Vikings grab Percy Harvin as their 1 st NFL Draft pick

By: Larry Fitzgerald
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
Originally posted 04/29/2009

For the last three years at the University of Florida, all we've heard about is quarterback Tim Tebow. Now, the Vikings have drafted Percy Harvin, the talented dual wide receiver/running back threat for the Gators. He helped Florida win two of the last three national championships and might help the Vikings win some future playoff games.

Harvin comes to the Vikings with great credentials: 1,929 receiving yards, 1,852 yards rushing, and 32 touchdowns scored in 36 games the last three years in the rugged Southeastern Conference. Harvin with those incredible accomplishments, like averaging 9.55 yards per rushing attempt, slipped on Draft day because of off-the-field issues that included testing positive for marijuana during this year's NFL Combine in Indianapolis.

Grading talent sometimes is like being a judge in a pizza contest, an NFL scout once told me: “It all comes down to the sauce.” The Combine, which is held in Indianapolis every year, is when the 32 teams and NFL power decision makers — owners, general managers, vice presidents, head coaches, assistants, scouts, agents and media — representing each team are in town for a week to measure the career achievements, conduct individual physical and psychological testing, and make some of the final decisions on talented athletes.

Like with pizza, sometimes you like your crust thin. It's a very difficult situation for some athletes, because some of the stuff the personnel people ask you to do nags at you and becomes personal. Somehow, Harvin survived a positive marijuana test.

In my 30 years of covering the NFL, getting drafted in the NFL first round today, with all the millions of dollars these teams throw at these players, after a positive marijuana test in February is comparable to getting married the day after you told your bride you had sexual relations with the maid of honor. Ricky Williams, Warren Sapp and Randy Moss — all were associated with marijuana the year they got drafted in the NFL.

One of the NFL's top scouts with nearly 20 years in the business has said he “never saw a draft like this one.”

Detroit took quarterback Matthew Stafford with the first pick and gave him $41 million guaranteed. In reality, quarterback Mark Sanchez of USC, taken by the New York Jets as the second QB, was really the big-ticket guy. The San Francisco 49ers and Head Coach Mike Singletary are dancing on the Bay Bridge, having the incredible talent of Michael Crabtree (wide receiver from Texas Tech) drop to the number-ten spot.

It was a strange Draft weekend. It takes about three years to evaluate a draft, but if Head Coach Brad Childress and Vice President Rick Spellman are right Harvin is certainly better than Troy Williamson as a receiver. Harvin is the only athlete in Virginia history to win five gold medals at the state track and field championships.

The Vikings did an extensive background check, and even though Harvin admits to having trust issues and problems as a child he denies the character flaws attached to him. As a competitor, Harvin has been labeled a hot head and an extremist by his ex-coach Urban Meyer at Florida.

“I made a lot of mistakes and did not know how to handle a lot of things,” Harvin said. “But through all of this I've learned a lot. I'm going to continue to move on in the future; a lot of this is in my past. I'm just looking to come here and contribute however I can and be a factor.

“I got down a lot through all of this, cried a lot and really got down on myself,” he added. “I've got a great mom and father and sister who are my backbone. I truly believe we went through it; they told me to stay strong and everything would be all right. My mom has never let me down; once hearing those words from her, I knew everything is going to be all right.”

I like Brad Childress as a man, and as a football coach he's got guts. I think he has this team headed in the right direction, and when he looked me in the eye and said, “The kid made some mistakes, but he's not a bad person,” that's enough for me — because there's a big difference, because he's got to coach him. And when Harvin has been coached well, he has delivered big time.

Fitz Notes & Quotes

The Vikings will hold a mini-camp this weekend: May 1-3. Harvin and all the new and old Vikings will be on hand for workouts. The Vikings have invited wide receiver Marcus Fitzgerald to participate in this mini-camp. The Marshall University graduate is a former Vikings ball boy and played football at Holy Angels in Richfield.

Larry Fitzgerald can be heard weekday mornings on KMOJ Radio 89.9 FM at 8:20 am, and on WDGY-AM 740 Monday & Saturday mornings at 7:50 am and Fridays at 3:50 pm; he also commentates on sports 7-8 pm on Almanac (TPT channel 2). Larry welcomes reader responses to lfitzgerald@spokesman-recorder.com , or visit www.Larry-Fitzgerald.com .