The Vikings’ final draft pick of 2019 got a chance to speak with

the Twin Cities media" Minnesota Vikings 2019 NFL DraftTranscript: Conference Call with Minnesota Vikings seventh-round pick Austin CuttingThe Vikings’ final draft pick of 2019 got a chance to speak with the Twin Cities mediaCDTShare this storyShare this on FacebookShare this on TwitterShareAll sharing optionsShareAll sharing options for:Transcript: Conference Call with Minnesota Vikings seventh-round pick Austin CuttingTwitterFacebookRedditPocketFlipboardEmailOn Saturday afternoon Custom Armon Watts Jersey , the Minnesota Vikings made Air Force long snapper Austin Cutting the last of their twelve selections in the 2019 NFL Draft. Shortly after his selection, Cutting got an opportunity to sit down with the Twin Cities media and answer some questions via a conference call. We have the transcript of that call for you below, courtesy of the fine folks from the Minnesota Vikings’ PR Department. Enjoy, everyone!<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="WTwnSh">Just want to say that I’m thrilled to be drafted by Minnesota. It’s a dream come to be able to play in the NFL, but more importantly, I’m looking forward to graduating from the Academy and beginning my career in the Air Force. That’s why I came to the Academy, to serve my country and if there’s a way and opportunity to do both like others have in the past, then so be it but we’ll figure this situation out as it.Q: How does that work out? Do you have to get special permission from the NFL or what exactly would you have to do to play in the NFL this year?A: There’s a duty policy that we have to serve 24 months before we can apply to have the remainder of our commitment served in the reserve. That’s all I can really say about that; those are decisions made above my paygrade.Q: Joe Cardona was in a similar situation a couple years ago. Are you familiar with his situation and how he handled it?A: I am, a little bit, ending Discount Armon Watts Jersey , going through it and all that. He obviously knows it more than I do. I actually contacted him after going to the NFLPA Bowl and we kind of talked. He kind of ran me through how he did it and stuff like that. I talked with him so I have some idea of how it went before getting all into this.Q: How quickly did this process come together for you?A: I’m still in school and looking forward to graduating next month, fingers crossed. It’s an ongoing process. It’s not, “Okay, the Air Force was done and now it’s time for the NFL.” That’s not the case whatsoever. We’re working with it and see how it goes. Like I said, it’s decisions that are made above my paygrade and they’ll help me along the way.Q: I meant being on the Air Force’s football program to being on the NFL radar?A: I’m sorry. It’s an honor. I think if I can remember the last time somebody was drafted from the academy was in the 80s and just to be able to show the guys it can be done if you just work at it. Just being from an academy makes it a little bit harder because you may have some things that some schools may not have. Being able to do that and show when you come to the academy it’s not just the end of your career going to school, having to find a job, or going to play football and being done playing football.Q: Will you be at the Vikings rookie mini camp?A: Yes, sir. They are currently actually working on that and I’ve been in touch with a lot of people at school and they’re doing their due diligence. I’ll be able to; I got to make up my work on Thursday and Friday but other than that, absolutely. Absolutely.Q: I read that you lettered power lifting in high school. How much does power lifting help with the quick-twitch part of the game when you have to react as quick as you do when you’re on special teams?A: Everything helps in my opinion. You always hear everyone saying this big-time names were multiple sport athletes growing up and I think it helped a lot. I think it obviously helped me get some of my strength from where it came from but as far as the snapping goes I feel like it’s more cleans, stuff like that Dalvin Cook Jersey , helped me and in power lifting that’s not one of the ones but still you’re squatting, you’re deadlifting all the hamstrings, glutes, quads. I think it’s helped a lot.Q: It’s rare that long snappers are drafted. Was there a lot of interest in you coming out?A: Yes sir. I believe there was. We were in touch with about half the teams about, I would say 14 to 15, right around there. There were three to four that were coming after me pretty hard and of those four Minnesota was one. We’ve been dealing with that and this is how it played out and I’m happy. Q: What’s your role going to be in the Air Force? Are you a pilot?A: As of right now I’m an acquisition officer, so not a pilot. Acquisition would just being buying things and stuff like that, that the Air Force needs. That’s what I’m slated for.Q: How did you become a long snapper?A: I originally started out as a tackle. That’s pretty much where I played my whole time in high school. I was getting recruited by a couple schools. I had a full-ride to a smaller school down in Houston and then I had Air Force. Those were the two offers I had. Air Force was just for snapping and then the school down in House was for playing tackle. That’s how I did that and then one day my coach was like, ‘Hey, we want to try you out here. We’re going to put you here at snapping Alan Page Jersey , we’re going to make you learn and all that kind of stuff.’ Ever since then, that was my freshman year of high school, I picked up on it and kept going from there. That’s how that came to be.Q: How much grit does it take to play long snapper?A: I think at every position it takes grit to play. Obviously, there’s some positions more so than others. I would say more so on the mental side just because specialists are just such a different job. You’re not out there all the time, everyone is expecting to hit when you need to and be doing what you need to do every single time. I would say it takes a lot it just might be a little different of a way.Q: What was the small school that recruited you in Texas?A: Houston-Baptist. And Garrett Bradbury isn’t the only one that made a bold choice"WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Vikings 2018 SeasonVikings 2019 OffseasonU.S. Bank StadiumMinnesota Vikings PodcastsMinnesota Vikings 2019 NFL DraftVikings announce uniform numbers for all their 2019 drafteesNew,39commentsAnd Garrett Bradbury isn’t the only one that made a bold choiceCDTShareTweetShareShareVikings announce uniform numbers for all their 2019 drafteesMark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY SportsNot long after he was drafted, we let you know that new Minnesota Vikings’ center Garrett Bradbury had chosen to wear the #56 for Minnesota going forward. On Monday, the team released the numbers of the rest of their 2019 draft class, and Bradbury isn’t the only one that’s made a bit of a bold choice.The man that the Vikings selected after Bradbury, Alabama tight end Irv Smith Jr. http://www.thevikingslockerroom.com/authentic-brett-favre-jersey , has decided that he’s going to wear the number of another Hall of Famer. . .Randy Moss.Yes, Smith has chosen #84 for his jersey number. He’s not the first person to select the number since Moss was traded away. Several players, most notably Cordarrelle Patterson, have tried to live up to that number’s reputation and haven’t been able to do so. Perhaps Smith will be able to do it, but he’s got a long. . .loooooooooooooong. . .way to go yet, obviously.Along with #56 and #84, here are the numbers that will be worn by the rest of the Vikings’ draft class of 2019.Alexander Mattison - #25Dru Samia - #73Cameron Smith - #59Armon Watts - #96Marcus Epps - #39Oli Udoh - #74Kris Boyd - #38Dillon Mitchell - #17Olabisi Johnson - #81Austin Cutting - #58