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David Levine -> RE: General Vikes Talk (8/15/2023 5:03:34 PM)
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Vikings rookie NaJee Thompson makes mark on special teams by flashing special speed
NaJee Thompson, an undrafted cornerback from Georgia Southern, is turning his success in track into a route to the NFL.
In 14 special teams snaps in his NFL preseason debut in Seattle last week, [NaJee] Thompson's speed leaped off the screen on at least two occasions as a gunner — once when he separated from a blocker and tackled a punt returner for no gain and once when he chased down a punt and downed it at the 2-yard line.
[Matt] Daniels likes Thompson's speed and loves his longtime devotion to special teams. Thompson went to Georgia Southern as a backup receiver and finished as a starting cornerback. But he always identified as a special teamer, period.
"That's who he is at his core," Daniels said.
"Senior Night in high school against Clover, I scored every way possible," Thompson said. "Pick six, punt return, threw a touchdown pass, had a rushing touchdown and had over 300 all-purpose yards.
"But my freshman year at Georgia Southern, I told them I don't want to play offense or defense. I want to go straight to special teams. I showed I can play offense or defense, but special teams, special teams, special teams. That's my ticket to the league."
Thompson did it all on special teams at Georgia Southern. In 2018-19, he had four fumble recoveries, blocked a punt that was returned for a touchdown and forced a fumble. He blocked two more punts in 2020. A year later, Pro Football Network named him first-team All-America as a special teams player.
"We knew kind of his ability as a special teams type of player, kind of in that Matthew Slater-esque quality of speed, power, smarts, toughness," said Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell, who is close friends with Slater, New England's 10-time Pro Bowl special teamer who's still an active player at age 37.
https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-vikings-najee-thompson-training-camp-special-teams/600297261/
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