KWESI ADOFO-MENSAH: Good afternoon. Very excited to introduce Jordan Addison, the new addition to our organization. His pick was the culmination of a lot of effort from a lot of great people in our scouting staff, our coaching staff, operations, everybody in this building.
I do think it's fitting, though, after the tragic passing of our area scout Kevin McCabe that this pick was from the West Coast region, so he would have started that character work while he was still obviously working with the Vikings before his illness kind of took over.
I do think it's fitting, as the board was going, you're not sure if it's going to get to us. Kevin maybe held off a team or two for us so we ended up with Jordan, so really happy about that.
Excited to get Jordan to that room. He's got the work ethic, the character, attention to detail that fits in that room. It's a pace set by Coach McCardell, J.J., K.J. They've got a great group, and he's going to be a great addition to it. Without further ado, I'll take it to other people. Thank you.
KEVIN O'CONNELL: Yeah, this is a really special day for the Minnesota Vikings, but more so congratulations to you, Jordan, for all of your hard work. To you, to your family, we're very, very fortunate to be adding you to our roster, adding you to our receiver room, like Kwesi talked about. Very, very excited to -- we talked a little bit last night about not only the skill set, the person, the player, but the more and more you spend time with him, the drive that he has to be great. It's already set in.
He's already asking for a playbook and what are we going to be doing here or there or how are you planning on using me, and all those things are things we started talking about on our 30 visit.
Credit to Kwesi and his staff for obviously going back a long way, identifying a player of this kind of caliber and then getting him in our building early, letting us form those relationships early and now we can hit the ground running.
To me, this day is about Jordan. It's for Jordan and his family, and we just really want to celebrate, like I said, adding a player of his caliber to our football team. With that, I would love to introduce Jordan Addison.
JORDAN ADDISON: How you guys doing? I just want to thank the whole Vikings organization top down, Kevin and Kwesi, just for making this childhood dream that I had come true. So thank you guys for that.
Then I just want to thank my family for just being with me every step of the way. It's been a long journey, lots of ups and downs, but you guys have always been with me. I just want to shout out to the family for that.
Q. What excites you about Justin Jefferson and Kirk Cousins? Do you know a lot about the Vikings offense? I'm sure you've learned a lot in the last 12 hours.
JORDAN ADDISON: I've seen a lot. I watched them a lot throughout the season, and then just coming here on my 30-day visit and seeing how they use their pieces, get their playmakers the ball and just move all their receivers around, let them run a lot of different routes. Just as a receiver coming in, that's what you want to see.
Q. What was that top-30 visit like from your perspective? What stuck out about that day to you as you were here?
JORDAN ADDISON: Just the energy in the room, walking around, meeting everybody and just seeing how everybody is just being themselves.
Q. What was your motivation transferring from Pitt to USC, and at that point did you have a feeling you might be entering the draft at this stage?
JORDAN ADDISON: So that was just a gut feeling that I had to go with. A lot of coaching staff changes at Pittsburgh, the University of Pittsburgh, and I just went with my gut feeling and stuck with it.
Q. What was the hardest part for you about changing schools after having been there and done what you did do at Pittsburgh?
JORDAN ADDISON: I'd say the hardest part was just going through that transfer portal and all the backlash that I was getting from the previous team that I left, and just a lot of different fans, media, so that was just the toughest part. Nothing new.
Q. Do you have any former collegiate teammates in the league now that you've talked to to kind of give you an idea of what to expect now that you're in the league, and what have they told you?
JORDAN ADDISON: Yeah, I talked to Kenny Pickett a little bit and DJ Turner, those two guys in the league that I played with.
But the main thing that they told me was just surround yourself around a good group of people, remain being yourself, because I'm what got -- just be myself because that's what got me here.
Just finding my routine and just attacking every day with that same mindset.
Q. I read that Notre Dame had looked at you as a corner coming out of high school. Did you ever actually consider that?
JORDAN ADDISON: No, I ain't never considered that -- well, I did, but my brother had told me, you need the ball in your hands, so I just stuck with the offensive side, and I'm happy to say it paid off.
Q. Whether it was I guess playing corner or playing quarterback in high school, what has that done for you as a receiver just learning how to diagnose coverages and getting on the same page as the quarterback?
JORDAN ADDISON: It just showed me to look at the bigger picture, so from an offensive standpoint, just knowing what every guy does and not just one position. So X, Y, Z, H, just learning that whole concept, and then it just makes it easier for me because I know where everybody is supposed to be at, when, and how much time I got in my route.
Q. You aren't the biggest guy in the draft or the biggest receiver. Did they try to get physical with you a lot? Is that something you have to negate, or is that something that's going to be a learning curve?
JORDAN ADDISON: Yeah, that's something that a lot of people tried to do, just eyeing me up from the first point, but I just tried to use that as their weakness. Some people just tried to get overaggressive, and I just used that to my advantage.
Q. Obviously you mentioned watching J.J. and the Vikings last year, but when you think about the history of the Vikings at receiver, kind of what do you know over time?
JORDAN ADDISON: It's just really a prestigious place for receivers. Y'all are known for having more than one great receiver, and I'm just glad I get to add to this great receiving room that you already got.
Q. When it comes to creating separation, seems like that's your biggest strength. How do you master or how have you worked to master the route-running techniques to create separation because that's kind of the biggest thing that wins in the NFL?
JORDAN ADDISON: Really just taking pride in it and having fun with it. When I'm running my routes, I like to look at it like I'm an artist and I'm going out there painting pictures. I just fell in love with the craft, and I feel like that's what's helping me succeed.
Q. Have you talked to Kirk or Justin or any of the other guys --
JORDAN ADDISON: I haven't talked to Justin yet, but Kirk sent me a message yesterday, a real warm welcoming message, so I'm looking forward to meeting all the guys.
Q. You said you watched this team a lot last year. What's your impression of Kirk as a quarterback now that he's going to be the guy?
JORDAN ADDISON: Just how he can make plays with his arms. He's accurate, does a good job anticipating throws, and then he feeds all his receivers and gets playmakers the ball.
Q. Kind of take us through last night, just the whole moment leading up to getting a phone call and just the realization with family and friends around what that moment was like for you.
JORDAN ADDISON: Yeah, that moment was crazy. I'm glad I came to the draft to experience it, but just waiting on that call, I had a lot of emotions going through my body, but once I finally got it, I was really excited, just seeing my family smile and jump up and down. It was just a special moment celebrating it with them.
Q. What was it like realizing it was Minnesota?
JORDAN ADDISON: It was crazy because this was my last 30-day visit. The last time I was on a visit, I was here, and they told me if I'm on that board they're going to grab me, so once Minnesota came up, I just kept checking my phone. Last two minutes came down, they called me. Just excited for that.
Q. Did any other team in your top-30 visit, I don't know how many you made, but did anybody else leave you with that impression that you may get -- if you're there, they'll draft you?
JORDAN ADDISON: Yeah, they said that, but they didn't stick to their word, so I'm glad to be a Viking.
Q. How many teams probably did that?
JORDAN ADDISON: All of them. But this is the one that -- this is where I'm supposed to be at. They believe in me, and I'm just glad to be here.
Q. Who all of your family was there last night at the draft?
JORDAN ADDISON: My siblings was there, mom and dad, grandparents. We had a pretty big crowd. It was fun.
Q. What are the main reasons why you're ready to play right away?
JORDAN ADDISON: Because just my confidence and I'm willing to come in here and work every day. I'm happy coming into the building, studying extra tape and just being around the guys.
Q. You've got Jefferson, Osborne, they pick up Hockenson; they've got a lot of tools there. Does that excite you, or do you see a role for yourself? Have you identified that?
JORDAN ADDISON: So the role for me, I just leave that up to the coaches and make sure when I come in here, I can run routes all day and I'm ready to work. But just coming into a great receiver group as a young receiver or a young rookie, that's what you want, a lot of great receivers that have already proven themselves that I can go learn from.
Q. You described kind of the artistry that goes into everything, and then how your brother said you need the ball in your hands, but how much happens before the ball actually gets there and how much emphasis do you put on those aspects of the game?
JORDAN ADDISON: Right, well, a lot happens going into that. First, you've got to get off the line of scrimmage and then you've got to win your route. It's just a lot more that goes into it that people don't really understand, but I take pride in everything, every little detail about being a receiver, and I love it.
Q. How did you start looking at route running like an art? When did that come up for you?
JORDAN ADDISON: When I got to high school. I started watching -- well, Stephon Diggs was from around my area so he was a top receiver coming out of Maryland, and just the way he ran routes and his mindset about everything just kind of shifted my perspective because I was a quarterback at first, so coming out of youth league I played quarterback, and then I started looking up to them guys, and that's when I switched my position to receiver in high school, and then I never looked back.
Q. You talked about fulfilling a childhood dream. I'm curious, at what age did you really get into football and how did you envision being in the NFL one day?
JORDAN ADDISON: I was five years old when I envisioned it because I wanted to play when I was three, but my mom used to always tell me I had to wait a couple years to play, so when I was three she told me, wait, next year. So then when I turned four, I'm like, Ma, you told me next year, and then she said it again. I'm like, you told me that last year. Then she broke it down to me that I had to be five. Once you put them pads on, it was over with.
Q. Who are some of the players when you were growing up that you really enjoyed watching?
JORDAN ADDISON: Michael Vick, Odell Beckham.
Q. Are you comfortable playing in the NFL at this weight or have you been told you need to add a little bit?
JORDAN ADDISON: I'm comfortable at this weight, but I feel like all I need to do is just get stronger.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports