September 5, 2024 • 22 mins
Vikings Country is BACK! Week 1 & my guest is rookie Defensive Tackle, Levi Drake Rodriguez! #50 and I talk about his road to the NFL and the Minnesota Vikings, the face paint, the flow, how the vets handle his energy and what it is like to play in Brian Flores' Defense. He's also ready to get his weiner...have to listen to find out!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's time for Vikings Country, brought to you by Miller Lyte.
Now here's your host of Vikings Country from kfa N
and the Vikings Radio Network, Muss wild Born.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Hey, how are we doing. We'ren Hopkins. It's Vikings Country.
Such great looking crowd here we got going on man,
all the purple, I absolutely love it. On us and
joining me are very special guest. I was very excited
when they said that, Okay, we're gonna get Levi in
on here. Number fifty ladies and gentlemen. You know him
(00:35):
for the flow, you know how, he's just amazing in
the preseason so far. Levi. Drake Rodriguez, how are you doing, buddy?
Speaker 3 (00:43):
Going well? Thank you for having me than you having me.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
We are worried that you might not be able to
make it here. Yeah, isn't that funnes traffic here?
Speaker 3 (00:53):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Austin's oh yeah, yeah, I suppose I know, But that's
kind of like I was talking to Nate Swinson and
He's like, I don't know if he's gonna make it. Man,
he's gonna he's running a little late, and I'm like, sure,
you send him to a place. The guy has no
idea where he's going, I know, we got GPS and all,
but that's kinda be kind of a bitch getting a.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Ground and that's my dog, Nate Doug. So yeah, yeah,
something lined up for me. I'm gonna try my best
to get there. Yeah yeah, yeah, Hey, Nate's a great guy.
He took me up with some Oakley's uh been been
doing his thing over there, just saying hi every day.
So yeah, I.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Don't don't don't feed him too much. No, no, he
has garage beers with me and he's just already impossible
to work with. And got week one coming up here
taking on the Giants. We'll get into that here in
just a little bit, but first, let's uh Texas A
and M Commerce. At first, when I saw that, I
was like, is that what they do? There? Is just
(01:47):
commerce commercing? But then I did look into it and
it's just the name of the town. It was originally
a teacher school.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
Correct, It was actually like an air base. Oh no,
kid in some wars. Yeah, so that's pretty Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
So now you did not go there to be a teacher.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
Though, No, far from that.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Now, when you were what is it is?
Speaker 3 (02:10):
It is sagu that's correct. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
So when you were there, you first go there, you
were it was not only football but baseball.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
Yeah, yeah, I actually played both.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Yeah, Okay, so I'm gonna I'm just gonna take a
wild guess on this one. There's definitely d H in there.
Probably uh probably number one bag scoop were your first base.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
I played a little first base, mostly outfield. Oh no, kid, because.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
Yeah, was baseball ever a thought where you're like, wow,
you know, maybe I can go that route?
Speaker 3 (02:39):
Or football?
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Always been?
Speaker 3 (02:41):
Man, I've been playing football since I was both of them,
actually since I was four. That's why I chose Sago
because I didn't know where to go. You know, had
different different offers, nothing big, nothing crazy, but I had
different offers for you know, just one sport. Uh, they
offered me both. I took it like that so nice.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Okay, is it true that you actually fasted for a week? Yeah,
and you and you sat at a park.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
That's correct.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
And just to go, okay, what am I doing next?
That's true?
Speaker 3 (03:11):
Correct, That's how you got the contra. That's it? Yes,
So uh, man, I was at the end of the season.
I didn't know what the hell load to do, so
I took it, you know, upon myself and just gave
it to the Lord. So I fasted for seven days,
drinking only water, some fruit smoothies, things like that, you know,
trying to replenish a little bit. But uh, that last day,
(03:32):
I sat at the at the park on the bench
and I just you know, was there, closed my eyes
and Lord said go I said why, He said go again.
I was like, all right, I'm gone, let's do it.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
So that's crazy man.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
That started the journey at convers What.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
Made you think, you know, if I fast, this will
really bring this a little bit quicker. Yeah, to the
acknowledgment of where I should go.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
Just clarity. Yeah, you know, you're really uh there there's
a lot to do. Whenever you're eating, whenever you're not
playing video games, whenever you're not on your phone. There's
so much more time than you think you have in
the day. And what am I gonna do with that time?
You know? So I opened a good book, I prayed
a lot, and I just gave my daily time to
the Lord. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
So after you fast, then you get to the point
where you're gonna need to put on some weight, right,
So then tell us about the eat as much as
humanly possible diet, which we like to call the State Fair.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
I didn't get to go to that.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
You didn't get to God, I didn't get to go to.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
That, but I heard it, but I heard that it was.
It's a great event.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
Yeah, you'll get it in. It's twelve days a hell.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
Yeah. So so I literally ate as much as I
could each meal. My go to meal would be a
dozen eggs, a whole pack of bacon with rice, so
two or three cups of rice. Yeah, I got it.
And then and then I'll drizzle honey all over that thing. Okay,
(05:02):
don't knock it till you try it now. Yeah, soccer
is good, That soucker is good. Put on a like
thirty pounds after this past season.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
That comerce, Oh my goodness. Levi Drake Rodriguez number fifty
is our guest here Vikings Country here on Kfan. We're
at weld bor Ian Hopkins. Stop on out here because
you still have a chance to get tickets in the
midller ofl like lounge. You go watch your Minnesota Vikings
there US Bank Stadium. That first experience when you came in,
and I loved it because you were miked up as
(05:31):
well and I'm like, they gotta mic this guy up
every day game. Yeah, I love. It was that like
like walking out on that field the first time.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
Yeah. So they asked me right after practice one day, Hey,
LEVI you want to be miked up. I was like, duh,
you know, I see I see those videos all the time,
like heck yeah. But man, walking out of that stadium
into the stadium and seeing all the fans, everybody in
that sucker was it was amazing. Honestly, it was a
dream come true.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
You know.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
Every morning I like three three forty five these past
two years, I would go out in the field, you know,
do my thing, pray, uh, do all that, and I
would just you know, hype up the crowd so to speak.
You know. So I've been been dreaming of that, and
once it was finally there, man, it was a it
was an experience that I will never forget. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
I appreciated how many times you had to actually like
pull to go. I'm sorry, I'm cursing some sy.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
Man, I was. I was in the heat of the moment.
I tried to watch my mouth, but good not. It
was hard.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Yeah, I can't wait to hear it again. And when
it comes up again. Okay. So now we're going from
where your division two?
Speaker 3 (06:45):
Right, So they were they just turned D one my
first year there, twenty two was there? First year D one? Okay?
Speaker 2 (06:51):
So you got D one and then you make it
to you go to the combine. No, you didn't do
the combine.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
No, no combine, No pro day was it? Yeah? I
had a kay of solid pro day yeah, okay. And
I went to some FCS and FBS Bowl games yep.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
And then you go and then you get drafted in
the seventh round, crest of the vikings, and you're in
the NFL. You make the fifty three and all this
the whole time. Your dad explained it as u sports poor.
A lot of people talk about being house poor or whatever.
You guys were sports poor. Sports for baby.
Speaker 3 (07:25):
We spent so much time on the road with baseball, football,
my sister with volleyball, her basketball, and we spent so
much time doing that. We just you know, didn't have
the biggest house, best car, you know, best bats or cleats.
You know, my my cleats were duct taped a lot
of the time. So that's sports for man. But I
(07:46):
really appreciate their sacrifices. They don't go unnoticed, you know.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
So yeah, okay, so how about this. You did make
a statement that if you did actually get drafted and
you you can't on a squad, that you're gonna buy
a Wiener dog. It was like the strangest thing was like,
first thing, I'm did you get your Wiener?
Speaker 3 (08:09):
I haven't got my Wiener. I haven't got my Wiener yet.
But uh, you know, I don't know how that's gonna
look right now, just during the season. How I'm gonna
be home, so my on his way.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
Yeah, the Poetrip Morning Show is gonna love that one
there there. Okay, I gotta ask you about this because
uh here miked up as we were talking about you're
streaming your joy. It's just unbelievable. You got the face paint,
you got the flow. You're sitting there screaming on the
(08:42):
sidelines kind of like a guy we all know here
who was on last week with us actually for Vikings
Country and the name of John Randall, Hall of Famer,
also from Texas. Is there any part of that game
or all that kind of stuff? Does that? Is that
anything based off of what you've seen before John Rendall?
Speaker 3 (09:01):
I knew he was wild. Yeah, I knew he was wild.
I knew he was a bundle of energy. And I
got to meet him a couple of months ago. We
had this little rookie retreat and you know, putting face
to name and really just getting to know him a
little bit better was was pretty cool. But braveheart. I
don't know if you've seen that movie. Absolutely, that's where
I got the face painting from you, you know, and
(09:22):
I just sent it, you know, exactly. So that's a
great movie. Got it from that man. And there old Johnny.
He's a he's a bundle of joy too, oh.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Man, and just so much energy, the flow. How long
has that beened? Growing up?
Speaker 3 (09:36):
Nine years?
Speaker 2 (09:37):
Nine years?
Speaker 3 (09:38):
Yeah, I got a bad haircut my freshman year of
high school and I was like, hell, no, I'm never
cutting this again. Never, And I haven't got a couple
of trims and whatnot, but I haven't cut it again.
It won't happen.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
Well, we absolutely love it, man. It's so awesome because
normally you're like, I want to be able to see
the name on the back of the jersey, stuff like that,
going down to the fifteen. We don't don't care. We
don't care, and you're not gonna change the fifty. A
bunch of guys change numbers. It always happens. But that
was one of your favorite.
Speaker 3 (10:06):
Yeah. I've had my number fifty since I was in
high school. Yeah, and that's pretty freaking dope. Yeah, I'm
gonna keep it.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
Yeah, you're that damn good that you get to keep fifty.
Speaker 3 (10:14):
Stop.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
That's what it is. That's what it is.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
That's how it happens. You got a lot to prove, balls,
you got a lot to prove.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
What's it gonna be like? And we'll get into more
about the game coming up here on Sunday, But what's
it gonna be like for you to go out on
that field the very first regular season NFL game. Yeah,
you're gonna be in New Jersey. Yeah, you're gonna be
at the Meadowlands. So, but going out on that field
knowing full well you're getting reps, you are in the
(10:43):
freaking NFL.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
Oh man, it's literally a dream come true. Coaches asked me, Hey,
how's your day going living the dream? So I mean that,
you know, it's not just something I say. I mean it.
So get in there and being able to participate with
the dogs with the coaches, Man it's a whole new brotherhood.
It's a whole new tension, a whole new responsibility. So
(11:07):
it's not all, you know, flowers and roses, you know.
So it's a lot of work, a lot more work
to be done. But man, the reward for the hard work, sweat,
blood and tears is all gonna be worth it.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
Yeah, all right, coming up here in our next segment,
By the way, Levi Drake Rodriguez is our guest here
Vikings Country with Miller Lite, the official beer sponsor out
of the Minnesota Vikings We're here at Hopkins Wild Bar.
We're gonna talk a little bit about that d line room.
We're gonna talk about guys that you've gravitated to so far,
and then we're gonna do our five typically stupid Vikings
(11:41):
Country questions, so they are really dumb for getty. You're
gonna love this, buddy. It's coming up next right here.
Once again, welcome back to Vikings Country. We're here in Hopkins.
We're a wild bar. You have up until eight thirty
tonight actually to come out here. Sign up and try
to win tickets to go in the Miller Lite lounge
and watch your Minnesota Vikings taking on Detroit and the
(12:02):
Lions October twentieth. That is gonna be an awesome game
at us Bank Stadium. Of course. My guess is Levi
Drake Rodriguez number fift eight. Love this dude, love this energy. Man.
I mean you're talking about you. Always hear that motor.
It's always the word. Everybody likes to use a motor.
But man, watching your film, even when you're in college,
(12:24):
but then even watching what you were doing in the preseason,
that motor is definitely there. The joy is definitely there.
But my god, you are a fleet of foot. You're
you're making cuts like running backs, dude, just to get around,
get yourself some room to get in.
Speaker 3 (12:39):
At the corterback right. Yeah. Man, I'm just trying to
be great every day. I'm trying to get better every day,
learn every day, so and then just going hard. You know,
some of the some of the vets already got mad
at me specs yesterday. Really Yeah, it's okay, dude, I
know when or they tell me when the tone it down,
I'm like, all right, my fuck, my fuck, low easy,
(13:01):
it's just Monday, Yeah, exactly exactly. Sew it down, buddy.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
All right, here we go five typically stupid Vikings country questions.
H crowd favorite is you can hear it over here?
First question. This kind of comes rapid fire. You just
answer anyway. You like Deadpool and Wolverine. It is still
the number one movie at the box office, just crossed
six hundred million dollar mark here domestically. Have you seen
it and are you into that kind of uh marvel?
Speaker 3 (13:29):
Yeah, comics. Yeah, I saw it. I went by myself
in the movie theater, so I think it would have
been way better with someone with me.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
Yeah, because it's not a treeping Yeah, just that lone
person said.
Speaker 3 (13:44):
These by myself.
Speaker 2 (13:46):
Yeah, you feel bad for him, but you don't want
to go over and talk to him, you know. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
I love the first one. The second one was solid.
It was funny.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
Yeah, So I haven't seen it yet.
Speaker 3 (13:58):
I want to see that.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
I love This story is number two Jamar Chase. He
reportedly wants to surpass Justin Jefferson, his former teammate and
his buddy with his contract.
Speaker 3 (14:08):
One penny, one Penny's crazy, One Penny's crazy.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
That's the best bit ever.
Speaker 3 (14:14):
Jets is gonna get two pennies that.
Speaker 2 (14:18):
I once did that to Paul Allen We were both
doing an endorsement years ago and we were both doing
the same one, and I insisted that I got one
dollar more and that Pea I had to know about it.
Speaker 3 (14:29):
That's hilarious.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
He still has the endorsement deal and I don't.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
That's hilarious. There's gonna be a buddy like that for
me one day, for sure. Can't wait.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
All right, here we go. What kind of weird workouts
have you done? Because cardio drumming now is like the
huge thing. So you basically you take exercise ball, you
put it in either a garbage can or a bucket,
and then you just crank up music and then you
just play along. Think of like Mike Tyson in The Hangover.
He's just sitting there drumming.
Speaker 3 (14:58):
Yeah, man, I don't. I don't know if I try
that one.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
But has there been something crazy? You're like, I give
it a try, And then he went, what the hell
am I doing this for?
Speaker 3 (15:07):
Yeah? Some isold stuff that we do in the weight room. Yeah,
it's just odd, but it works. It gets my legs
fired up, it gets my heart pumping, and I'm a
fan of it.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
Yeah, do you do the suction cup thing?
Speaker 3 (15:19):
I do really the massages are great. They take care
of us in that building.
Speaker 2 (15:22):
And they know what they're doing.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
Yeah, they know what they do.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
All right, Here we go five typically stupid Vikings Country questions.
Number four. Rumor has it that Wendy's is planning an
official Crabby Patty Burger. Were you a SpongeBob SquarePants?
Speaker 3 (15:37):
Actually yes, I watched a lot of SpongeBob growing up, man.
And uh, you know those little the gummies, Yeah, those
little gummy yes patties. I've had a couple of them.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
I love how you said when I was growing up.
Come on, you're still watching it, youngster. If you start
rolling through the channels and we watched it five minutes,
would my kids were little, all said, I'd realize they're
out on the trampoline in the backyard and I've just
watched the next four episodes. I love that. All right,
Here we go the cyber truck. Have you seen this thing?
Speaker 3 (16:11):
I have?
Speaker 2 (16:12):
They're all over the Twin Cities now I'm seeing more
and more of them. It's like the DeLorean from the
Back to the Future and US Bank Stadium somehow had
a love child. That thing is not pretty.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
Oh man, I thought they were pretty cool at first,
and then I started seeing those little boxes rolling around.
Sorry if anyone has one in here, but but I
don't know if I'll hop on that train.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
So okay, So you don't have your Wiener yet, your
Wiener dog Wieners.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
Yeah, yeah, it's on the way.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
What is it? What is the first purchase when you
sign that we signed that contract, what was the first
what was the first thing that whether it was indulgent
or whether it was something that may give it back.
Speaker 3 (16:57):
I just got a dream truck of mind. Yeah, past
weekend Nice twenty twenty four gmc denali twenty five hundred.
If she's a she's a beauty.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
That's so awesome and you got to pick it out
or did you just go get I went to the dealership.
Speaker 3 (17:13):
They had what I wanted, brand new off the lot.
It is is gorgeous.
Speaker 2 (17:17):
How long have you been thinking about that? Because the
Texas guy, you got to be thinking about truck's flight.
Speaker 3 (17:20):
Yeah, you see everybody running around. I got a you know,
a saddern I don't know if you've ever seen a.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
Beat he.
Speaker 3 (17:31):
So, man, it's been a dream come true getting that thing.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
So we know that you didn't go to the State Fair.
You missed out on that one. Since you've been in Minnesota,
mostly it's been go, go go, I'm guessing. But is
there anything that you have done that's very Minnesota? And
have you had a juicy lucy yet?
Speaker 3 (17:47):
Yeah? We actually cooked one in our facility. There is
a what Yeah it was some of the players cooked it.
It wasn't the best juicy lucy I ever.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
Because some of the players exactly exactly who was head chef.
Speaker 3 (18:01):
In that one? I can't snitch, but I haven't had
authentic one yet. I got to do that.
Speaker 2 (18:09):
Yeah, you definitely have to do that. You golfed also
when you were younger.
Speaker 3 (18:13):
Right, Yeah, Yeah, I did a little golf and I
was on the alternate team. So that's pretty much telling
me I wasn't very good alternate. We'll get exactly exactly.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
All right, let's talk a little football here. That d
line room, I mean, you got a bunch of vets
that are in there. Yeah, you know, you got Tillery
right there ahead you there, and he got of course
Harrison Phillips there. Butllard Jonathan Bullard, what have you? What?
What is that room like? But also what have you learned?
What have you gleaned from them. Good juicy Lucy, wasn't it?
Speaker 3 (18:51):
No? Oh man, They're just so smart about the game.
You know, it's like a playbook in their head. They've
seen thousands of snaps. Just learning from them is a blessing,
you know. So I'm getting more educated on ball. They
showed me love, you know, not too much though. I'm
(19:12):
still a rookie, so I'm still earning their trust, earning
their you know, their love as well. But man, they're
they're awesome to work with every day. You know, it's
a different dynamic. They work hard, man, but they also
know how to pull that vet card every now and again,
like hey, doing a little little muchay, dial it back.
(19:35):
Just learning from them, man, being a being a light,
trying to be a light in that room, and just
trying to soak up as much information as possible.
Speaker 2 (19:43):
Who have you gravitated to the most as a teammate?
Speaker 3 (19:47):
Oh my goodness, what a tough question, because.
Speaker 2 (19:50):
You guys all come in together as rookies, so then
there's that that's obvious. But then but then also then
when everybody's there, it's like, okay, so.
Speaker 3 (19:57):
My buddy, Taki, yeah you made the team as well.
He is hilarious. We get along really well. He's a
great guy. He has a little girl, man and she's awesome,
so can't wait to meet her. But Taki's is a
really close friend of mine.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
So that's awesome. Who's your locker mate, my locker because
that makes a big difference in this thing.
Speaker 3 (20:18):
Quintin Berry and we got jahad Ward. Jehad Ward is hilarious.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
Yes, yeah, another vet, Yeah yeah, both of them.
Speaker 3 (20:26):
Yeah. Jehad I think is in his ninth season, ten season, cheez.
Quinton Berry's in eleven or twelve. So I got some vets.
I gotta ask them questions whenever I don't know the answers.
And there's some really really good guys.
Speaker 2 (20:40):
What about Brian Flores on this defense? Yeah, b so
how much different is it from everything that you've learned
and moved up? And I'm sure you add some great
coaches because you wouldn't be here if you had, of course,
But you know, it's obviously you're driving everything else.
Speaker 3 (20:55):
But Bflow, B Flow is a different human, you know.
I love him. I don't get what all these other
players are saying on different teams, you know, but B
Flow man is a great guy. His attitude towards the
game is awesome. He loves ball. I think that he's
a players coach. He wants us to be great. He
(21:18):
says that if you want to be great, you're in
the right room, you know. So leaning on that, knowing
that I could go to him if I have any
questions is pretty dope. But you know, he'll keep you
on your toes. You know, you gotta know the book.
You gotta know the playbook. He's always throwing different stuff
at us, so a lot of mental gymnastics, but it's
(21:38):
all for the greater good of the team him.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
You are the absolute best, ladies and gentlemen. Levi Drake
Rodriguez number fifty, hanging out here at the Wild Bar
in Minnesota, Viking. The man is in the end of
f l for crying out lucky. Are you ever gonna
get tired of hearing that? No, man, I walk in
that building every day. Just thankful, Yeah, you know, so
U to be here, blessed to be with y'all.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
Guys. This fan base is sick. So I just want
to thank thank y'all for having me and thank the
fans for cheering me on.
Speaker 2 (22:08):
Yeah, all right, Levi Thank you so much. Man, it's
so nice to meet you. I appreciate you.
Speaker 3 (22:12):
Buddy boy.
Speaker 2 (22:13):
All right there it is Viking stre Levi, Drake Rodriguez.
We got more coming up here tonight on KFA and
so keep it locked in. Thank you guys so much,
Mimiller Life, Thank you guys so much, and have a
great night.
Speaker 3 (22:24):
Hash tang school schol
It's time for Vikings Country, brought to you by Miller Lyte.
Now here's your host of Vikings Country from kfa N
and the Vikings Radio Network, Muss wild Born.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Hey, how are we doing. We'ren Hopkins. It's Vikings Country.
Such great looking crowd here we got going on man,
all the purple, I absolutely love it. On us and
joining me are very special guest. I was very excited
when they said that, Okay, we're gonna get Levi in
on here. Number fifty ladies and gentlemen. You know him
(00:35):
for the flow, you know how, he's just amazing in
the preseason so far. Levi. Drake Rodriguez, how are you doing, buddy?
Speaker 3 (00:43):
Going well? Thank you for having me than you having me.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
We are worried that you might not be able to
make it here. Yeah, isn't that funnes traffic here?
Speaker 3 (00:53):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Austin's oh yeah, yeah, I suppose I know, But that's
kind of like I was talking to Nate Swinson and
He's like, I don't know if he's gonna make it. Man,
he's gonna he's running a little late, and I'm like, sure,
you send him to a place. The guy has no
idea where he's going, I know, we got GPS and all,
but that's kinda be kind of a bitch getting a.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Ground and that's my dog, Nate Doug. So yeah, yeah,
something lined up for me. I'm gonna try my best
to get there. Yeah yeah, yeah, Hey, Nate's a great guy.
He took me up with some Oakley's uh been been
doing his thing over there, just saying hi every day.
So yeah, I.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Don't don't don't feed him too much. No, no, he
has garage beers with me and he's just already impossible
to work with. And got week one coming up here
taking on the Giants. We'll get into that here in
just a little bit, but first, let's uh Texas A
and M Commerce. At first, when I saw that, I
was like, is that what they do? There? Is just
(01:47):
commerce commercing? But then I did look into it and
it's just the name of the town. It was originally
a teacher school.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
Correct, It was actually like an air base. Oh no,
kid in some wars. Yeah, so that's pretty Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
So now you did not go there to be a teacher.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
Though, No, far from that.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Now, when you were what is it is?
Speaker 3 (02:10):
It is sagu that's correct. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
So when you were there, you first go there, you
were it was not only football but baseball.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
Yeah, yeah, I actually played both.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Yeah, Okay, so I'm gonna I'm just gonna take a
wild guess on this one. There's definitely d H in there.
Probably uh probably number one bag scoop were your first base.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
I played a little first base, mostly outfield. Oh no, kid, because.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
Yeah, was baseball ever a thought where you're like, wow,
you know, maybe I can go that route?
Speaker 3 (02:39):
Or football?
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Always been?
Speaker 3 (02:41):
Man, I've been playing football since I was both of them,
actually since I was four. That's why I chose Sago
because I didn't know where to go. You know, had
different different offers, nothing big, nothing crazy, but I had
different offers for you know, just one sport. Uh, they
offered me both. I took it like that so nice.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Okay, is it true that you actually fasted for a week? Yeah,
and you and you sat at a park.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
That's correct.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
And just to go, okay, what am I doing next?
That's true?
Speaker 3 (03:11):
Correct, That's how you got the contra. That's it? Yes,
So uh, man, I was at the end of the season.
I didn't know what the hell load to do, so
I took it, you know, upon myself and just gave
it to the Lord. So I fasted for seven days,
drinking only water, some fruit smoothies, things like that, you know,
trying to replenish a little bit. But uh, that last day,
(03:32):
I sat at the at the park on the bench
and I just you know, was there, closed my eyes
and Lord said go I said why, He said go again.
I was like, all right, I'm gone, let's do it.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
So that's crazy man.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
That started the journey at convers What.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
Made you think, you know, if I fast, this will
really bring this a little bit quicker. Yeah, to the
acknowledgment of where I should go.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
Just clarity. Yeah, you know, you're really uh there there's
a lot to do. Whenever you're eating, whenever you're not
playing video games, whenever you're not on your phone. There's
so much more time than you think you have in
the day. And what am I gonna do with that time?
You know? So I opened a good book, I prayed
a lot, and I just gave my daily time to
the Lord. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
So after you fast, then you get to the point
where you're gonna need to put on some weight, right,
So then tell us about the eat as much as
humanly possible diet, which we like to call the State Fair.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
I didn't get to go to that.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
You didn't get to God, I didn't get to go to.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
That, but I heard it, but I heard that it was.
It's a great event.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
Yeah, you'll get it in. It's twelve days a hell.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
Yeah. So so I literally ate as much as I
could each meal. My go to meal would be a
dozen eggs, a whole pack of bacon with rice, so
two or three cups of rice. Yeah, I got it.
And then and then I'll drizzle honey all over that thing. Okay,
(05:02):
don't knock it till you try it now. Yeah, soccer
is good, That soucker is good. Put on a like
thirty pounds after this past season.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
That comerce, Oh my goodness. Levi Drake Rodriguez number fifty
is our guest here Vikings Country here on Kfan. We're
at weld bor Ian Hopkins. Stop on out here because
you still have a chance to get tickets in the
midller ofl like lounge. You go watch your Minnesota Vikings
there US Bank Stadium. That first experience when you came in,
and I loved it because you were miked up as
(05:31):
well and I'm like, they gotta mic this guy up
every day game. Yeah, I love. It was that like
like walking out on that field the first time.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
Yeah. So they asked me right after practice one day, Hey,
LEVI you want to be miked up. I was like, duh,
you know, I see I see those videos all the time,
like heck yeah. But man, walking out of that stadium
into the stadium and seeing all the fans, everybody in
that sucker was it was amazing. Honestly, it was a
dream come true.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
You know.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
Every morning I like three three forty five these past
two years, I would go out in the field, you know,
do my thing, pray, uh, do all that, and I
would just you know, hype up the crowd so to speak.
You know. So I've been been dreaming of that, and
once it was finally there, man, it was a it
was an experience that I will never forget. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
I appreciated how many times you had to actually like
pull to go. I'm sorry, I'm cursing some sy.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
Man, I was. I was in the heat of the moment.
I tried to watch my mouth, but good not. It
was hard.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Yeah, I can't wait to hear it again. And when
it comes up again. Okay. So now we're going from
where your division two?
Speaker 3 (06:45):
Right, So they were they just turned D one my
first year there, twenty two was there? First year D one? Okay?
Speaker 2 (06:51):
So you got D one and then you make it
to you go to the combine. No, you didn't do
the combine.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
No, no combine, No pro day was it? Yeah? I
had a kay of solid pro day yeah, okay. And
I went to some FCS and FBS Bowl games yep.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
And then you go and then you get drafted in
the seventh round, crest of the vikings, and you're in
the NFL. You make the fifty three and all this
the whole time. Your dad explained it as u sports poor.
A lot of people talk about being house poor or whatever.
You guys were sports poor. Sports for baby.
Speaker 3 (07:25):
We spent so much time on the road with baseball, football,
my sister with volleyball, her basketball, and we spent so
much time doing that. We just you know, didn't have
the biggest house, best car, you know, best bats or cleats.
You know, my my cleats were duct taped a lot
of the time. So that's sports for man. But I
(07:46):
really appreciate their sacrifices. They don't go unnoticed, you know.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
So yeah, okay, so how about this. You did make
a statement that if you did actually get drafted and
you you can't on a squad, that you're gonna buy
a Wiener dog. It was like the strangest thing was like,
first thing, I'm did you get your Wiener?
Speaker 3 (08:09):
I haven't got my Wiener. I haven't got my Wiener yet.
But uh, you know, I don't know how that's gonna
look right now, just during the season. How I'm gonna
be home, so my on his way.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
Yeah, the Poetrip Morning Show is gonna love that one
there there. Okay, I gotta ask you about this because
uh here miked up as we were talking about you're
streaming your joy. It's just unbelievable. You got the face paint,
you got the flow. You're sitting there screaming on the
(08:42):
sidelines kind of like a guy we all know here
who was on last week with us actually for Vikings
Country and the name of John Randall, Hall of Famer,
also from Texas. Is there any part of that game
or all that kind of stuff? Does that? Is that
anything based off of what you've seen before John Rendall?
Speaker 3 (09:01):
I knew he was wild. Yeah, I knew he was wild.
I knew he was a bundle of energy. And I
got to meet him a couple of months ago. We
had this little rookie retreat and you know, putting face
to name and really just getting to know him a
little bit better was was pretty cool. But braveheart. I
don't know if you've seen that movie. Absolutely, that's where
I got the face painting from you, you know, and
(09:22):
I just sent it, you know, exactly. So that's a
great movie. Got it from that man. And there old Johnny.
He's a he's a bundle of joy too, oh.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Man, and just so much energy, the flow. How long
has that beened? Growing up?
Speaker 3 (09:36):
Nine years?
Speaker 2 (09:37):
Nine years?
Speaker 3 (09:38):
Yeah, I got a bad haircut my freshman year of
high school and I was like, hell, no, I'm never
cutting this again. Never, And I haven't got a couple
of trims and whatnot, but I haven't cut it again.
It won't happen.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
Well, we absolutely love it, man. It's so awesome because
normally you're like, I want to be able to see
the name on the back of the jersey, stuff like that,
going down to the fifteen. We don't don't care. We
don't care, and you're not gonna change the fifty. A
bunch of guys change numbers. It always happens. But that
was one of your favorite.
Speaker 3 (10:06):
Yeah. I've had my number fifty since I was in
high school. Yeah, and that's pretty freaking dope. Yeah, I'm
gonna keep it.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
Yeah, you're that damn good that you get to keep fifty.
Speaker 3 (10:14):
Stop.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
That's what it is. That's what it is.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
That's how it happens. You got a lot to prove, balls,
you got a lot to prove.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
What's it gonna be like? And we'll get into more
about the game coming up here on Sunday, But what's
it gonna be like for you to go out on
that field the very first regular season NFL game. Yeah,
you're gonna be in New Jersey. Yeah, you're gonna be
at the Meadowlands. So, but going out on that field
knowing full well you're getting reps, you are in the
(10:43):
freaking NFL.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
Oh man, it's literally a dream come true. Coaches asked me, Hey,
how's your day going living the dream? So I mean that,
you know, it's not just something I say. I mean it.
So get in there and being able to participate with
the dogs with the coaches, Man it's a whole new brotherhood.
It's a whole new tension, a whole new responsibility. So
(11:07):
it's not all, you know, flowers and roses, you know.
So it's a lot of work, a lot more work
to be done. But man, the reward for the hard work, sweat,
blood and tears is all gonna be worth it.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
Yeah, all right, coming up here in our next segment,
By the way, Levi Drake Rodriguez is our guest here
Vikings Country with Miller Lite, the official beer sponsor out
of the Minnesota Vikings We're here at Hopkins Wild Bar.
We're gonna talk a little bit about that d line room.
We're gonna talk about guys that you've gravitated to so far,
and then we're gonna do our five typically stupid Vikings
(11:41):
Country questions, so they are really dumb for getty. You're
gonna love this, buddy. It's coming up next right here.
Once again, welcome back to Vikings Country. We're here in Hopkins.
We're a wild bar. You have up until eight thirty
tonight actually to come out here. Sign up and try
to win tickets to go in the Miller Lite lounge
and watch your Minnesota Vikings taking on Detroit and the
(12:02):
Lions October twentieth. That is gonna be an awesome game
at us Bank Stadium. Of course. My guess is Levi
Drake Rodriguez number fift eight. Love this dude, love this energy. Man.
I mean you're talking about you. Always hear that motor.
It's always the word. Everybody likes to use a motor.
But man, watching your film, even when you're in college,
(12:24):
but then even watching what you were doing in the preseason,
that motor is definitely there. The joy is definitely there.
But my god, you are a fleet of foot. You're
you're making cuts like running backs, dude, just to get around,
get yourself some room to get in.
Speaker 3 (12:39):
At the corterback right. Yeah. Man, I'm just trying to
be great every day. I'm trying to get better every day,
learn every day, so and then just going hard. You know,
some of the some of the vets already got mad
at me specs yesterday. Really Yeah, it's okay, dude, I
know when or they tell me when the tone it down,
I'm like, all right, my fuck, my fuck, low easy,
(13:01):
it's just Monday, Yeah, exactly exactly. Sew it down, buddy.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
All right, here we go five typically stupid Vikings country questions.
H crowd favorite is you can hear it over here?
First question. This kind of comes rapid fire. You just
answer anyway. You like Deadpool and Wolverine. It is still
the number one movie at the box office, just crossed
six hundred million dollar mark here domestically. Have you seen
it and are you into that kind of uh marvel?
Speaker 3 (13:29):
Yeah, comics. Yeah, I saw it. I went by myself
in the movie theater, so I think it would have
been way better with someone with me.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
Yeah, because it's not a treeping Yeah, just that lone
person said.
Speaker 3 (13:44):
These by myself.
Speaker 2 (13:46):
Yeah, you feel bad for him, but you don't want
to go over and talk to him, you know. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
I love the first one. The second one was solid.
It was funny.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
Yeah, So I haven't seen it yet.
Speaker 3 (13:58):
I want to see that.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
I love This story is number two Jamar Chase. He
reportedly wants to surpass Justin Jefferson, his former teammate and
his buddy with his contract.
Speaker 3 (14:08):
One penny, one Penny's crazy, One Penny's crazy.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
That's the best bit ever.
Speaker 3 (14:14):
Jets is gonna get two pennies that.
Speaker 2 (14:18):
I once did that to Paul Allen We were both
doing an endorsement years ago and we were both doing
the same one, and I insisted that I got one
dollar more and that Pea I had to know about it.
Speaker 3 (14:29):
That's hilarious.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
He still has the endorsement deal and I don't.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
That's hilarious. There's gonna be a buddy like that for
me one day, for sure. Can't wait.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
All right, here we go. What kind of weird workouts
have you done? Because cardio drumming now is like the
huge thing. So you basically you take exercise ball, you
put it in either a garbage can or a bucket,
and then you just crank up music and then you
just play along. Think of like Mike Tyson in The Hangover.
He's just sitting there drumming.
Speaker 3 (14:58):
Yeah, man, I don't. I don't know if I try
that one.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
But has there been something crazy? You're like, I give
it a try, And then he went, what the hell
am I doing this for?
Speaker 3 (15:07):
Yeah? Some isold stuff that we do in the weight room. Yeah,
it's just odd, but it works. It gets my legs
fired up, it gets my heart pumping, and I'm a
fan of it.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
Yeah, do you do the suction cup thing?
Speaker 3 (15:19):
I do really the massages are great. They take care
of us in that building.
Speaker 2 (15:22):
And they know what they're doing.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
Yeah, they know what they do.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
All right, Here we go five typically stupid Vikings Country questions.
Number four. Rumor has it that Wendy's is planning an
official Crabby Patty Burger. Were you a SpongeBob SquarePants?
Speaker 3 (15:37):
Actually yes, I watched a lot of SpongeBob growing up, man.
And uh, you know those little the gummies, Yeah, those
little gummy yes patties. I've had a couple of them.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
I love how you said when I was growing up.
Come on, you're still watching it, youngster. If you start
rolling through the channels and we watched it five minutes,
would my kids were little, all said, I'd realize they're
out on the trampoline in the backyard and I've just
watched the next four episodes. I love that. All right,
Here we go the cyber truck. Have you seen this thing?
Speaker 3 (16:11):
I have?
Speaker 2 (16:12):
They're all over the Twin Cities now I'm seeing more
and more of them. It's like the DeLorean from the
Back to the Future and US Bank Stadium somehow had
a love child. That thing is not pretty.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
Oh man, I thought they were pretty cool at first,
and then I started seeing those little boxes rolling around.
Sorry if anyone has one in here, but but I
don't know if I'll hop on that train.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
So okay, So you don't have your Wiener yet, your
Wiener dog Wieners.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
Yeah, yeah, it's on the way.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
What is it? What is the first purchase when you
sign that we signed that contract, what was the first
what was the first thing that whether it was indulgent
or whether it was something that may give it back.
Speaker 3 (16:57):
I just got a dream truck of mind. Yeah, past
weekend Nice twenty twenty four gmc denali twenty five hundred.
If she's a she's a beauty.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
That's so awesome and you got to pick it out
or did you just go get I went to the dealership.
Speaker 3 (17:13):
They had what I wanted, brand new off the lot.
It is is gorgeous.
Speaker 2 (17:17):
How long have you been thinking about that? Because the
Texas guy, you got to be thinking about truck's flight.
Speaker 3 (17:20):
Yeah, you see everybody running around. I got a you know,
a saddern I don't know if you've ever seen a.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
Beat he.
Speaker 3 (17:31):
So, man, it's been a dream come true getting that thing.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
So we know that you didn't go to the State Fair.
You missed out on that one. Since you've been in Minnesota,
mostly it's been go, go go, I'm guessing. But is
there anything that you have done that's very Minnesota? And
have you had a juicy lucy yet?
Speaker 3 (17:47):
Yeah? We actually cooked one in our facility. There is
a what Yeah it was some of the players cooked it.
It wasn't the best juicy lucy I ever.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
Because some of the players exactly exactly who was head chef.
Speaker 3 (18:01):
In that one? I can't snitch, but I haven't had
authentic one yet. I got to do that.
Speaker 2 (18:09):
Yeah, you definitely have to do that. You golfed also
when you were younger.
Speaker 3 (18:13):
Right, Yeah, Yeah, I did a little golf and I
was on the alternate team. So that's pretty much telling
me I wasn't very good alternate. We'll get exactly exactly.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
All right, let's talk a little football here. That d
line room, I mean, you got a bunch of vets
that are in there. Yeah, you know, you got Tillery
right there ahead you there, and he got of course
Harrison Phillips there. Butllard Jonathan Bullard, what have you? What?
What is that room like? But also what have you learned?
What have you gleaned from them. Good juicy Lucy, wasn't it?
Speaker 3 (18:51):
No? Oh man, They're just so smart about the game.
You know, it's like a playbook in their head. They've
seen thousands of snaps. Just learning from them is a blessing,
you know. So I'm getting more educated on ball. They
showed me love, you know, not too much though. I'm
(19:12):
still a rookie, so I'm still earning their trust, earning
their you know, their love as well. But man, they're
they're awesome to work with every day. You know, it's
a different dynamic. They work hard, man, but they also
know how to pull that vet card every now and again,
like hey, doing a little little muchay, dial it back.
(19:35):
Just learning from them, man, being a being a light,
trying to be a light in that room, and just
trying to soak up as much information as possible.
Speaker 2 (19:43):
Who have you gravitated to the most as a teammate?
Speaker 3 (19:47):
Oh my goodness, what a tough question, because.
Speaker 2 (19:50):
You guys all come in together as rookies, so then
there's that that's obvious. But then but then also then
when everybody's there, it's like, okay, so.
Speaker 3 (19:57):
My buddy, Taki, yeah you made the team as well.
He is hilarious. We get along really well. He's a
great guy. He has a little girl, man and she's awesome,
so can't wait to meet her. But Taki's is a
really close friend of mine.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
So that's awesome. Who's your locker mate, my locker because
that makes a big difference in this thing.
Speaker 3 (20:18):
Quintin Berry and we got jahad Ward. Jehad Ward is hilarious.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
Yes, yeah, another vet, Yeah yeah, both of them.
Speaker 3 (20:26):
Yeah. Jehad I think is in his ninth season, ten season, cheez.
Quinton Berry's in eleven or twelve. So I got some vets.
I gotta ask them questions whenever I don't know the answers.
And there's some really really good guys.
Speaker 2 (20:40):
What about Brian Flores on this defense? Yeah, b so
how much different is it from everything that you've learned
and moved up? And I'm sure you add some great
coaches because you wouldn't be here if you had, of course,
But you know, it's obviously you're driving everything else.
Speaker 3 (20:55):
But Bflow, B Flow is a different human, you know.
I love him. I don't get what all these other
players are saying on different teams, you know, but B
Flow man is a great guy. His attitude towards the
game is awesome. He loves ball. I think that he's
a players coach. He wants us to be great. He
(21:18):
says that if you want to be great, you're in
the right room, you know. So leaning on that, knowing
that I could go to him if I have any
questions is pretty dope. But you know, he'll keep you
on your toes. You know, you gotta know the book.
You gotta know the playbook. He's always throwing different stuff
at us, so a lot of mental gymnastics, but it's
(21:38):
all for the greater good of the team him.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
You are the absolute best, ladies and gentlemen. Levi Drake
Rodriguez number fifty, hanging out here at the Wild Bar
in Minnesota, Viking. The man is in the end of
f l for crying out lucky. Are you ever gonna
get tired of hearing that? No, man, I walk in
that building every day. Just thankful, Yeah, you know, so
U to be here, blessed to be with y'all.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
Guys. This fan base is sick. So I just want
to thank thank y'all for having me and thank the
fans for cheering me on.
Speaker 2 (22:08):
Yeah, all right, Levi Thank you so much. Man, it's
so nice to meet you. I appreciate you.
Speaker 3 (22:12):
Buddy boy.
Speaker 2 (22:13):
All right there it is Viking stre Levi, Drake Rodriguez.
We got more coming up here tonight on KFA and
so keep it locked in. Thank you guys so much,
Mimiller Life, Thank you guys so much, and have a
great night.
Speaker 3 (22:24):
Hash tang school schol
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