One of John Teerlinck's favorite memories of John Randle wasn't formed at the Metrodome or upon the hallowed grounds of Lambeau Field.
"There was the time at Cub Foods," said Teerlinck, the Vikings defensive line coach from 1992 to '94. "John is walking down the aisle and there's a woman coming toward him with a grocery cart."
Randle, an undrafted rookie in 1990, was a bundle of quick-twitch muscle housed in the compact body of a promising young defensive tackle. His mentor was the unconventional Teerlinck, who preached the importance of using even the most mundane situations to practice one's pass-rushing moves.
"John was always saying, 'Work your move, work your move,'" Randle said. "Any doorway you walked through, work your move, he'd say. You get out of a car? Work your move."
Unfortunately, the poor woman pushing the grocery cart hadn't been given this important piece of information.
"John moves toward her and starts putting a stutter-shake spin move on her cart," Teerlinck said. "She froze. She didn't know what to think, so she starts screaming and yelling for the manager."
Teerlinck couldn't have been more proud. Randle understood him.
"John Teerlinck is kind of like Mr. Miyagi," Randle said. "He's very unorthodox. A different breed. Rough around the edges. He tells you things that are funny, but they register if you just listen. That's why he's the guru."
