In six seasons playing under Mike Zimmer in Minnestoa, Everson Griffen made four Pro Bowls. He racked up 190 tackles and 57 sacks. He was pretty darn ... great.
So when Zimmer referred to Griffen this week as a "good player" ahead of Griffen's homecoming on Sunday with the Lions, the former Viking took notice.
"I got a little frustrated when I read what Zimmer said, 'Everson was a good player. Like, Coach Zimmer just wasn’t a good coach, he was a great coach to me. So for him to call me a good player, that kind of hurts my feelings. On Sunday I’m really looking forward to playing the Vikings and showing them that I am a great player," Griffen said Thursday in his first interview with Detroit media since being traded to the Lions last week.
Griffin said he caught wind of Zimmer's comments on KFAN radio, the flagship of the Vikings.
"I be looking. I’m just a good player -- alright, he got a good player coming his way. He gon' see on Sunday what he got coming for him," said Griffen. "They gon' put some respect on my name, he gon' put respect on my name. That’s all I’m saying. Like, he just wasn’t a good coach to me, he was a great coach, he helped me improve, he helped me grow.
"I don’t ever talk bad about people. So for him to call me a good player, alright, I got something for him on Sunday."
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