Former Cobber Drawing on CFL Experience at Vikings Camp

Brandon Zylstra led the CFL in receiving yards last year.

Former Concordia Cobber Brandon Zylstra has had to make adjustments his entire life, at the D-III level, in the CFL and now as he hopes to make it in the NFL.

The wide receiver participated in Minnesota Vikings training camp on Tuesday.

“I’m super motivated,” Zylstra said. “It’s at the tip of my tongue. I’m just excited, and OTAs are a great learning experience for us just to get more comfortable, learn the playbook, learn to be around the guys, all that kind of stuff.”

He also gets a little extra motivation from the team giving him a chance.

“I always tell people that it just kind of ended up full circle for me. I grew up watching the Vikkings. To end up back in Minnesota is a dream come true. It’s close to all my friends and family, which is huge for me that they can be there to support me versus when I was up in Canada. It’s hard for them to stream some of the games. My parents only made it up to two games, and now they’ll be able to make it to half if not more. So it’s great for everybody.”

The former Concordia star will need to make adjustments playing south of the border, but he’s made those adjustments before.

“Running the triple-option at Concordia, I didn’t know too much about routes or anything,” Zylstra said. “That’s definitely something I learned about in Canada and has helped me excel to where I am now.”

Zylstra is one of the oldest rookies on the roster, but he says his experience in Canada will help set him apart.

“Professional experience in Canada has just taught me how to be a pro, how to take care of my body, how to study, your proper diet, your proper sleep, all the things you don’t really think about.

He added: “When you’re a new rookie coming in, you’re just thinking about getting that playbook down and just not making mistakes. But going through two fall camps already, I know kind of the speed and a little bit of what to expect. It’s going to be a little different for me, but I at least have an idea of what’s about to go happen.”