Bob Lurtsema: Minnesota Vikings should stay away from Manti Te’o
By Nam Huynh
Jan 5, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish linebacker Manti Te
Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman spent a lot of time with Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o this spring, making many believe that the Vikings are interested in taking Te’o in the first round.
Former Vikings defensive end Bob Lurtsema, founder of Vikings insider website VikingUpdate.com, believes Minnesota should stay away from Te’o.
"“There is something wrong with the kid and I wish him well, but the Vikings don’t need those kinds of headaches,” Lurtsema said via ShamaSportsHeadliners.com. “Distraction, distraction, distraction.”"
The Vikings officially spoke with Te’o at the NFL scouting combine and reportedly hosted him on a visit to their practice facility. Spielman attended his Pro Day at Notre Dame and reportedly took him to dinner the night before as well.
During a press conference on Tuesday, Spielman shot down the idea that the amount of contact the team makes with players directly relates to the team’s interest, saying there are “a lot” of players whom the Vikings have visited with “three or four times” this spring. Spielman likely had Te’o in mind when he said this, as several media outlets—including us—took the bait on a potential interest story.