Minnesota Vikings Rookie Spotlight: Defensive Back Mistral Raymond

I would like to introduce an article series I'm going to call Rookie Spotlight. With each article I will visit a new player on the Vikings' roster, starting with their 2011 draft picks. At the end of each article, I will give my opinion on whether or not I believe the player in question will make the team's active roster at the end of training camp. 

For the inaugural article in this series, I'm going to take a look at Vikings DB Mistral Raymond from the University of South Florida. 

The Vikings drafted Raymond in the sixth round with the 170th pick of this year's draft. 

The fact Raymond was even drafted at all is a remarkable story considering the kind of adversity the young player has already had to face.

Early in his college years, Raymond played at a junior college in Iowa, after which he sought to eventually accept a scholarship to Temple or Central Michigan. That was all derailed with a tragedy that tore his family apart. 

This source reports, that his family's home in Palmetto, FL was attacked by a masked man avenging a murder on the wrong house. The house caught fire from the Molotov Cocktails that the man threw at the house and then he began to shoot at Raymond's family. His sister was shot four times but survived. The family lost everything in the fire.

Months later, Raymond's mother died of a lung related illness that could've stemmed from the fire, though it is not completely certain.

After this horrific incident, Raymond returned home and chose to try to walk on at USF, rather than pursuing one of the schools to which he sought scholarships previously so he could be close to his family during this time of great need. He made the cut and got his playing time on special teams before eventually moving himself into the defensive secondary. 

The following season, Raymond made the most of his final year of eligibility and earned All-Conference honors in the Big East and as his Twitter page indicates was voted a team captain by his teammates. 

The thing that makes Raymond such a valuable prospect is his versatility to play both cornerback and safety. At 6'1," 195 lbs, He has a solid frame and will likely be a competitive player in the NFL. 

As shown by his USF highlight video, Raymond plays hard on every down and has the ability to hit even harder. Best of all, he is very smart, he has good awareness and retains the information he needs to be successful. 

I think that, with a good showing at training camp, Raymond could be in a position to not only make the active roster, but also get some decent playing time during his rookie season. Given that the Vikings are not very deep in their defensive secondary, a player as versatile as Raymond shouldn't have a problem working himself onto the field.

The most impressive thing, to me, is that through all of the hardship he has had to endure, Raymond has stayed humble and stayed out of the trouble that many college athletes seem to get themselves into. Raymond put his family before himself and is a strong role model for doing so. He has outstanding character and is exactly the kind of player I would want playing for my team. 

I realize he is only a sixth round pick, but with the kind of obstacles Raymond has had to overcome to get where he is today, I believe this young man can persevere and have a career in the NFL. 

The Vikings got an inspiring young man ready to make their roster. 

With the next installment to this series, I'll be looking at former CFL receiver Emmanuel Arceneaux who will debut with the Vikings this season.