The 50 ballots for last year's NFL Coach of the Year had been cast when this voter struck up a conversation with Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell in the hallway at TCO Performance Center.
O'Connell had done a remarkable job winning 13 games and the NFC North as a rookie head coach. But …
Sorry, KO, you finished third on this voter's ballot behind the 49ers' Kyle Shanahan and the Jaguars' Doug Pederson.
O'Connell nodded and said, "That's understandable." He voiced his respect for the other two coaches. The dude seems genuinely nice.
"And," O'Connell added, "I'd agree that what Kyle has done, after all he's been through at the quarterback position … that's amazing.