I was 17 when the Vikings drafted linebacker Chad Greenway with the 17th pick of the 2006 NFL Draft.
Into the thick of the Purple and Gold and well past the Cris Carter days, I quickly identified Greenway as my favorite player. His tenacity and explosiveness on the field was undeniable, but the demeanor and character he displayed off the field proved the selling point.
Greenway to me defined class from day one, and he confirmed my theory first-hand.
As an amateur writer in 2012 with little on my résumé, I conducted an interview with former Vikings linebacker Ben Leber for a series of blog features I was writing to build an online portfolio.