MANKATO, Minn. — Another pedestrian walk-through broke Wednesday morning at Blakeslee Stadium, and the Vikings gathered at midfield for their daily edict.

Instead of head coach Mike Zimmer, they heard words of wisdom from Vikings legend Alan Page, the hall of fame defensive tackle and Minnesota Supreme Court justice.

Safety Chris Crocker and long snapper Cullen Loeffler are the only players among the 90 in camp who were even alive when Page retired in 1981.

Page, who turns 69 on Thursday, just welcomed a new set of law clerks this week to the state’s high court, so he is familiar with being looked at like a living monument.

“I’m used to being around young people with a lot of energy, who are bright and talented,” he said. “It’s kind of fun to come here and see the same thing, that same kind of energy.”

Page spoke off the cuff after being recruited from the sideline by general manager Rick Spielman.

“The thrust of what I had to say was that success comes both on an individual level and a team level when we minimize errors, mistakes, penalties and seek excellence,” he said. “And when you do those things, good things happen.”

Page played 11 of his 15 seasons in Minnesota. He earned nine Pro Bowl selections and in 1971 became the first defensive player to win NFL most valuable player honors.

He led the NFL Players Association from 1972 to 1975 and earned his law degree from the University of Minnesota in 1978 while still playing for the Vikings.

Page worked for the state attorney general before being elected to the Supreme Court in 1993. He faces mandatory retirement in 2016.

“Always strive for excellence and always strive to be the best person you can be from within,” defensive end Brian Robison said of Page’s message. “Never worry about the guy in front of you or next to you. Don’t try to be better than those guys. Be the best player you can be, and if you do that, things will take care of itself.

“Any time those guys can convey a message to you, not only in the game of football but in the game of life, you should open your ears and listen to them.”

Second-year defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd was unfamiliar with one of the NFL’s greatest defenders.

“I didn’t know much about him. When I came here, the first thing I kept hearing was about the Purple People Eaters,” said Floyd, 23. “So it was an honor to meet him. I’ve talked to John Randle. Just knowing the history of the team and the D-line is great.”

Page chuckled at the leisurely pace of modern training camps, with regulated padded practices and mandatory off days.

He recalled a double session at Blakeslee Stadium when it was 95 degrees and only four defensive linemen were healthy enough to participate.

“We had a full-scale scrimmage that afternoon with no substitutes,” Page said. “They’re out here this morning in shorts and T-shirts. Things have changed dramatically. Life is good.

“If I had had training camps like this, maybe I’d still be playing.”

Follow Brian Murphy at twitter.com/murphPPress.