Ex-Viking Jennings calls Minnesota his home

Three months ago, the Vikings acquired wide receiver Mike Wallace from the Dolphins. The immediate question in the aftermath was: What would happen to veteran wide receiver Greg Jennings? We didn't have to wait long to get the answer; the very next day, the Vikings released Jennings. Jennings and his wife, Nicole, had already made Minnesota their home and were very comfortable here. So even though Jennings signed with the Dolphins after his release, the family has remained here and intends to keep doing so. This past week, Jennings hosted his eighth annual Greg Jennings Celebrity Golf Classic, and for the first time it was in Minnesota. The event, at Rush Creek in Maple Grove, raised funds for Jennings' foundation, and before the action started he chatted with the Star Tribune's Michael Rand.

Q Were you surprised and/or disappointed with the way things ended with the Vikings?

A Not at all. That's neither here nor there. That's one of those things that when you become a professional, that's the nature of the business.

Q You played in Green Bay for a long time and then with the Vikings. How do you compare and contrast those experiences and fanbases?

A Fans are fans, and they're phenomenal wherever you go. It's all about getting accustomed to what you know. When you join a winning franchise, the fans are going to be that much more excited and enthused. You have fan bases that are eagerly anticipating wins.

Q How are you as a golfer?

A I'm an OK golfer. I don't really like to puff my golf game up because the moment I say it's good, then that's when I struggle the most.

Q I have to ask about the April Fool's joke you played this year, when you convinced people on Twitter that you were going to reveal the team you were going to sign with. How did that all come about?

A I play an April Fool's Day joke every year. It just so happened that his year was a little different because I was a free agent. So we just played with it. I mean, in life you have to embrace where you are. It wasn't going to change who I was or what I do.

Q You were here for one year playing with Teddy Bridgewater. As someone who has played with a lot of quarterbacks, how do you assess Bridgewater and his ceiling as an NFL quarterback?

A His ceiling is whatever he makes it. … It was great playing with him. Obviously, it was only a short period of time playing with him, but he's a great human being, and he's going to be a great quarterback as long as he continues to work and get better.

Q Why did you decide to make Minnesota home, still, even though you moved on to Miami professionally?

A Because of events like this. Moving here, my wife and I fell in love with the community. We saw how involved everyone was and how eager everyone was to jump on board to support a cause and help kids. Every cause is different, but for us geared toward youth education, we just have so many different things and there are so many people trying to address problems. It just felt right for us. Where there is peace, God is there. It was a no-brainer to me.