An Open Letter to Minnesota Vikings Fans

Written by James Brown, Gatorsfirst.com Co-Founder

This letter is to ensure you realize the joy you are about to experience watching Percy Harvin these coming years. He is leaving our Gator-centric world and entering yours, and if you feel anything but giddy, I am here to let you in on what you’re about to receive.

Percy Harvin is a fantastically talented player. And any "character issues" the draft talking heads have been feeding you are complete fabrication.

Florida fans used to be frustrated with Dan Mullen. They thought his offense was too predictable, either the Harvin or Tim Tebow show. The truth is, if the offense was getting stale, and needed a play, we needed the ball in Percy Harvin’s hands. He’d run that deadly counter (just ask South Carolina, first vid, or Arkansas, second vid), or take a direct snap. The guy is a game changer.

His early career was hurt by injuries. These were a product of a heel condition he should have straightened out by now. Our training and coaching staffs, in addition to visiting NFL scouts, often were quoted as saying he was one of the toughest players they’d witnessed play the game. I’d say he is less injury-prone, and more a guy who offensive coordinators NEED to touch the ball, and are thus more likely to get nicked up now and again. He will single-handedly win you football games when he is in the lineup.

I have to address the “character concerns." There was never one issue or one problem with Percy Harvin as a Florida Gator. Then, in the time between his declaring for the draft and the actual draft, we hear about all these “character issues”? What gives? They brought up an on-field altercation with a high school coach, and of course the rumored failed drug test. This is hardly worthy of the comparisons to Randy Moss (had to go to Marshall instead of FSU) and others. I think the NFL Draft guys just need to have the three to four “character issues” guys to discuss every year, and they forced Harvin into the mold. He’s a great guy, and every team in the world would be lucky to have him.

And now I’ll leave you with a tribute to Percy’s Gator career. If you’re wondering which play caused me to create the “Percy Harvin: He’s Not My Father, But He’s Still My Daddy” facebook group in September 2006, it was the play v. UCF just before the 30 second mark, but the clip here doesn’t play as well as I remember seeing it in the Swamp.

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