I totally respect their decision. Obviously I am disappointed that I won't be able to contribute on the field this year. But looking long-term, hopefully this surgery gives me another five, six or seven years on the field playing for the Minnesota Vikings.

But that decision lies with the faculty, and it's different in every case.

Don't put this in the paper ... no, wait, go ahead and put it in. Gene Upshaw is a piece of (expletive). Too many guys in the league just accept whatever Gene says. I don't know why no one has called this guy out.

Besides steaks and fish, we're going to have meat loaf and big old burgers.

(Wilf) decided he wanted to sit down with me at some point later on and talk about some stuff. All he said is he was concerned about my physical health and he wanted to sit down and talk with me about it. He looked me in the eye and told me that and I believed him, which made me think also that I'm in the long-term plans here, the long-term thoughts, which is great, because I want to be.

He's actually good. I'm not.