The Vikings Kicker Has an Aura, a Haircut, and a Walmart Deal
Few, if any, are better at press conferences than special teams coordinator Matt Daniels. The man exudes passion for football, especially when it comes to his side of the operation.
Part of what allows that charisma to shine through even more is when he dives into his specific players. No doubt, Daniels cares about his players and puts effort into cultivating strong relationships with them. He recently discussed the “aura” surrounding rookie Vikings kicker Will Reichard while also pointing toward a few more illuminating tidbits of info for the specialist.
Matt Daniels on Vikings Kicker Will Reichard
Start off with the basic information.
Picked at No. 203 in the 2024 NFL Draft, Mr. Reichard stepped into a Vikings situation with some expectations. Putting together an excellent career at a powerhouse like Alabama will do that. He stands at 6’1″ and weighs 187 pounds. He will turn 24 on January 9th.
The 2024 season has been going well for him. He has drilled all 3 field goal attempts and all 6 of his extra point attempts. At some point, the kid is going to miss, which is going to lead to an unusual ritual.
Daniels relayed the information that Reichard cut his hair before the season. The plan isn’t to cut it again until there’s a miss: “He does have a challenge going on, too, just to put the word out there. So Will does a thing where he gets a haircut a week before the first game of the season and he doesn’t cut his hair again until he misses. So we’ll see if we can get a little shag going for Will.”
“We’ll see how long his hair can get before he, hopefully, misses,” Daniels continued. As Daniels relayed those words, there was a knock on the wood of the podium, a playful and superstitious act to hopefully help Reichard keep drilling his kicks.
The haircut thing is a bit odd but not a sin. And, to be sure, it’s all about what works. Kicking the football is such a mental thing, so rolling with these unusual traditions can be part of the mix. Maybe even some Vikings fans can start replicating the tradition in a show of support.
A bit later in the presser, Matt Daniels gets a question about Reichard’s personality.
“Will kind of has this aura,” Daniels explains, “just like where he’s…you look at him and what comes out doesn’t quite match or fit, if that makes sense. It’s like you see this guy, then he starts talking, and this dude’s got a little swag to him. He’s got just good aura to him.” Part of that “aura” involves connecting well with all of his teammates.
Toward the end of the answer, Daniels explains that the rookie kicker has a deal with Walmart. “He’s a very marketable guy,” Daniels notes. “He’s a Walmart advocate.” Apparently, there are “some back to school ads” where “he’s there cheesin’.” Daniels has made sure that some of the ads have gone up in the special teams room.
“Keep getting that money, Will,” Daniels implored.
Oh, and as an update, the nickname isn’t going to be Striker. Daniels was sure to suggest that “Will the Thrill” was the better option.
On Sunday, Matt Daniels will be looking to ensure that Will the Thrill takes the Texans to school. Or, put differently, that Reichard has the kind of day that involves not needing to get a haircut.
The rookie is commanding a $837,655 cap charge. So far, he has been worth every penny. Hopefully, Walmart similarly feels like their money has been well spent.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter, as a co-host for Notes from the North, and as the proprietor at The Vikings Gazette, a humble Vikings Substack.
