Rookie Linebacker Embracing “Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity” with Vikings
K. Joudry
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At the beginning of the third round, the Minnesota Vikings selected Brian Asamoah, a linebacker from Oklahoma. A large part of what made the selection special for Asamoah is that both he and GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah are Ghanaian.
Asamoah reflected on the significance of meeting his GM: “We were talking in my language a little bit, and it was just cool because you don’t really see this ever happening [with] a general manager … being able to speak in a different language with him and just show my appreciation to him for even choosing me.” He goes on to explain that he finds himself in a unique opportunity, one that he’s looking to take advantage of: “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity – to play for the GM but also to play football here at this next level. It was pretty cool.”
Coming out of college, Brian Asamoah received praise for his athleticism:
His height and weight, as the above chart suggests, are below average for an NFL linebacker. Pro Football Reference says he’s 6’1, 228 pounds. He’s thus smaller than some receivers. His speed, though, is elite, and his his jump numbers are similarly impressive. In other words, Asamoah lacks size but he has the athleticism to be a sideline-to-sideline player. That’s important in the modern NFL.
Being able to move well is very important for a linebacker in Ed Donatell’s defense. Quite often, the coverage Donatell runs will leave the flats open. As a result, the linebacker is tasked with getting over to the sideline to make a play before a small gain turns into a sizeable one. Indeed, a more traditional linebacker would struggle in the Donatell defense, so the Asamoah selection does make sense. He’ll need to ensure running backs can’t outrace him to the sideline.
Eric Kendricks and Jordan Hicks will be the starting two MLBs. After them, the competition is wide open. At some point in the year, one will get banged up and need a break. It’s the unfortunate reality of NFL football: players get hurt. Brian Asamoah will need to show he’s capable of filling in as early as this season.
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