Throwback Thursday: Viking Gifts

Minnesota Vikings 1998 Draft

1. Randy Moss  WR  Marshall
2. Kailee Wong  LB  Stanford
3. Ramos McDonald  DB  New Mexico
4. Kivuusama Mays  LB  North Carolina
5. Kerry Cooks  S  Iowa
6. Matt Birk  T  Harvard
7a. Chester Burnett  LB  Arizona
7b. Tony Darden  CB  Texas Tech

The incredible rookie season of Randy Moss helped make the Minnesota Vikings 1998 offense one of the most explosive in NFL history. As he was taking apart defenses across the league, a Harvard-educated tackle was learning how to be a professional center. Matt Birk was a project, at best, when he was drafted. Moss made an impact immediately. He continued making an impact for the Vikings until his unfortunate trade to the Oakland Raiders following the 2004 season. Birk became the Vikings starting center in 2000. He was soon a team leader and one of the best at his newly learned position. This 1998 draft was one of the Vikings best because of Moss and Birk. The other six players did little to nothing. Wong had potential but injuries soon ended his career. Moss and Birk made a difference. They were linked by a common draft but were often at odds. Moss was a little unpredictable with an unbelievably smooth path to the NFL. Everything came easy to him in athletics. Birk was a disciplined, hard-working grunt. Few predicted an NFL career of any length. No one predicted a 15-year, nicely decorated career. Their vastly different paths resulted in vastly different views. They likely had few conversations. Some that are known weren't considered pleasant. Despite their differences they will always be linked by their common beginning.

Randy Moss and Matt Birk will always rank among my favorite Vikings players. Moss for his unbelievable talent. Birk for his unbelievable work ethic and leadership. He also has a terrific sense of humor. Humor goes a long way. I have mixed emotions in seeing both in Sunday's Super Bowl. I'd love to see both have a championship in their excellent NFL careers. It would have been best for them, and for me, to get that big win while in Minnesota. That wasn't meant to be. Moss nearly got one with New England in 2007. He gets another shot with San Francisco now. Birk gets his first shot with Baltimore. Viking gifts from 1998 are benefiting each Super Bowl team. While closing in on the end of their football careers, Moss and Birk are still making an impact. It's warming to see Moss making a tremendous contribution to the 49ers as a mentor and leader. Few have ever really given him proper credit for his football smarts. The opposite is true of Birk. Not enough people have ever really given him proper credit for his football skills. I think that Moss and Birk would get along better now. They have much more in common as older football players looking for that elusive ring. They came form the same draft with the same team to play on different teams in the same Super Bowl. The San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens are reaping the benefits of the Minnesota Vikings 1998 draft.