Vikings Emphasize Family Following Tony Sparano’s Death

The Vikings are remembering Sparano as rookies report to training camp

EAGAN, Minn. — The first day of Minnesota Vikings training camp isn’t filled with the same buzz and excitement that usually comes with the start of football season.

The veterans don’t start practice until Friday, but the players, coaches and executives who are here are remembering offensive line coach Tony Sparano, who passed away suddenly on Sunday morning.

Sparano coached for nine different NFL teams over a long career, but was only 56 years old. Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer brought Sparano on board in 2016 after the two coached together in Dallas a decade ago.

The team’s General Manager, Rick Spielman, says they are trying to heal through football, while still remembering Sparano’s influence.

“You know, it makes you… [pause]… appreciate the time we have, and the time we have together, because you don’t know when your time is called. I think it just puts life into perspective and what’s actually important,” Rick Spielman, Vikings General Manager said.

“Tony was a very good friend of mine, an excellent football coach a mentor to me to be able to talk about things in the office,” Mike Zimmer, Vikings head coach  added. “He was always here very, very early in the morning as I usually am. We were able to sit down and talk about not just football, talk about life and things like that.”

As the focus shifts to football, the emphasis is on family: supporting Tony’s family, supporting each other as a family, and playing as a family.