Vikings

VIKINGS VIDEO: How a Grocery Store Encounter Saved Terrell Sinkfield's Career

It sounds like a Hollywood storyline when you see it on paper — the simple fact that Terrell Sinkfield was able to turn around his NFL career in a local grocery store next to the tower of coconut water and discounted chicken salad.

Unlike Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner, who was bagging groceries before his ascension in the Arena Football League, Sinkfield was just a customer making a quick supply run when he ran into Minnesota Vikings defensive backs coach Jerry Gray.

At the time Sinkfield was playing wide receiver in the league and having little lucky doing so, having been cut by over half a dozen teams up until that point. Wisely, however, Sinkfield used the opportunity to express to Gray his desire to flip sides and line up at cornerback.

No more than a few weeks later Sinkfield was brought in to the University of Minnesota Pro Day, where for the first time he was put through defensive back drills and tests. Despite going his entire career playing as a receiver, Sinkfield showed coaches enough promise that he was later signed by the Vikings — as a cornerback.

I will admit, I didn’t know much about Sinkfield or his game when I got to Mankato outside of his repuation for being one of the fastest to ever run the 40 after his blazing 4.19 performance at the Gophers’ Pro Day in 2013. However, after watching double-digit practices and seeing his game firsthand, I immediately became convinced Sinkfield has all the tools to one day become a capable starting defender in the NFL.

Throw away the small-size stereotype most wrongfully attach to the a guy who ran a 4.19 40 (including myself). Sinkfield stands at 6-foot-1 with long arms that dangle at his sides ready to latch on to his opponent in Mike Zimmer’s famous aggressive press defense. On top of his physical stature and great speed, it’s clear Sinkfield has already grown confident at his new position, something that is vital for an NFL cornerback.

Sure, Sinkfield is only lining up against third-team competition for now, but he’s still stood out amongst his peers as he flies across the field.

Through just two weeks of training camp I’ve watched Sinkfield stay stride for stride in his receiver’s hip pocket deep downfield, explode out of his break and beat offensive players to the ball and time his jumps perfectly to help deflect numerous passes.

It’s clear Sinkfield is still a wide receiver at heart, using everything he once learned to make plays on the other side of the ball. He’s a gifted athlete that just needed a chance, as well as a coaching staff that was willing to take the time to develop him at a new position with a steep learning curve late in his career.

So far, Sinkfield says learning a whole new playbook and its terminology has been the most difficult part of his transition, but when it comes to lining up and playing football, that still comes naturally.

“The transition, as far as my athletic ability, wasn’t too hard,” Sinkfield said. “The biggest transition was learning the terminology. It was really like a foreign language to me because I’ve been learning offense my whole life.”

Making a drastic switch like this usually doesn’t pan out, but the stars continue to align for Sinkfield, who has some of the most football savvy cornerbacks in the league in Xavier Rhodes and Terence Newman to learn from. That’s something he takes advantage of on a daily basis and does not take for granted, especially in an exotic, detailed defense like Zimmer’s.

“Luckily I got T-Newman here,” said Sinkfield. “He’s been in the league 14 years and specifically in this defense. My first couple of months he helped me out a lot, teaching me a lot of things, and then staying after practice to work with coaches has helped out.”

While many will tell you Sinkfield is destined for the practice squad in 2017, I’ll stand firm saying he’s the best option for the final cornerback spot. Sinkfield not only has outplayed other cornerbacks like Sam Brown and Jabari Price, but he gives the coaching staff more potential as a player three years down the road with the proper progression.

“Yeah, that’s the plan, to get a roster spot,” said Sinkfield. “I’m just going to go out here everyday and grind, and it’s going to be a blessing to play for my hometown team.”

Sinkfield reiterated that continuing to learn the proper technique, specifically in Gray’s secondary, was going to be the catalyst in, not just making the roster, but becoming a cornerback the team can count on to make plays.

“Technique is everything,” said Sinkfield, “once you go out there and try to do your own thing, he can’t help you and come save you, but if you continue to learn and use the proper technique everything will work out in this defense and everyone will get their chance to make plays.”

Some will call it a coincidence, while others will point to the football gods smiling down on Sinkfield that day in the supermarket. Bumping into his future NFL coach next to the deli meats could make an outstanding film, with a zero-to-hero storyline that might give “The Blind Side” a run for its money.

However, like the avocados and cantaloupe that stood next to him, Sinkfield is still unripe and underdeveloped when it comes to being a starting NFL cornerback. But after what we’ve seen early in the 2017 season, it won’t be long until Sinkfield is on the field ready to do his own cooking, thanks to his rare second chance dance with football’s destiny.

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