On the eve of what is arguably his most important NFL season, during which he will be asked to give more of himself than in any of his previous four years as a pro, Vikings running back Alexander Mattison is already in full-on giving mode.
In-between voluntary and mandatory team obligations, during which he has assumed the role of lead back after the release of veteran Dalvin Cook, Mattison has been leading youth football camps in the three places that he has called home.
He and his team of supporters already concluded three-day overnight camps in Minnesota and San Bernardino, Calif., Mattison's hometown. Still to come is a one-day camp in Boise, where Mattison starred in college at Boise State.
Speaking just before the start of the camp in San Bernardino last weekend — an interview that aired on Wednesday's Daily Delivery podcast — Mattison described how the camps are about more than just football. They teach young players important life skills while also addressing mental health and social justice issues, among other things.
"There are all these components of my life that never pointed at the gridiron or the field. They pointed at being successful in life," said Mattison, who credits former NFL running back Greg Bell as a mentor who along with his parents helped instill both a work ethic and notion of well-roundedness in his life. "The bigger picture wasn't just to make it to the NFL, but beyond that. The goals were setting myself up for success and an attainable life beyond what the field can provide."
Giving back seems to come naturally to Mattison — not as a burden for a 25-year-old running back who just signed a two-year, $7 million deal this offseason and who figures to have two or three times more carries this season than the 101 rushes he averaged over his first four years.
Mattison said he understands the business of the NFL and expects Cook to continue to thrive. But he also understands that in a league that undervalues and discards running backs quickly, it is Mattison's time to shine.
"For me, it's a great opportunity to step into the role, the limelight and the position I've always dreamt of being in. All the work I've put in to this point, all the work following in [Cook's] footsteps, side by side, challenging each other every day, prepared me for a moment like this where I can have the opportunity to seize what's in front of me."
