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Slices of Mankato: Vikings Legends Share Training Camp Memories

MANKATO, Minn. — The highway wound, the river meandered and the memories came rolling back, smile by smile and slice by slice.

Vikings Legends Weekend helped open 2026 Training Camp and kicked off with a bus trip to Minnesota State, Mankato for a campus tour and lunch at Jake's Stadium Pizza.

Many among the dozens of former players had not been back to Mankato since their final Vikings Training Camp, including receiver John Henderson, who lives in the Twin Cities but had not revisited since 1973.

A cool wind and damp conditions presented as the group departed Mystic Lake on a charter bus, but the rain subsided in time for the guests to be welcomed by Wally Boyer and the staff at Jake's. The delicious aroma warmed everyone from the unseasonably crisp conditions.

"We came to Jake's in our off time, and it was always good to be able to come in and have a cold one," recalled Vikings Ring of Honor cornerback Bobby Bryant, who was with the team from 1967-80. "The people there were always nice, so it was good, and it was close. It was only a couple blocks from our dorm, so it was not hard to get there, and we didn't have to worry about getting a speeding ticket going back to the dorm."

We capitalized on the environment by inviting Vikings Legends into a corner booth beneath walls clad with Vikings memorabilia to share their "Slices of Mankato."

Although Jake's has moved another block or so from its original location during the initial Purple People Eaters era, the logo and a marquee welcoming the Legends reminded them of one of the few respites they had during summers of two-a-day practices.

"We pulled in, and the sign is just as I remembered it. I had so many fond memories at that moment," said John Turner, a Vikings defensive back from 1978-83 and 1985-87. "I thought about many days after practice, all the guys sitting, we're talking, we're laughing, we're recuperating from the practice."

Turner found it refreshing to mix root beer with beer and still sang the combo's praises.

"Let me tell you, I thought I had died and gone to heaven," he said.

Henderson, who preferred only root beer, appreciated the smoothness of this bus ride, possibly more than anyone else, because of his first Mankato memory made in 1968.

"One of the most traumatic experiences that I had was my first week that I was here," Henderson said. "Jim Marshall came up to me, and he's a fraternity brother of mine. He said, 'Come and go with me, jump in my car,' and I did like a fool.

"There's a big, steep hill off the campus, and he had it floored, and the car was airborne, and I thought I was going to die. And I hadn't even been in a practice yet," Henderson continued. "Jim was a leader, a great human being, but he scared me to death. I mean, we were airborne for at least five seconds. And then we bounced off the bottom of the hill. And when we were coming back, I said, 'No, I'm going to get a ride back with somebody else.'

"I rode with him one time, and that was it," said Henderson, adding he would have preferred plodding back to the Twin Cities in a stagecoach instead of riding with Marshall.

Feet firmly planted back on the turf, Henderson quickly began gleaning lessons from Vikings Ring of Honor members Marshall, Head Coach Bud Grant and Bryant, as well as other teammates.

"I can't say enough about [Marshall's] leadership skills. He accepted everybody. He expected things out of everybody, and he was a good leader," Henderson said. "And I think Bud Grant recognized that in him, as did his teammates. He was referred to as Captain Jim. And he earned that."

Henderson, who played for the Lions from 1965-67 before joining the Vikings for five seasons, logged great practice reps against Bryant.

"I've got some fond memories of Bobby Bryant. One of the memories that I have of him was that he ran my patterns better than I did," Henderson said before deadpanning, "So I'm responsible for him being as good as he is."

Bryant called himself "lucky" to have reviewed Henderson's film.

"And of course we practiced against him twice a day, so you get to know somebody pretty well," Bryant said. "There's only so many ways you can turn to fool somebody, so fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.

"We had some great receivers, Gene Washington and John Henderson and many others … but playing against them every day, you got to know them pretty well," Bryant continued. "There were a few times I read his patterns very well and jumped in front of him and made an interception, but that was my job."

Turner was drafted in the second round of the 1978 NFL Draft out of the University of Miami. Prior to his selection, the Vikings tabbed defensive end Randy Holloway in the first round (21st overall) with the awareness that Marshall was 40 and heading into his 19th NFL season and 18th with Minnesota. In his first NFL camp, Turner observed multiple dynamics with Marshall, who later invited the rookie to come sit with him at the front of the plane for valued conversations, as well as Ring of Honor running back Chuck Foreman, a first-round pick in 1973.

"It was a Wednesday. We were out there, helmets, shoulder pads, geared up. Jim just had the jersey on and some pants on. I'm like, 'Now he's tough, but he ain't that tough.'

"Jim goes over to Randy Holloway and said, 'You got them all today, Rook.' Every rep, first team, second team, he had them all," Turner said. "I'm thinking, if I ever get that good, I'm like, 'God, please let me get that good. I just want to say some of this. I just want to say some of this stuff.' That was Jim. That's who he was. He was the captain, and everybody knew him.

"I'm very impressionable," Turner added. "Jim was an eye-opening dude. He made you realize that. Not that he had to flaunt it or show it or say it, but it was just recognized that he was that special. No, that he was that dude."

Foreman, a fellow University of Miami product, also took Turner under his wing. Turner observed a conversation between Grant and Foreman during camp in 1979 after Minnesota had drafted RB Ted Brown in the first round.

"Chuck was upset because he felt like he was being phased out a little bit. When you're a star … you feel some kind of way. I'm not going to say you've got an ego, but you feel some kind of way. And you know when things feel like they're changing from the norm," Turner said. "Chuck felt like he wasn't getting as many carries in practice, getting ready for the games. Bud came up to Chuck, and I happened to be there, so of course I'm not leaving.

"Chuck was expressing himself, 'Well, Coach, blah, blah, blah.' And this is how good Bud was. He said, and I'm paraphrasing, 'You've been everything to this team. You've done everything for this team. I don't need you to have 30 carries anymore. I don't need you to have a thousand yards or whatever.' Because he was trying to add some years to his career" and assured him he'd still be part of the team.

"I'm thinking, 'How old is Bud?' Because I hope he's my coach when I get to be in my ninth, 10th year. And I'm good enough where he tells me, 'Well, J.T., don't you worry, as long as I'm the coach, you are on the team.'

"These are the two dudes here," Turner added in reference to Marshall and Foreman. "The offensive dude and the defensive dude. And I wanted to be a dude. But I'm a rookie. I'm 22. I am so far away from the dude."

Turner wound up starting 70 of the 101 regular-season games he played for the Vikings. After Grant retired in 1983 and was replaced by Les Steckel, Turner was traded to the Chargers in August 1984 (he made six starts in 15 games with the Bolts).

As Grant prepared to return in 1985, Turner visited the coach.

"He didn't even say hello," Turner recalled. "Bud was like that. Bud was straight to the point. Great guy, great sense of humor, but straight to the point. Bud got to the point. His first comment, 'How do you like San Diego?'

"I don't like it," Turner replied.

"Want to come back?"

"Yep."

"And it was so funny. When the opportunity presented itself, he brought me right back," Turner said with gratitude.

"Some of the fondest memories I had were with all the guys sitting around, sitting with Ahmad Rashad and Sammy White, laughing and talking with them. And the offensive guys are talking more trash to the defensive guys because we just had practice or we may have just gotten through 7-on-7," Turner said. "And it was just a special moment because not only was it fun, but it was bonding.

"When you saw one of us anywhere, you saw all of us," Turner added. "We were all so close. And it was such a beautiful thing. And I give Bud and the Vikings organization so much credit for that because not only did they bring in good football players, they brought in good people."