Vikings Training Camp: Kain Colter Making Push For Roster Spot

Kain Colter was a jack of all trades star at Northwestern--quarterback, running back, wide receiver, scoreboard operator, ticket sales guy, and usher.  Okay, maybe not the last three, but he was all over the field in Evanston, and it was that versatility that caught the eye of the Vikings, who signed him as an undrafted free agent this past spring.

UDFA's historically have a very tough road to climb to make the final roster, but Colter seems to be making a strong push.  During yesterday's practice, he caught everything thrown his way, and during special teams drills, Colter was seen fielding punts. We had a chance to talk to him after practice, and we talked about his journey to the Vikings and his adjustment to life in the NFL.

DN: You were an undrafted free agent coming out of the draft. What made you choose the Vikings over other offers that you had?

Kain Colter: It's just a great situation, with a new coaching staff and everyone learning a new offense. It gave me a great opportunity to fit right in and not be too far behind the other guys. It's a great coaching staff; Coach Turner's brother actually coached my uncle at USC, I spoke with Coach Stewart on the phone, and it just seemed like a great staff and a great group of veterans to learn from.

DN: At Northwestern, you played running back, quarterback, and wide receiver.  Here, it looks like you'll be only playing receiver.  Are you happy with that, or do you see your role expanding as training camp goes on?

KC: I'm just trying to help the team, and right now I think my best opportunity is at receiver.  I think I offer a skill set that maybe down the line Coach Turner could get creative with, maybe use my arm a little bit, we'll see.  Right now, I'm just doing whatever they want me to do.

DN: What's the biggest adjustment going from college to the NFL so far?

KC: Being a receiver, you have to be an expert at your craft. All the defensive backs are good, and there's really not much room for error.  You have to run great routes, have strong hands, and for me only playing receiver it's going to take some time.  In college, I was never doing receiver individual drills, because I was playing quarterback and in the quarterback room, so that been the biggest difference.

DN: Are you having to go back to school, in a sense, to learn the more basic receiver skill sets, like route structures and stuff like that?

KC: Yeah. Having a quarterback mind helps me, but it's more the little intricacies of running routes, how to get out of the break, footwork, and things like that.  That's what I've been concentrating one.

DN: There's a lot of competition at the wide receiver position. How do you like your chances?

KC: I think I'll be all right. I have to work hard, show that I can make plays, and help this team out. For me, I love competition because it brings the best out of everybody. For me, I need that, and I need somebody pushing me, because it makes me better.

It's still early, but every time you see Colter, he's making a play and pushing hard, thriving on that competition. If anyone can beat the odds of an UDFA making the roster, he could.