Tarvaris Jackson

I tend to get wrapped up in football and negative off-the-field actions by Vikings players. For some reason, us bloggers forget that fans like to hear good things about their players as well. For example, I recently neglected to mention that Madieu Williams made a hefty donation to his Alma Mater during the bye week… a donation that even floored Antoine Winfield. “Two million dollars?” Winfield asked amazed. “Wow. I thought he was nice. Generous, too.” The donation will go a long ways towards establishing the new Center for Global Health Initiatives, which will focus on Williams’ country of birth, Sierra Leone. More recently, ... Read Full Story

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Tarvaris Jackson left the field on Saturday morning with an apparent leg injury. Jackson was injured during a team scrimmage when defensive lineman LeTroy Guion fell at his feet and rolled over his leg. Jackson crumbled to the field in pain as trainers rushed to his side. After a few minutes, he was able to get up and walk off under his own power. There was no immediate word on the nature of his injury. Jackson is in a battle with Sage Rosenfels for the starting quarterback position after Brett Favre decided not to come out of retirement and join the ... Read Full Story

After finally finding out Brett Favre won't be joining them, the Minnesota Vikings are getting ready for training camp. The majority of players and coaches are scheduled to arrive at the dorm at Minnesota State University on Wednesday evening. Everyone is required to report by Thursday, and the first practice is Friday. Now that Favre decided to remain retired, assumedly for good, the attention turns to quarterbacks Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels. They'll fight for the job they were already going to compete for before the Vikings' high-profile pursuit of the NFL's all-time leading passer. Teammates openly lobbied for Favre throughout the spring and ... Read Full Story

Tarvaris Jackson has tried to tune out all the chatter about Minnesota's quarterback situation this offseason, but he can't make a clean escape. The latest opinion came from teammate and defensive tackle Pat Williams, who in a recent radio interview urged Jackson to work harder — reiterating a challenge he's issued to him often. "This ain't college no more. This is the NFL. You have to put in more time than you are used to putting in," Williams told the Sirius satellite radio network. "If you're putting in four hours, you have to put in eight. You have to put in more time than ... Read Full Story

The Minnesota Vikings have signed second-round draft pick Phil Loadholt. The deal was done on Wednesday, ensuring the team's new right tackle would report to training camp on time. Players are required to arrive by Thursday, and the first practice is Friday. Loadholt's addition left the Vikings with one last player to sign, first-round draft pick Percy Harvin, the versatile, speedy wide receiver from Florida. Loadholt, who stands 6-foot-8 and 343 pounds, is expected to be the starter at right tackle, where incumbent Ryan Cook struggled last season. Veteran backup Artis Hicks could also be considered at the position. "It's exciting," Loadholt said. "I'm ... Read Full Story