hard and show people I've still got it. Just keep proving it," he told Twin Cities media members. "You know, every year you have to put the previous [season] behind you. So that's my mindset."

The 10^th overall pick of the 2012 NFL Draft, Gilmore has logged 31 career interceptions and 140 passes defensed. He has 158 starts under his belt as he suits up in Purple for his 13^th pro season.

Vikings Head Coach Kevin O'Connell spoke with media members earlier Monday and expressed excitement over the addition. He noted having "a great visit" with Gilmore last week.

"I know our coaching staff, [Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores], myself, we're very, very excited to have him added to the group – a guy as decorated as he is, coming off of a really strong year in Dallas," O'Connell said.

The opportunity to reconnect with Flores was part of the pull for Gilmore to choose Minnesota.

The veteran corner played four seasons in New England, during which he overlapped in 2017 and 2018 with Flores, who served as the Patriots linebackers coach and also handled play-calling duties in the latter season.

"He's aggressive. Offenses are scared to go against his defenses. I know he disguises pretty good," Gilmore said. "You know, he's always had a good defense no matter where he went. And I'm just trying to be part of that.

"It's a little different, but some of the same stuff," he added of Flores' defensive scheme in Minnesota compared to New England. "I'm excited for it."

Gilmore's visit to Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center, along with his previous experience playing at U.S. Bank Stadium, also enticed him to join the Vikings.

"The facility, how they treat you," he said. "From the training room to the weight room, all that is top-notch."

That aspect means a lot to Gilmore, who went home to "check with the fam" and make sure his wife and their three children were on-board with him joining Minnesota. He called the Twin Cities a "sports town," adding he's excited to watch the Western Conference runner-up Timberwolves this season.

"[Anthony Edwards] is one of the young G.O.A.T.s right now, so I'm definitely going to catch some of those games," Gilmore smiled.

Being a late arrival to Vikings training camp means Gilmore has plenty of catching up to do, but O'Connell is confident in the vet's ability to assimilate quickly into the system.

"He's been in a lot of different defensive schemes. I think he has good familiarity with Flo' and some of [what] we may call things, schemes we may run," O'Connell said. "I think he's excited to learn kind of what Flo's done with the defense here over the last couple of years and into this season. So, we'll be excited to get him out rolling."

Though Minnesota's coaches have yet to detail Gilmore's responsibilities, they did encourage him to settle into the locker room and start building relationships with his new teammates.

Many of the faces might be new, but stepping into a leadership role is something Gilmore is well-accustomed to – even having been with four different teams over the past four seasons. He noted several young Vikings had already approached him during his first practice to ask him pointers on different things.

"I'm here to help whoever try to get better and, you know, do whatever I can do – on the field, off the field – that's what I'm here for," he said.

It isn't only the first- and second-year players who will look to learn from Gilmore, either.

Vikings corner Shaq Griffin, entering his eighth NFL season and fellow 2024 signee for Minnesota, told reporters with a broad smile it's "amazing" to add another Pro Bowler to the group.

"I told him when he first got here, I said, 'I think you are the piece we needed in this room,' Griffin said, emphasizing depth at the position. "Harry (Harrison Smith) will tell you, I think we've got one of the oldest rooms now. I think you've got 29 and up, and then some guys that's 25 and down, so we got some older guys in the group.

"Adding him to this team, to this group, I feel like will do wonderful things for us, understanding we've got a lot of young guys who can learn from a guy like that, and I'm one of them," Griffin continued. "Him and Harry going on Year 13, the type of ball they've seen and the type of knowledge they have is something that's going to help this whole team, especially the guys on the back end. I told him I can't wait to pick his brain a little bit going into each week."

Gilmore and Smith, who's spent his entire career in Minnesota after being drafted 29^th overall in 2012, combine for 24 seasons of experience and 333 regular-season starts.

Here's another interesting tidbit from Stats Perform: Since 1920, only two other sets of DBs have played for a team with five-plus Pro Bowls and 165-plus career games each. Those instances occurred in 2000 with Washington (Darrell Green and Deion Sanders) and in 2001 with Baltimore (Carnell Lake and Rod Woodson).

"It's great. We came in together, and I've been watching him play in the league for a long time," Gilmore said of joining Smith. "He's been able to make plays, stay in the same place his whole career, so it's exciting. Someone that's seen the same amount of ball I've seen, you know, you see the game the same way. It's gonna be fun."