Quarterback Tarvaris Jackson puts his skills on display at the first day of camp

Staff

Published Sunday, July 29, 2007

By Jeff Budlong, sports editor

MANKATO — The red jersey is supposed to keep the pressure off the quarterbacks during training camp drills, but for a quartet of Minnesota Viking signal-callers it just seems to make them stick out even more.

On a practice field stacked with 300-pound offensive and defensive linemen Friday it is the quarterbacks who seem to loom the largest. The red jersey could easily come with a bull’s-eye on the front rather than the number with many believing the Vikings’ success this season rests with the position.

Enter Tarvaris Jackson.

After his somewhat surprising selection in the second round of last season’s draft out of Division I-AA Alabama State, he made two mostly unsuccessful starts in ultimately meaningless games at the end of his rookie year. Brad Johnson was released over the winter, and — as fast as one can spell inexperience — the 24-year-old Jackson was suddenly the leading candidate to take over the most important position on the field.

“I’m ready, and I’m looking forward each day to get even more ready,” Jackson said, following the team’s first full-contact practice of the season.

Jackson has shown mobility but his passing stats of 5.86 yards per attempt, two touchdowns and four interceptionsshow that he has a long way to go if he is going to lead the Vikings into the thick of a division race.

While many would like to think Jackson will be the starter in 2007 with Johnson gone that is no certainty either. Brooks Bollinger is a five-year vet who will push Jackson for the starting spot.

Add in former phenom Drew Henson and rookie Tyler Thigpen and there are options and competition galore on the field at Blakeslee Stadium on the campus of Minnesota State University.

With Friday being the official start of training camp

much of what was completed were simple drills, but the starting job is on all the quarterbacks’ minds to be sure.

“Whatever happens at the end of the day happens,” Bollinger said. “Through all that, I think we all help each other, and we’re all fighting for the same cause.”

To underscore the importance of the QB position this season, Vikings owner Ziggy Wilf sat on the field watching his four signal-callers go through throwing drills before leaving during the afternoon practice which lasted two hours.

For now Jackson is just trying to prove himself to his teammates one throw at a time.

“(I want to) have the guys believe in me that, ‘OK, we’re going to win this game.’ Not, ‘I don’t know what this young guy is going to do’ or whatever,” Jackson said. “I just want the guys to believe in me.”

Early returns have been positive from the wide receivers that have plenty to prove themselves after drawing criticism early and often a year ago.

“Just the balls that he throws, veteran players that I’ve played with haven’t been able to throw that far,” said receiver Bobby Wade, who signed with Minnesota as a free agent this year after spending the last four seasons with Chicago and Tennessee.

Camp notes and questions

- More than any rookie other than this year’s No. 1 selection, Adrian Peterson, the Viking with the most pressure on him may be Chad Greenway. While Greenway is not technically a rookie his game experience consists of one preseason kickoff coverage play. Greenway tore his anterior cruciate ligament trying to break up a wedge block and now the former Iowa Hawkeye must prove he is healthy and worthy of the No. 1 pick the Vikings spent on him last year.

Greenway was running well during drills Friday and looked like most players who are coming off a serious injury — happy to be back on the field.

“It doesn’t feel like starting over,” Greenway said. “When you put the pads on, it feels the same every year. I just had my pads off longer than everybody else. ... I’ve been working out and getting ready for ‘now.’ And today is the first day of now.”

Greenway is the expected starter at the weak side position, with E.J. Henderson in the middle and Ben Leber at the strong side.

- Chester Taylor looked strong running the football, but judging by the depth chart he better be because without Peterson signed the rest of the names do little to inspire confidence.

Mewelde Moore has battled injury, Artose Pinter is a journeyman and Ciatrick Fason is a rookie.

- The Vikings have been in Mankato 42 seasons for training camp which makes it the second longest tenure in the NFL behind Green Bay’s 49 seasons at St. Norbert College.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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