Don't make fun of me because my school's small!

[vike daddy]

The Vikings have four players from Division II and 10 from FCS schools on their 75-man roster. At least two of the Vikings' four Division II guys will contribute this season. Brandon Fusco (Slippery Rock) will start, and Joe Berger (Michigan Tech) is the top backup at center and guard. Receiver Stephen Burton (West Texas A&M) could help at receiver, while linebacker Larry Dean (Valdosta State), a special teams standout as a rookie last year, is in the mix again this preseason.

Meanwhile, the FCS players represent a wide range of talent. Some won't make the team. Some are practice-squad candidates such as quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson (Sacramento State). Some are possible starters such fullback Jerome Felton. And one is a league superstar and reigning sack king named Jared Allen (Idaho State).

Allen: "Maybe there's a higher work ethic for all of us just because you know you have to work a little harder coming from a small school. But I'm a firm believer that in football you get out of it what you put into it. If you're willing to learn techniques and learn assignments and realize you did something good enough to get you here, you'll be fine. Football is kind of simple. Once you know what you're doing, you'll make plays."

http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikings/167440535.html?refer=y
_________________

[vikingsrule]

Also missing is Jerome Simpson, who went to Coastal Carolina. Coastal Carolina started playing football in 2003. Though, they might be DI.

[vike daddy]

Mike Priefer: "Those small-school guys that make it have that 'want-to.' They want to practice. They want to be coached. Look at a guy like Marc Mariani, the returner with the Tennessee Titans. He was a seventh-round pick [No. 222 in 2010]. He came from Montana. You look at what he did in college and if he had come from Oklahoma or Texas, he'd have been a third-rounder."

http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikings/167440535.html?refer=y
_________________

[vike daddy]