Vikings coordinator Andre Patterson shares his perspective as a Black man

Coach Mike Zimmer kicked off his virtual news conference Thursday by introducing Andre Patterson, his co-defensive coordinator, friend of 32 years and perfect partner to share what the Vikings discussed during an emotional two-hour meeting on the racial strife that's rocking this country to its core.

"I thought it was important that Andre join the call," Zimmer, a 64-year-old white man, said of Patterson, a 60-year-old Black man. "Andre came from Oakland, California, grew up in some of the Rodney King riots. I come from Lockport, Illinois, predominantly white."

And they're best friends on and off the field, Zimmer said. Or, as Patterson put it, "I would take a bullet for Zim. No ifs, ands or buts."

For two hours Thursday, the Vikings discussed this week's shooting of a Black man in Kenosha, Wis. Jacob Blake was paralyzed after a white officer fired seven bullets, hitting him in the back four times from point-blank range.

Unlike many NFL teams, the Vikings agreed as a group to practice on Thursday.

"I feel like our team really represents a lot of myself and Andre in the fact that we all come from different areas, and we're all trying to get along with one another and respect each other and treat people right and come together as a football team," Zimmer said.

Patterson agreed, adding how important it is for the players to see "how the two of us interact. … To see that people that come from different backgrounds and different races can have that kind of feeling about one another."

The two first worked together at Weber State in 1988. They were reunited for two years at Washington State (1992-93), three years with the Cowboys (2000-02) and now seven seasons with the Vikings.

"The beauty of our relationship is that each one of us is willing to listen and gain knowledge, whether I turn around and agree with how Zim sees it or not," Patterson said. "At least I understand where he's coming from. And to me, that's the thing that we need in our society to make change happen."

Zimmer was asked if he's been changed by events since the George Floyd killing in Minneapolis on Memorial Day. He said he is being educated by stories some of his Black players have told him.

Then he asked Patterson if he could share a story Patterson told him. Patterson gave his permission.

"Andre told me he'd been pulled over three times and had guns pulled on him," Zimmer said. "He wasn't doing anything. He wasn't speeding, his blinker wasn't wrong, he wasn't changing lanes. And they let him go each time. That's not right.

"I haven't been able to walk in Andre's shoes and some of the players' [shoes]. We had a player tell a story similar to what I'm talking about with Andre."

"Sadly," Patterson said, "it's not new. I'm 60 years old, and these things have been going on my whole life.

"Fortunately, I work for someone that's willing to let me try to give the knowledge back to some of the players to give them an opportunity to handle these situations the best way possible."