Defensive tackle Shamar Stephen spent the first four years of his career with the Vikings after being drafted in the seventh round of the 2014 NFL Draft.
After signing with the Seahawks last season, Stephen will return to the Vikings on a three-year deal.
Why did he come back? Well, he missed the Vikings.
“Really the culture, being around the guys, the coaches,” Stephen said Thursday. “Getting back under Coach Dre [Andre Patterson] and doing my fundamentals, technique, stuff like that and being developed here because I was brought up here. It’s the first team I came to and they brought me through the NFL and made me the player that I am today.”
This is a ringing endorsement for the culture and locker room that Rick Spielman and Mike Zimmer have created with the Vikings.
At that same press conference, Anthony Barr said that Zimmer played a huge role in the linebacker returning to Minnesota.
Hopefully that sense of family turns into a playoff appearance for the Vikings in 2019.
