07-28-2018, 12:57 AM
The Vikings took Friday off from practice to honor Tony Sparano.
Four buses carried players, coaches and staff members from training camp at the TCO Performance Center in Eagan to The Church of St. Bartholomew in Wayzata for what attendees said was an emotional funeral service. Sparano, the Vikings’ offensive line coach the past two seasons, died Sunday from heart disease. He was 56.
About 250 people attended the 1 1/2-hour service, the bulk of them from the Vikings, including owner Zygi Wilf, general manager Rick Spielman and coach Mike Zimmer.
Others on hand included New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton, who coached with Sparano in Dallas; ESPN analyst and former NFL head coach Rex Ryan, who had Sparano as his offensive coordinator with the New York Jets; Rex Ryan’s twin brother Rob Ryan, a longtime defensive coordinator, and many players from other teams Sparano coached in 17 NFL seasons.
“It was absolutely terrific,” Rex Ryan said of the service, which was off limits to the media. “His wife (Jeanette) and (three) kids did the readings, and she was phenomenal, and it was special. It really was.”
Pallbearers were Joe Berger and Vikings starting offensive linemen Riley Reiff, Mike Remmers, Nick Easton, Pat Elflein and Rashod Hill. Berger was a starter during both of Sparano’s seasons with the Vikings before announcing his retirement in March; he also played for Sparano in Dallas and Miami.
https://www.twincities.com/2018/07/27/fu...a-dry-eye/
Four buses carried players, coaches and staff members from training camp at the TCO Performance Center in Eagan to The Church of St. Bartholomew in Wayzata for what attendees said was an emotional funeral service. Sparano, the Vikings’ offensive line coach the past two seasons, died Sunday from heart disease. He was 56.
About 250 people attended the 1 1/2-hour service, the bulk of them from the Vikings, including owner Zygi Wilf, general manager Rick Spielman and coach Mike Zimmer.
Others on hand included New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton, who coached with Sparano in Dallas; ESPN analyst and former NFL head coach Rex Ryan, who had Sparano as his offensive coordinator with the New York Jets; Rex Ryan’s twin brother Rob Ryan, a longtime defensive coordinator, and many players from other teams Sparano coached in 17 NFL seasons.
“It was absolutely terrific,” Rex Ryan said of the service, which was off limits to the media. “His wife (Jeanette) and (three) kids did the readings, and she was phenomenal, and it was special. It really was.”
Pallbearers were Joe Berger and Vikings starting offensive linemen Riley Reiff, Mike Remmers, Nick Easton, Pat Elflein and Rashod Hill. Berger was a starter during both of Sparano’s seasons with the Vikings before announcing his retirement in March; he also played for Sparano in Dallas and Miami.
https://www.twincities.com/2018/07/27/fu...a-dry-eye/
