Thanos

[HappyViking]

https://www.vikings.com/news/dalvin-tomlinson-powerful-tributes

Dalvin Tomlinson packs seven Sharpie markers ahead of every Vikings game.
Green, purple, blue, red, orange, yellow, black. It's become as natural as adding a toothbrush or change of clothing to the bag.

Before
kickoff, Vikings trainers wrap white athletic tape around each of
Tomlinson's wrists, reinforcing the joints. The defensive tackle then
takes out his markers and adds another layer of support.
He
colors a solid circle below each knuckle on his right hand, then one
larger, yellow circle in the center. These represent the Infinity Stones
of the Marvel Universe: Time, Power, Space, Reality, Soul. The yellow one is Mind.
Comic book fans will recognize that Tomlinson creates his own version of Thanos' golden gauntlet.
When
Tomlinson dons his Purple helmet, lines up, bends down and fixes his
fist in the turf, he feels – like the warlord Thanos – unstoppable.
A
native of the fictional planet Titan, Thanos saw the danger his people
faced from overpopulation and pursued an extreme and deadly solution –
the elimination of half the population, at random and without prejudice,
in order to make life better for the planet as a whole. In a single
snap of his fingers, he turns half of humanity into dust.
Thanos is known throughout the Marvel universe as a supervillain. And yet, he sees justification in his actions.
"It's
almost like playing football, in a sense," Tomlinson said. "I'm playing
to try to stop the run game, or to hit the quarterback. And on my side,
I think it's right. But on the opposite team, their point of view, it's
wrong. To them, I'm the villain."

Tomlinson's connection to the comic book world runs deep.
As a kid, he remembers running around with his older brother, Labronzo, and playing superheroes.
He learned about the X-Men from Labronzo, who read the comic books, and watched television shows like Teen Titans, Static Shock and Justice League. He didn't much differentiate at the time between Marvel and DC, gravitating toward characters from each company.
"I loved The Flash," Tomlinson said, smiling.
In
between Halloweens as a ninja or Power Ranger, Tomlinson dressed up as
Iron Man. He and his childhood friend, Bobby Taylor, once painted
themselves green in high school and went to Costume Day as a pair of The
Hulks.
On
the field, Tomlinson sees himself as Thanos. But off the field, he
identifies much more as Tony Stark, the suave, oft-sarcastic tech genius
who builds the iconic, red-and-gold Iron Man armor suit.
"I used to always love the Iron Man animated series," Tomlinson said, "and then when I saw the first [live-action] Iron Man, [I just fell in love with it]."
Tomlinson
lit up as he referenced the final line of the 2008 film, in which Stark
discloses in a press conference, "I am Iron Man."
"One day, I'm gonna get an Iron Man suit and wear it to the game," Tomlinson said. "He's amazing. I love Tony Stark."
Like Stark, Tomlinson is a lover of technology, science and innovation.

During
the COVID-19 quarantine in 2020, Tomlinson learned how to build his own
gaming PC; he's since constructed two more. He plays trumpet, multiple
percussion instruments, piano and guitar. And when he's not watching
game film or streaming the newest Marvel series on Disney+, Tomlinson
enjoys drawing.

"I get into drawing Marvel stuff," he said. "And I wanted to draw myself animated, so I'm working on that one now."
Tomlinson truly challenges every "jock" stereotype out there, he acknowledges with a laugh.
"I
love it. I'm a well-rounded person," he reflected. "I feel like all the
interests I had as a kid, I could do them. I liked so much different
stuff, I just went different routes with everything. I had a great
childhood."
Tomlinson's
adolescent years were filled with superheroes, imagination, art, sports
and music. They also were dotted, however, with profound loss that
inspires his real-life "heroism" and commitment to making the world a
better place.

[Guest]

Pay close attention to Tomlinson on game day, and you'll notice his right wrist isn't the only one that's been personalized.
On
his left wrist, the 28-year-old uses the black Sharpie to ink large
letters – R.I.P. MOM – to honor his mother, Melinda, who passed away
just before Tomlinson's senior year of high school.
"My mom was my 'why,' " Tomlinson said. "It's to show respect for her."
In
the past few years, he's added to the left wrist. There's a M.T. for
his aunt, Mary Tomlinson, who passed away in 2021, and J.B., for the
mother of his best friend, Jonathan Jean-Bart, who died two years ago.
Both served as important mother figures in Tomlinson's life.
Above the ode to his mom, Tomlinson writes # 22. It's the jersey number Jean-Bart wore at Georgia State before two torn ACLs cut short his football career.

"Jonathan
didn't get the opportunity to play in the league. We used to always
talk as kids that we were gonna play in the league together," Tomlinson
said. "So I put 22 on my wrist because it's my way of showing respect to
him – 'Even though you're not out here physically, we're still playing
together.' It means a lot.
"We're
pretty much like brothers," Tomlinson continued. "It means a lot to him
that I show respect to his mom and his number on my wrist while I'm
playing. Most people don't even know what it is. But it means a lot
because no matter what, he has my back. And I know my mom, my aunt and
his mother, also."
On one wrist, power. On the other, his heart.
Every
time Tomlinson takes the football field, he's grateful for the journey
he's on. From winning the College Football Championship with Alabama in
2015, to being drafted by the New York Giants in 2017, playing four
seasons and joining the Vikings as a free agent in 2021, Tomlinson has
found success.

Tomlinson
has 20 starts under his belt in Vikings Purple. In four games this
season, he has 16 tackles, 1.5 sacks, three quarterback hits, a forced
fumble and a recovered fumble. He forced the fumble in London against
the Saints, knocking the ball loose and pushing it toward Harrison
Phillips for the recovery.
Like
so many of the comic book characters he admires, Tomlinson transforms
into a dominant, crushing force beneath a bold helmet and uniform.
"And
I think my creative side helps a lot," he said. "We've got to get
creative sometimes on the football field, too. With rushes … you might
do something you've never done before and, 'Oh, man. I like this. Let me
try this now.' You're open to trying new stuff, too.
"You
can learn different things to bring to your game," Tomlinson continued.
"And a younger guy may give you a new move you never thought you'd try,
and now it's one of your favorite moves. … Everybody brings something
different to the table in our d-line room."

Tomlinson
began adding the Thanos marking last season, and his nod to the Marvel
universe has gained plenty of fan attention this year through Vikings
TikTok and Instagram posts.

"It's
super fun," he said. "I get to bring something off the field, what you
enjoyed as a kid growing up, and bring it to the NFL, your profession.
Something you do every day.
"It's amazing. It's super dope," Tomlinson added. "It reminds you that you're still just a big kid."
Is it pushing the analogy too far to call Minnesota's front seven The Avengers?
Probably. But when Tomlinson lines up in the tunnel at U.S. Bank Stadium, he truly feels like he's living a storybook life.
"When
they announce your name, and the lights cut off, it gets dark in there
and you run out of the tunnel, it just doesn't feel real. It feels like a
dream," Tomlinson said. "After you get out there, you're like, 'OK,
this is real. It's a dream come true.'
"But it feels like you're in a movie every single day," he added. "It's crazy."

[Guest]

DT is our top ranked player after 4 weeks on the Vikings at PFF.com. 

[Guest]

@HappyViking said:

https://www.vikings.com/news/dalvin-tomlinson-powerful-tributes

Dalvin Tomlinson packs seven Sharpie markers ahead of every Vikings game.
Green, purple, blue, red, orange, yellow, black. It's become as natural as adding a toothbrush or change of clothing to the bag.

Before
kickoff, Vikings trainers wrap white athletic tape around each of
Tomlinson's wrists, reinforcing the joints. The defensive tackle then
takes out his markers and adds another layer of support.
He
colors a solid circle below each knuckle on his right hand, then one
larger, yellow circle in the center. These represent the Infinity Stones
of the Marvel Universe: Time, Power, Space, Reality, Soul. The yellow one is Mind.
Comic book fans will recognize that Tomlinson creates his own version of Thanos' golden gauntlet.
When
Tomlinson dons his Purple helmet, lines up, bends down and fixes his
fist in the turf, he feels – like the warlord Thanos – unstoppable.
A
native of the fictional planet Titan, Thanos saw the danger his people
faced from overpopulation and pursued an extreme and deadly solution –
the elimination of half the population, at random and without prejudice,
in order to make life better for the planet as a whole. In a single
snap of his fingers, he turns half of humanity into dust.
Thanos is known throughout the Marvel universe as a supervillain. And yet, he sees justification in his actions.
"It's
almost like playing football, in a sense," Tomlinson said. "I'm playing
to try to stop the run game, or to hit the quarterback. And on my side,
I think it's right. But on the opposite team, their point of view, it's
wrong. To them, I'm the villain."

Tomlinson's connection to the comic book world runs deep.
As a kid, he remembers running around with his older brother, Labronzo, and playing superheroes.
He learned about the X-Men from Labronzo, who read the comic books, and watched television shows like Teen Titans, Static Shock and Justice League. He didn't much differentiate at the time between Marvel and DC, gravitating toward characters from each company.
"I loved The Flash," Tomlinson said, smiling.
In
between Halloweens as a ninja or Power Ranger, Tomlinson dressed up as
Iron Man. He and his childhood friend, Bobby Taylor, once painted
themselves green in high school and went to Costume Day as a pair of The
Hulks.
On
the field, Tomlinson sees himself as Thanos. But off the field, he
identifies much more as Tony Stark, the suave, oft-sarcastic tech genius
who builds the iconic, red-and-gold Iron Man armor suit.
"I used to always love the Iron Man animated series," Tomlinson said, "and then when I saw the first [live-action] Iron Man, [I just fell in love with it]."
Tomlinson
lit up as he referenced the final line of the 2008 film, in which Stark
discloses in a press conference, "I am Iron Man."
"One day, I'm gonna get an Iron Man suit and wear it to the game," Tomlinson said. "He's amazing. I love Tony Stark."
Like Stark, Tomlinson is a lover of technology, science and innovation.

During
the COVID-19 quarantine in 2020, Tomlinson learned how to build his own
gaming PC; he's since constructed two more. He plays trumpet, multiple
percussion instruments, piano and guitar. And when he's not watching
game film or streaming the newest Marvel series on Disney+, Tomlinson
enjoys drawing.

"I get into drawing Marvel stuff," he said. "And I wanted to draw myself animated, so I'm working on that one now."
Tomlinson truly challenges every "jock" stereotype out there, he acknowledges with a laugh.
"I
love it. I'm a well-rounded person," he reflected. "I feel like all the
interests I had as a kid, I could do them. I liked so much different
stuff, I just went different routes with everything. I had a great
childhood."
Tomlinson's
adolescent years were filled with superheroes, imagination, art, sports
and music. They also were dotted, however, with profound loss that
inspires his real-life "heroism" and commitment to making the world a
better place.

Interesting.  Would have enjoyed the story more if the author didn't name drop at every chance hoping to come off as trendy with the kids.  Or a paid ad for Disney+/marvel.

But if Dalvin sucks the soul out of Rodgers, all will be good.