Star Tribune · Sep 17, 2017
Bar is not too high for Vikings center Pat Elflein
The most NFL-ready center the Vikings have had since Mick Tingelhoff in 1962 was fully bully-proof by the fall of 1999.
"Because of his [July] birthdate, I had the option of holding Pat back a year in school," said Lisa Elflein, mother to Vikings rookie Pat Elflein. "My two older boys [Chris and Matt], I held them back because I didn't want any bullying."
And Pat?
"Oh, I didn't have to worry about Pat," Lisa said. "When he was 5, he was wearing size 12 clothes. He was so much bigger than everybody else."
Eighteen years later, Pat remains ahead of the curve at a physical position that also requires the mental maturity to understand NFL defenses and communicate blocking calls before every snap.
