EDEN PRAIRE, Minn. — Matt Kalil cuts a pretty imposing figure, what with his 6-foot-6, 310-pound NFL tackle’s frame, deep voice and penetrating look. Even in a locker room filled with professional football players, the former USC star stands out.

• PHOTOS: From USC and UCLA to the Minnesota Vikings

So when he set himself up in the corner of the Minnesota Vikings locker room recently, cleared his throat and began talking, more than a few people took notice.

Kalil’s voice rose and he spoke with great pride and more than a little bit of good-natured arrogance.

In particular, Kalil was referring to the eight USC and UCLA players who help make up the Vikings’ 53-man roster.

“There’s a bunch of us here,” Kalil said. “And that’s pretty damn cool.”

In addition to Kalil, the Vikings’ fourth-year left tackle, defensive end Everson Griffen and tight end Rhett Ellison make up the USC contingency. Linebackers Anthony Barr and Eric Kendricks, guard Mike Harris, punter Jeff Locke and long-snapper Kevin McDermott form the UCLA contingency.

“That’s pretty cool, to be honest,” Kendricks said. “It’s a part of our lives we all take great pride in, and for all of us to end up on the same NFL team, it’s pretty awesome. We have fun with it. And we also take pride in it.”

Kalil was drafted third overall in 2011 and has started at left tackle since his rookie year. Griffen was taken in the fourth round in 2010, and after spending the first few years developing, has emerged as one of the league’s top edge pass rushers. Ellison, a fourth round pick in 2012, has earned a key role as a blocking tight end for the Vikings.

Barr was drafted ninth over all in 2014 and has started at outside linebacker since his rookie year. Kendricks, a second-round pick in 2015, has played his way into a starting role at inside linebacker as a rookie. Locke was a fifth-round pick in 2013. Harris went undrafted in 2012, but since signing with the Vikings two years ago has won a starting guard job. McDermott was an undrafted free agent, and is now the Vikings long-snapper.

“It’s pretty incredible when you think about it,” said Barr, a rising star in his second season. “That’s a whole bunch of players from USC and UCLA on one pro football team.”

“It says a lot about the level of college football being played in L.A.,” Griffen agreed.

And it sets up a unique daily workplace.

Day after day, these former rivals coexist as colleagues working toward a common goal.

And while there is tremendous satisfaction in such a large piece of USC and UCLA migrating together to the Midwest to inject the surging Vikings with some serious SoCal football power, don’t think for a second some prideful battle lines aren’t drawn on a daily basis.

“I think everyone here understands my position on all that,” said Griffen, smiling. “I never lost to those guys.”

Harris remains pretty quiet on the subject, having lost four times to USC.

“Yeah, I don’t have much to say about all that,” he said with a grin.

When it comes to USC vs. UCLA, it’s where you stand.

And in most cases, it’s all about timing.

Which is why Kalil, after acknowledging the significance of the distinct Trojans and Bruins presence dominating the Vikings locker room, couldn’t resist some well-pointed needling.

Especially with the annual USC-UCLA game looming.

“It’s all in the record books, but if you look it up you’ll see I went 4-0 against them,” Kalil beamed. “So as you can imagine, there really isn’t much anyone can really say to me.”

Barr and Kendricks giggled nearby.

“He’s right, he’s right,” Barr said.

“In fact,” Kalil said, his voice rising. “The last time I walked off the field against UCLA, it was after we dropped a 50-0 beatdown on them. So, I mean, what can you say?”

Kendricks, who is pushing for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, just dropped his head. As a redshirt freshman that night four years ago at the Coliseum, he remembers the blowout loss well.

“Yeah, that was the first start of my career,” he grimaced

It got better for Barr and Kendricks, of course. The two linebackers played pivotal roles in turning UCLA around. And while that 50-point thrashing stings to this day, it was the catalyst for decisive change.

“I never lost to them again,” said Kendricks, whose Bruins beat the Trojans three consecutive years.

In doing so, Kendricks and UCLA broke a frustrating five-year USC stranglehold on the crosstown rivalry

“Absolutely, there is pride in playing a role in that turnaround,” said Barr, who will forever be remembered for flattening USC quarterback Matt Barkley and knocking him out of the Bruins’ 38-28 win over the Trojans in 2012.

“They ran Los Angeles for so many years, so to help get it evened out, I’m happy about that.”

To be sure, the Vikings’ Southern California connection has plenty of fun with the rivalry — “I’m sure there will be some chatter the week of the game,” Kalil said — there is great satisfaction in all of them now playing on the same team together.

“That’s a pretty big statement, for both schools,” Barr said. “Whether you went to UCLA or USC, the fact is you are going up against other great players every day in practice. And when you play in the Pac-12, that’s just high-end competition week in and week out. The fact so many of us ended up here is pretty cool, but it’s also not all that surprising considering the level of play we developed from.”

The arguing might get loud, especially as the big game approaches, but players who once looked menacingly at one another through college now find themselves on the same team.

“We have fun with it, but bottom line we’re all Vikings now and that’s the focus,” Griffen said. “I think for all of us, what’s so great is knowing where we came from, and the high level of play we saw each and every day in practice and in the Pac-12.

“And that’s what we try to bring to this team each and every day.”

Teammates and rivals

The Minnesota Vikings have eight former USC and UCLA players on their 53-man roster.

Anthony Barr (UCLA)

No. 55 … linebacker … selected with the No. 9 overall pick in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft

Rhett Ellison (USC)

No. 85 … tight end … selected with the No. 128 overall pick in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft

Everson Griffen (USC)

No. 97 … defensive end … selected with the No. 100 overall pick in the 4th round of the 2010 NFL Draft

Mike Harris (UCLA)

No. 79 … right guard … undrafted in 2012, claimed off waivers in 2014 after being released by San Diego

Matt Kalil (USC)

No. 75 … left tackle … selected with the No. 3 overall pick in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft

Eric Kendricks (UCLA)

No. 54 … linebacker … selected with the No. 45 overall pick in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft

Jeff Locke (UCLA)

No. 18 … punter … selected with the No. 155 overall pick in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL Draft

Kevin McDermott (UCLA)

No. 47 … long snapper … undrafted in 2013, signed with Vikings in 2015 after playing in San Francisco, Denver and Baltimore