Seeing the talent first hand, Wisconsin Lutheran Head Football Coach Joel Radue isn't surprised that "Super Bowl Sunday" will include a Viking alum.
"His desire to do well is what sets him apart. I mean he is relentless. And he will go after it and after it, his motor never stops," says Radue.
As the 252nd pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, Chris Garrett got his shot to make an NFL roster with the Los Angeles Rams.
"Chris has been a tremendous example of what it takes to show a lot of hard work and dedication when all apparent odds maybe seem stacked against him," says Brad Wetzel, Defensive Coordinator at Wisconsin Lutheran.
From the 414 to the 310, Chris put his Midwest mojo on display.
"His athleticism for his size is unbelievable. It showed in a couple of those preseason games that he was in where he had two sacks and good plays in a row. He showed some promise there and that's why they kept him on their 53-man roster the entire year," says Radue.
Even when COVID-19 sidelined Chris at the start of the regular season, he rallied in true Vikings fashion.
"He was out for three weeks at the early part of the season with COVID, when he was making a lot of strides in practice and on the practice team," says Wetzel. "He's the type of guy that's going to give it his all every single day and hope it works for the best."
A prime example that it's not always talent, but tenacity, that gets you places.
"He's got the god-given ability that he used to get him where he is, but just the successes you can have through your hard work in sports or academics. That will help you no matter where you end up, whether it's in Pro Football or another occupation," says Radue.
Still a rookie, Chris may not see a single snap in the Super Bowl.
It's a detail that won't matter to the Vikings working toward the same goal.
"It's pretty crazy since we are a smaller high school. We don't get a lot of exposure like the bigger high schools in the state. So it's pretty crazy to have one of our guys in the Super Bowl," says Zachary Tipton, the quarterback at Wisconsin Lutheran. "It shows all hard work and the dedication it takes to stay on a roster in the NFL. So even for him to be on the roster is a cool thing even if he doesn't get minutes."
