11-30-2019, 01:26 PM
When he played for the Vikings, Antoine Winfield Sr. was regarded as one of the NFL’s top tackling cornerbacks. But he takes it a step further than that.
“I was the best tackler period in the league,’’ said Winfield, who played for Minnesota from 2004-12. “No one could tackle like me in the open field. I put my numbers up against Ray Lewis, anybody.’’
While tackles always have been an unofficial NFL statistic, Lewis became the league’s career leader with 2,061 while playing for the Baltimore Ravens from 1996-2012. He broke the mark held by linebacker Scott Studwell, who had an unofficial 1,928 tackles with the Vikings from 1977-90.
Winfield, who also played with Buffalo from 1999-2003, had an unofficial 1,057 tackles in his 14-year NFL career. He said he was “absolutely’’ the best tackler in Vikings history and that includes Studwell.
Winfield lives in suburban Houston but has spent plenty of time this fall in the Twin Cities since his son, Antoine Winfield Jr., is a star safety for the University of Minnesota. But while the elder Winfield is not bashful about discussing his tackling ability, he said his son could end up becoming a better player than he was.
“Absolutely,’’ said Winfield Sr. “That was the goal. That’s why I taught him everything I can do and he plays exactly like I do, but has better hands, so of course he can be better than me.’’
Winfield has seen four Gophers home games this season, and will be on hand for Saturday’s finale against Wisconsin, which will decide the Big Ten West.
“I’m very excited,’’ he said of his son. “He’s doing his thing and it’s crazy. What he’s doing this year is, wow. His confidence level is through the roof. He’s making so many plays. I just love his approach every time the ball is in the air.”
Winfield Sr. was taken with the No. 23 pick by the Bills in the 1999 draft. He offered no predictions on where his son will be drafted, but pointed out how he has built up his body in the weight room.
“I keep seeing (NFL) teams talking about his size, but they did the same thing with me,’’ said Winfield Sr. “I was a great player, 5-9, 180. He’s 5-10, 205. I wish I had that body. … He lived in the weight room. He built that body up. The sky is the limit for him.”
https://www.twincities.com/2019/11/28/an...er-player/
“I was the best tackler period in the league,’’ said Winfield, who played for Minnesota from 2004-12. “No one could tackle like me in the open field. I put my numbers up against Ray Lewis, anybody.’’
While tackles always have been an unofficial NFL statistic, Lewis became the league’s career leader with 2,061 while playing for the Baltimore Ravens from 1996-2012. He broke the mark held by linebacker Scott Studwell, who had an unofficial 1,928 tackles with the Vikings from 1977-90.
Winfield, who also played with Buffalo from 1999-2003, had an unofficial 1,057 tackles in his 14-year NFL career. He said he was “absolutely’’ the best tackler in Vikings history and that includes Studwell.
Winfield lives in suburban Houston but has spent plenty of time this fall in the Twin Cities since his son, Antoine Winfield Jr., is a star safety for the University of Minnesota. But while the elder Winfield is not bashful about discussing his tackling ability, he said his son could end up becoming a better player than he was.
“Absolutely,’’ said Winfield Sr. “That was the goal. That’s why I taught him everything I can do and he plays exactly like I do, but has better hands, so of course he can be better than me.’’
Winfield has seen four Gophers home games this season, and will be on hand for Saturday’s finale against Wisconsin, which will decide the Big Ten West.
“I’m very excited,’’ he said of his son. “He’s doing his thing and it’s crazy. What he’s doing this year is, wow. His confidence level is through the roof. He’s making so many plays. I just love his approach every time the ball is in the air.”
Winfield Sr. was taken with the No. 23 pick by the Bills in the 1999 draft. He offered no predictions on where his son will be drafted, but pointed out how he has built up his body in the weight room.
“I keep seeing (NFL) teams talking about his size, but they did the same thing with me,’’ said Winfield Sr. “I was a great player, 5-9, 180. He’s 5-10, 205. I wish I had that body. … He lived in the weight room. He built that body up. The sky is the limit for him.”
https://www.twincities.com/2019/11/28/an...er-player/
