Erasmus James' Hard Work Pays

The NFC North was supposed to be a much improved division this year.  Detroit had made improvements, adding Mike Williams to an already talented Lions receiving corps, Chicago was coming back with quarterback Rex Grossman and added Cedric Benson at running back; but the team everyone picked to come out on top was the Minnesota Vikings.

Perhaps much of this optimism came from a new owner, Zygi Wilf, buying a team that immediately went to work to reshape its identity.  Daunte Culpepper was now the man in Minnesota with Randy Moss in Oakland and many seemed to think all was looking up for this franchise.  Except the real problem, on the field anyways, always came back to problems with the defense.

The front office really went all out to transform what had been an Achilles heel into a solid unit, using the free agent market to its benefit, picking up players like Darren Sharper, Pat Williams, and Fred Smoot to shore up its defense.  They also added Napoleon Harris from the trade with Oakland for Randy Moss.  That trade also landed them the 7th pick of the first round, which they used on Troy Williamson, the speedster out of South Carolina.  Their second first round pick was used to further bolster their defensive line with the selection of Erasmus James, picked 18th overall.  Adding Erasmus to the already stout defensive line of Pat Williams, Kevin Williams, and Kenechi Udeze made this one of the toughest defensive lines in the NFL.

Despite all the maneuvering, the Vikings had another tumultuous season from beginning to end, on and off the field.  A new head coach will oversee another season of this team changing its identity.  Through this transition, most observers will have their eye on the future of Daunte Culpepper, but an interesting sidebar is what this means to those new additions, free agents and rookies from last year, as well as the Vikings ’06 draft class.

Erasmus James was a prominent addition to the 2005 Vikings and what the front office wanted to accomplish with all of its personnel moves; he and several teammates, especially rookies, will face interesting challenges and opportunities in the season ahead.  He was kind enough to participate in a recent interview with us here at DraftBoardInsider.com:

DraftBoardInsider.com: Last year at this time you were playing football for the Badgers and as a senior had your best season as a member of that team.  You earned All–America honors from Associated Press, Walter Camp, and American Football Coaches Association and Football Writers Association of America.  You also were named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year.  What did having a season like that mean to you?

Erasmus James: Well obviously it felt really good.  I’ve always said that hard work pays off.  Of course after the injury everyone told me I was not going to be able to play.  I just wanted to prove them wrong.  So I did everything I could … I worked as hard as I could in order to be where I was.

DBI: Once the college season was over most people don’t realize that’s when the work just begins for players like you gearing up for the combine.  Who did you work out with and who helped you get ready for the combine and your NFL Pro Day?

EJ: I worked out at Athletes Performance out of Tempe, Arizona.  There were actually a lot of guys – a lot of first round guys out there preparing for the draft.

DBI: Talk to us about what it was like in the off-season leading into your rookie year, and what was it like to go through the contract negotiations?

EJ: It was somewhat stressful because you know you want to get in camp, but at the same time you just want to get fair market for what you’re worth, once that position has been paid.  You don’t want to be under that, you know? You want to be that or a little bit higher.

DBI: The Minnesota Vikings went through a lot of adversity this season with the loss of Daunte Culpepper and the boating incident.  What was it like going through that as a player and did these incidents help bring this team closer together?

EJ: It definitely helped bring us closer together and as a rookie I think I’d rather that happen now then later on in my career.  You’ve got to stay on your feet on and off the field.  So I think it was better for me to go through that now then later on in my career and I think it definitely brought everyone together.  I think we’re all communicating now.  We all know that we have each others’ back, so that really helped us. 

DBI: You happened to be the third defensive linemen in a row that the Vikings have drafted in the first round.  What has it been like playing with players like Kevin Williams, Pat Williams, and Kenechi Udeze and how has it helped in your development as a player?

EJ: It’s been great because you know all of those guys have the talent and all of those guys are going to be out there working just as hard as you.  You got to work harder to let those guys know you want to be there with them.  You want to play with them.  If you’re going to be on this d-line you got to step your game up.  So, I’m really excited. 

DBI: Talk to us if you will about the tendencies of NFL offensive linemen.  What have you learned from day one to now about their tendencies and is it getting any easier?

EJ: Oh yea … it’s definitely easier.  When you’re getting out of your stance and you see that back foot up on the offensive lineman you know it’s pass right away.  Then you get on your “get off” and get on your horse and try to get them up field and get around that corner.  Then on run you have to brace yourself …like if you know it’s a draw.  There are just a lot of tendencies there.

DBI: Describe to us if you will what is it you find to be the hardest part in playing against tackles in the National Football League?

EJ: Well first off … it’s that everyone is good and they’re going to make you work because they’re getting paid just like you are.  I think that’s the hardest thing … they’re going to come out there and they’re not going to give up.  They’re going to keep playing till the last snap of the ball.

DBI: Has it sunk in yet for you Erasmus that you’re a starting defensive end in the National Football League?

EJ: Not really because I feel like I’ve been working really hard in practices to get that first start and I finally got it.  I’m just really happy that I’m here.  I haven’t really taken a step back but I just know that if I keep working hard that good things happen and it’s always happened when I’ve worked hard. 

DBI: Finally Erasmus …coming into the National Football League … what goals did you set for yourself?

EJ: To be an NFL starter for one.  I wanted to get myself prepared and set for the following year because I knew the first year was going to be a lot of learning.  So there wasn’t a lot of goals this year but next year … I have a lot of lofty goals I’m definitely going to meet.

Again, the Vikings didn’t complete their season the way they would’ve hoped, but did manage to salvage a sinking ship, so to speak, and finish with a 9-7 record.  Mike Tice was immediately fired and Brad Childress is now the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings.  Whether or not Zygi Wilf was a man on a mission prior to the 2005 season is debatable, but clearly the hiring of Brad Childress shows that he is now. 

The Vikings suffered a lot of injuries which no doubt hampered progress many may have thought was in store for the team; but there is little doubt that they have at least one bright spot from their dismal season – the play of Erasmus James.  Once he made his way to the starting team he showed the Vikings they didn’t make a mistake with him and his hard worked proved that.  He started 9 games this season and ended up with 28 tackles and 4 sacks. 

Erasmus James is proof that hard work does indeed pay off in the NFL.