Kevin Warren To Be Honored This Week

A member of the Minnesota Vikings’ front office will be honored in Houston before this week’s Super Bowl as a trailblazer in league circles.

Kevin Warren, the Vikings’ Chief Operating Officer, will be honored at a private reception in Houston on Saturday, the day before Super Bowl LI. He is being recognized as a pioneer in his field, as he is the NFL’s highest-ranking African-American in business operations, according to Jason Reid at The Undefeated. He’s also the only African-American COO in the entire National Football League.

As the Vikings’ COO, Warren is involved in every part of the business side of the Vikings’ operation. He was originally hired by the team in 2005 as the team’s chief administrative officer and their vice president of legal affairs. He was promoted to his current position early in 2015. He is entering his 19th year in the National Football League, having gotten his start with the St. Louis Rams in 1997. He’s also worked for the Detroit Lions before finding his way to Minnesota.

Warren says he owes his success to the advice he received from his parents growing up.

“I’ve always remembered it,” he said. “Focus on being the absolute very best for that day. Don’t worry about adding up the days. The days will add up themselves.

“Literally every day that I get up and go to the office, I just focus on that day. What can I do that specific day, thinking of my parents, to be absolutely the best I can be personally, and the best that I can be for the organization?”

The story doesn’t have a specific name for the award, but if we find out what it is we will put it in our story here. Whatever the name of the award is, congratulations to Kevin Warren on the honor he will be receiving on Saturday.