09-12-2020, 11:20 AM
After the Vikings drafted Jefferson in April, offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak got a call from Sullivan, who’s now coaching the Arizona Cardinals’ wide receivers after working at LSU during Jefferson’s first two seasons there.
“I told him, ‘Whatever you need him to do, he’ll get it done for you,’ ” Sullivan said. “I just felt like he would fit well with Gary. … He’s got a burning competitiveness in him that’s kind of like, ‘Don’t deny me; I’ll show you.’ He’s got a really good catch range, he can catch the ball at all different angles, and he has no fear of going in the middle and taking a hit. I just see him being a good pro for a good while.”
Jefferson spent much of Vikings training camp as the team’s third wideout behind Adam Thielen and Bisi Johnson, but has played in different spots both outside and in the slot, made a number of highlight catches and shown a nuanced understanding of the position that stems from both his time in LSU’s Joe Brady-coordinated prostyle offense and the extra sessions with his brothers.
“I’ve been very impressed,” Kubiak said. “We ask a lot of him trying to teach him our offense, moving around a bunch. Didn’t take the approach of we’re just going to ask him to do this or that. You know what I mean? We kind of threw it all at him and he’s responded.”
On Sunday, for the first time in years, Jefferson will play a home game without his parents there to watch. John and Elaine will view the game at home, hopeful they’ll be able to travel to U.S. Bank Stadium at some point this season or go to the Vikings’ Christmas Day game in New Orleans.
But Justin isn’t without family in Minnesota — Rickey is living with him in the Twin Cities, working out with him while helping him with some marketing ideas. He sends Jordan and his parents film from practice and talks to them almost every day.
“It feels really good, to be honest,” Justin said. “I’m kind of doing it for them. This was kind of all of our dream. Finally being able to live the dream, to be in a great spot with a great team, it just feels good to be here. They’re excited just like I am. I’m excited to have them on this journey.”
The next time the family gathers in St. Rose, they’ll likely shoot around in the backyard, playing a game of 21 or H-O-R-S-E. Elaine developed a good shot while playing in high school, and though John, a sales manager for Grainger Industrial Supply, is 53 now, he’s still able to hold his own.
Not in 1-on-1, though. Justin won’t take it easy on him.
“When he was younger? Oh, man, I dominated,” John said with a laugh. “I’m still competitive. I can still move a little bit. But he’s like, ‘I can dominate you now.’ He definitely rubs it in.”
Long story, rest of it here:
https://www.startribune.com/former-lsu-r...572389312/
“I told him, ‘Whatever you need him to do, he’ll get it done for you,’ ” Sullivan said. “I just felt like he would fit well with Gary. … He’s got a burning competitiveness in him that’s kind of like, ‘Don’t deny me; I’ll show you.’ He’s got a really good catch range, he can catch the ball at all different angles, and he has no fear of going in the middle and taking a hit. I just see him being a good pro for a good while.”
Jefferson spent much of Vikings training camp as the team’s third wideout behind Adam Thielen and Bisi Johnson, but has played in different spots both outside and in the slot, made a number of highlight catches and shown a nuanced understanding of the position that stems from both his time in LSU’s Joe Brady-coordinated prostyle offense and the extra sessions with his brothers.
“I’ve been very impressed,” Kubiak said. “We ask a lot of him trying to teach him our offense, moving around a bunch. Didn’t take the approach of we’re just going to ask him to do this or that. You know what I mean? We kind of threw it all at him and he’s responded.”
On Sunday, for the first time in years, Jefferson will play a home game without his parents there to watch. John and Elaine will view the game at home, hopeful they’ll be able to travel to U.S. Bank Stadium at some point this season or go to the Vikings’ Christmas Day game in New Orleans.
But Justin isn’t without family in Minnesota — Rickey is living with him in the Twin Cities, working out with him while helping him with some marketing ideas. He sends Jordan and his parents film from practice and talks to them almost every day.
“It feels really good, to be honest,” Justin said. “I’m kind of doing it for them. This was kind of all of our dream. Finally being able to live the dream, to be in a great spot with a great team, it just feels good to be here. They’re excited just like I am. I’m excited to have them on this journey.”
The next time the family gathers in St. Rose, they’ll likely shoot around in the backyard, playing a game of 21 or H-O-R-S-E. Elaine developed a good shot while playing in high school, and though John, a sales manager for Grainger Industrial Supply, is 53 now, he’s still able to hold his own.
Not in 1-on-1, though. Justin won’t take it easy on him.
“When he was younger? Oh, man, I dominated,” John said with a laugh. “I’m still competitive. I can still move a little bit. But he’s like, ‘I can dominate you now.’ He definitely rubs it in.”
Long story, rest of it here:
https://www.startribune.com/former-lsu-r...572389312/
