Unfortunately, it got lost among the stadium votes but the Minnesota Vikings bid farewell to kicker Ryan Longwell. Most care little for kickers. They come and go and no one really notices that they were ever there. Unless of course they miss a field goal. Everyone knows the kicker then. Ryan Longwell wasn't like that. Unlike most kickers, he was fairly normal. He was also a team leader. Something kickers never are. Longwell was part of the Vikings' difference making free agent class of 2006. Steve Hutchinson, Chester Taylor, Ben Leber and Longwell played key roles as the Vikings gradually improved each year until they were on the brink of the Super Bowl in 2009. Longwell was an excellent kicker. Perhaps the best in Minnesota Vikings history. Not only that, he's been the only Cal player on the team since his signing in 2006. He'll be missed.
People perked up when the Vikings selected Georgia kicker Blair Walsh in the sixth round of the recent draft. I guess we all know why they selected a kicker now. They Vikings are clearly on a youth movement. If they consider the kicker in that movement, they must be serious. Walsh has some huge shoes to fill. Ryan Longwell won't easily be forgotten in Minnesota.
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