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MINNEAPOLIS -- Mike Wallace couldn't get past the cold weather in Minnesota when he was courted by the Vikings as a free agent in 2013.
The speedy receiver shunned the cold for the warmth of Miami. After a tumultuous two-year stint with the Dolphins, Minnesota is a change of scenery giving Wallace a fresh start.
"Honestly I was going to make the best of any situation that was coming, but I'm definitely excited about this opportunity," Wallace said on a conference call Saturday with Vikings reporters. "I just feel really embraced here. I feel like there was a lot of love when I got here. I feel like guys really wanted me here, so I'm excited about the fresh start. I wish things could've ended better, but that's life."
Miami had the sun -- and offered a five-year, $60 million contract -- but his time with the Dolphins was filled with tension, especially with head coach Joe Philbin. The two had issues which came to a head when Philbin benched Wallace for the second half of the final game last season.
"Honestly you know, there was a controversy between me and coach Philbin that we left there; and I'm going always to leave it personal," Wallace said. "But I would never ever in million years quit on my team. I would never refuse to go in a game and say I wouldn't play in a game for my team. I'll leave it at that. But me and coach we talked about that. That's private. We both know exactly what happened but I'd never take myself out of a game."
Wallace was given a clean slate when the Vikings finally brought him north in a Friday-night trade with Miami, sending a 2015 fifth-round draft pick to Miami for Wallace and a 2015 seventh-round selection. Wallace told reporters on Saturday that there was no contract restructure involved with the move. Wallace will make $9.85 million in base salary in 2015 and count $9.9 million against Minnesota's salary cap.
Wallace arrived to the Vikings' facility on Saturday with an unseasonably warm day in the Twin Cities with temperatures in the high 50s. Wallace wasn't buying into the unexpected climate.
"I kind of feel like it was a trick," Wallace joked. "I kind of feel like everybody is trying to trick me and get me to think the weather is nice. One of my good friends, Jamarca Sanford, played here. So he told me about the weather. He told me the weather's not the best, but the people are great."
One person Wallace will have a keen interest in meeting is quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who developed nicely in his rookie season and appears to have finally answered Minnesota's long-time need for a franchise quarterback.
Wallace was one of the top deep threats in the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but slipped to career-lows with 12.7 and 12.9 yards per catch in his two seasons with the Dolphins. Wallace had 67 receptions for 862 yards in 16 games last season but did tie a career high with 10 receiving touchdowns.
"He's a guy who just look like he's always composed and always happy," Wallace said of Bridgewater. "I'm excited about it. I know he can get the ball to me. I'm not even worried about that aspect of it because I've seen him play. I'm just excited to be coming around some great people."
Of course, there is the matter of the weather in the winter. The Vikings also will be playing outside next season for the second of two years spent at TCF Bank Stadium while the team's new indoor home is built to replace the Metrodome.
"As long as I look at somebody else and they're freezing their tail off, I think I'll be fine," Wallace said. "As long as somebody's out there freezing with me. But we can manage for one year."
A fresh start has given Wallace a new outlook on the cold. Wallace said he gave the Vikings consideration as a free agent in 2013.
"It was just, you know, the cold factor was big at that time, with the opportunity to play in Miami, with palm trees versus trees with no leaves," Wallace said. "That was then. This was now. I'm excited to be here."
http://www.foxsports.com/north/stor...e-excited-for-fresh-start-in-minnesota-031415
wonder what happened with these two.
The speedy receiver shunned the cold for the warmth of Miami. After a tumultuous two-year stint with the Dolphins, Minnesota is a change of scenery giving Wallace a fresh start.
"Honestly I was going to make the best of any situation that was coming, but I'm definitely excited about this opportunity," Wallace said on a conference call Saturday with Vikings reporters. "I just feel really embraced here. I feel like there was a lot of love when I got here. I feel like guys really wanted me here, so I'm excited about the fresh start. I wish things could've ended better, but that's life."
Miami had the sun -- and offered a five-year, $60 million contract -- but his time with the Dolphins was filled with tension, especially with head coach Joe Philbin. The two had issues which came to a head when Philbin benched Wallace for the second half of the final game last season.
"Honestly you know, there was a controversy between me and coach Philbin that we left there; and I'm going always to leave it personal," Wallace said. "But I would never ever in million years quit on my team. I would never refuse to go in a game and say I wouldn't play in a game for my team. I'll leave it at that. But me and coach we talked about that. That's private. We both know exactly what happened but I'd never take myself out of a game."
Wallace was given a clean slate when the Vikings finally brought him north in a Friday-night trade with Miami, sending a 2015 fifth-round draft pick to Miami for Wallace and a 2015 seventh-round selection. Wallace told reporters on Saturday that there was no contract restructure involved with the move. Wallace will make $9.85 million in base salary in 2015 and count $9.9 million against Minnesota's salary cap.
Wallace arrived to the Vikings' facility on Saturday with an unseasonably warm day in the Twin Cities with temperatures in the high 50s. Wallace wasn't buying into the unexpected climate.
"I kind of feel like it was a trick," Wallace joked. "I kind of feel like everybody is trying to trick me and get me to think the weather is nice. One of my good friends, Jamarca Sanford, played here. So he told me about the weather. He told me the weather's not the best, but the people are great."
One person Wallace will have a keen interest in meeting is quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who developed nicely in his rookie season and appears to have finally answered Minnesota's long-time need for a franchise quarterback.
Wallace was one of the top deep threats in the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but slipped to career-lows with 12.7 and 12.9 yards per catch in his two seasons with the Dolphins. Wallace had 67 receptions for 862 yards in 16 games last season but did tie a career high with 10 receiving touchdowns.
"He's a guy who just look like he's always composed and always happy," Wallace said of Bridgewater. "I'm excited about it. I know he can get the ball to me. I'm not even worried about that aspect of it because I've seen him play. I'm just excited to be coming around some great people."
Of course, there is the matter of the weather in the winter. The Vikings also will be playing outside next season for the second of two years spent at TCF Bank Stadium while the team's new indoor home is built to replace the Metrodome.
"As long as I look at somebody else and they're freezing their tail off, I think I'll be fine," Wallace said. "As long as somebody's out there freezing with me. But we can manage for one year."
A fresh start has given Wallace a new outlook on the cold. Wallace said he gave the Vikings consideration as a free agent in 2013.
"It was just, you know, the cold factor was big at that time, with the opportunity to play in Miami, with palm trees versus trees with no leaves," Wallace said. "That was then. This was now. I'm excited to be here."
http://www.foxsports.com/north/stor...e-excited-for-fresh-start-in-minnesota-031415
wonder what happened with these two.
