Percy Harvin News: Pro Sports Daily

Harvin parlays 'A' instincts into rookie of the year candidacy

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November 4

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"Percy Harvin is neither pleased nor disappointed midway through his rookie season with the Vikings. "I came into this with no expectations," Harvin said Monday, "other than I wanted to help this team win." The Vikings' 7-1 record is impressive, and so is Harvin's production and contribution. Harvin is the early favorite for NFL offensive rookie of the year, distinguishing himself as a kickoff returner, receiver and running back. He ranks second in the NFL with an average of 30.7 yards per kickoff return, and he is No. 1 among rookies in touchdowns (five) and receiving yards (369) and No. 2 in first downs (24). "He's got 'A' instincts," Vikings coach Brad Childress said of Harvin. "He's ..."

Minnesota Vikings' Brad Childress says Percy Harvin could return punts at some point

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November 3

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"Minnesota Vikings rookie Percy Harvin has shown his toughness, playing through a nagging shoulder injury over the past three weeks. "I'm feeling great right now," Harvin said. "This couldn't have came at a better point. I got nicks and knacks, but I figure everybody (does)." This couldn't be a better start for Harvin, who dropped to the Vikings with the 22nd overall pick in the NFL Draft. Harvin leads all rookies with 369 receiving yards and is second in the NFL in kickoff average. He also has scored five touchdowns. "I don't think about it," Harvin said of all the teams that passed him over. "But a lot of times my family and other friends will text me stuff like that. "I keep those out of ..."

Happier returns this season

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November 3

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"The Vikings won the NFC North last season almost in spite of their special teams play. They are well on their way to repeating as division champions this season in part because of a significant turnaround in their special teams. The combination of Percy Harvin's dynamic return skills and major improvement from the coverage units led coach Brad Childress to call his special teams play a "thing of beauty" Monday. That's a far cry from last season, when the Vikings gave up an NFL-record seven special teams touchdowns and had no real juice in the return game. "I think the mindset when we started the season was that we're going to forget about last year," said safety Eric Frampton, one of the ..."

Vikings' Percy Harvin burns Green Bay Packers on returns

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November 2

Green Bay Press Gazette

"The Packers didn't have an answer for the dynamic Percy Harvin on Sunday. The Minnesota Vikings' outstanding rookie playmaker is a leading candidate for rookie of the year at the halfway point of the season and was a major factor in this game as kickoff returner alone in the Vikings' 38-26 win over the Packers at Lambeau Field. Harvin had two long returns that set up the Vikings for short touchdown drives – a 77-yard return in the first quarter that set up their first score, and a 48-yarder in the third quarter that answered a Packers touchdown and put the Vikings in position to increase their lead to 31-20 after the Packers had pulled to within four points. The Packers tried a couple of ..."

Word of the day describes Vikings speedster Percy Harvin: He's electrifying

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November 2

St. Paul Pioneer Press

columnist Bob Sansevere

"One word. That's all I was looking for from Percy Harvin. Just one word to describe the way he plays the game. No answer came right away. So I tossed out a word for his consideration. Harvin smiled. Apparently, he liked the word. "Electrifying," the Vikings rookie said, nodding. "You can stick with that one." If he keeps playing as he did Sunday, that description will stick. In a game that included four touchdown passes by Brett Favre and a 97-yard rushing performance by Adrian Peterson, Harvin was the most electrifying player in the Vikings' 38-26 victory over the Green Bay Packers. He accounted for 261 yards — 175 on five kickoff returns, 84 on five receptions and a couple of yards on a ..."

Harvin unleashes more lightning bolts

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November 2

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Percy Harvin has heard a lot of different adjectives and superlatives used to describe his talent, but he thinks "electrifying" might be the most appropriate. "Just stick with that one," he said, laughing. The Green Bay Packers won't argue. While the spotlight shined brightest on Brett Favre in his return to Lambeau Field on Sunday, Harvin's performance in a 38-26 victory also deserved top billing. The rookie finished with 261 total yards, on the strength of a long touchdown catch and two momentum-changing kickoff returns. Not bad for a guy who was listed as questionable on the injury report after missing one day of practice because of an undisclosed illness. Harvin declined to give ..."

WR Harvin will start for Vikings

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November 1

NFL.com

"Vikings rookie wide receiver Percy Harvin is expected to start today's game against the Packers, despite missing two practices this week with an "illness." That illness was a recurrence of the migraine headaches that caused Harvin to miss practice time earlier this season, according to a source with knowledge of the situation."

Reports: Harvin will play today

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October 18

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"For the second time this season, there was doubt about whether Percy Harvin would play in a game. And for the second time Harvin is going to give it a go. Harvin, who suffered a shoulder injury last week at St. Louis and was listed as questionable on the injury report, will be active for today's game against the Baltimore Ravens. Harvin did not practice on Wednesday but was able to do limited work on Thursday and Friday. Harvin battled migraine headaches in the days leading up to the Vikings' victory over San Francisco in Week 3 but was able to play and returned a kickoff 101 yards for a touchdown. Harvin is third on the Vikings with 18 receptions for 233 yards with two touchdowns. Rookie ..."

Harvin's injury status a game-time decision for Vikings

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October 17

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"Vikings rookie receiver Percy Harvin said it would be a game-time decision whether he plays Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens because of a shoulder injury. Harvin, who suffered the injury after a second-quarter catch in last Sunday's victory over the St. Louis Rams, will warm up before this Sunday's game and "see how it feels." He is officially listed as questionable, which means a 50-50 chance he would play. "They want to make sure I can protect myself and able to take contact," he said. Harvin wouldn't go into details of the injury. He completed the game, finishing with four catches for 66 yards, then felt sore the next two days. Harvin has 18 catches for 233 yards with two touchdowns ..."

Harvin questionable for Sunday

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October 17

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Vikings rookie wide receiver Percy Harvin was listed as questionable for Sunday's game against Baltimore because of a left shoulder injury. Harvin said a decision on whether he plays will be made on game day. "I'm feeling all right," Harvin said following Friday's practice. "It will be a game-time decision. We'll warm up and see how it feels." Harvin said the shoulder feels "OK" but that doctors want to make sure he can protect himself. Harvin, who is third on the Vikings with 18 receptions for 233 yards and two touchdowns, was injured in the second quarter of the Vikings' victory last Sunday at St. Louis. "It was hurting but I was able to make it through the game," he said. "But it kind ..."

Team drops Booty; Harvin is held out of practice

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October 15

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"The Vikings parted ways with John David Booty on Wednesday, releasing the second-year quarterback from their practice squad. The move was somewhat surprising, considering the Vikings had signed Booty to their practice squad after waiving him during their final roster cuts before the season. A fifth-round pick out of Southern California last season, Booty spent his rookie season as the team's No. 3 quarterback. Booty became the fourth quarterback with Brett Favre's arrival, meaning he took hardly any reps in practice. The Vikings signed offensive tackle Clint Oldenburg to fill his spot on the practice squad. "We typically roll guys through the practice squad," coach Brad Childress said. ..."

Good friends Percy Harvin and Sidney Rice have emerged, under different circumstances, to boost the Vikings' passing game. Rising together

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October 14

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"After a solid rookie season, Vikings receiver Sidney Rice expected to take his game to another level in 2008. He did — only in the wrong direction. Rice suffered a sprained posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in Week 2, and although he played 11 more games, he hobbled through the season and finished with just 141 receiving yards. "Everybody was talking bad about me, but they don't know better, because they didn't know I was hurt throughout the season," Rice said. "I just kept fighting." Then during free agency, the Vikings aggressively pursued veteran receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh, but the one-time Pro Bowl receiver spurned the club because the Seattle Seahawks had a more proven ..."

Migraines seem to be only foe Harvin hasn't evaded

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October 1

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"As Percy Harvin dashed 101 yards toward the end zone on a kickoff return Sunday, there appeared to be little that could slow the rookie phenom. But only days earlier, Harvin was stopped cold by the one opponent he hasn't been able to completely shake since he was 10: migraine headaches. Vikings coach Brad Childress acknowledged Wednesday that the team was aware of Harvin's history with migraines when the wide receiver was selected in the first round of the NFL draft in April. The Vikings did extensive due diligence when considering Harvin in part because of off-the-field concerns and because of injuries he had suffered at the University of Florida. Harvin often has been able to control his ..."

Fly, rookie, fly!

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September 28

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Sidney Rice stood next to Vikings wide receivers coach George Stewart on the sideline as Percy Harvin waited to return a kickoff in the third quarter Sunday. Harvin was supposed to be on the field for the first play of the ensuing series unless he broke a long return and needed to catch his breath. "I said, 'You know what, he's about to return this one [for a touchdown], Coach,'" Rice said. Rice proved prophetic. Harvin returned the kickoff 101 yards, giving the Vikings a spark after they fell behind in a 27-24 victory over the San Francisco 49ers at the Metrodome. Harvin's return highlighted a historic day for the rookie, who was questionable to play after missing two days of practice ..."

Henderson improves, but Harvin now ailing

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September 25

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"A day after missing practice because of a shoulder injury, middle linebacker E.J. Henderson was able to do limited work Thursday. He was joined on the injury report by wide receiver Percy Harvin, who was absent from practice because of an illness. Coach Brad Childress did not give any specifics on Harvin's situation, saying, "I'm not an epidemiologist," when asked if the Vikings feared the rookie might have symptoms of the H1N1 virus. Given the concerns about keeping those who are sick away from others, it would not come as a surprise that the team would send Harvin home. His availability for Sunday's game against San Francisco will become more clear today when the Vikings issue their ..."

Vikings rookie Harvin is an undeniable talent

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September 20

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Percy Harvin came home, stormed to his room and slammed the door. His football team had lost and he was furious. He refused to talk to anyone, even his mother. He was 6 years old. "I've always been competitive," he said. "That's got me where I'm at today." Those closest to the Vikings' rookie first-round pick still marvel at his fierce competitive spirit, about how he never backs down from any challenge and craves the big stage. They still laugh about the times he'd walk into the coaches office before a big game and ask everyone to stand up. He wanted to see if any of them had wet their pants. "I just wanted to check to make sure nobody was scared," he would say. That's Percy, a winner ..."

Percy Harvin all over the field for Vikings

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September 14

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"Vikings coach Brad Childress warned Friday that the Vikings wouldn't be able to showcase rookie Percy Harvin's versatility in the season opener. But Harvin certainly did his share, in a 34-20 victory over the Cleveland Browns. Harvin played a key part in three scoring drives. He had an 11-yard run on the Vikings' first scoring possession, a 21-yard field goal by Ryan Longwell. He had a 41-yard kickoff return and another 11-yard run on the opening touchdown drive of the third quarter. And he had three catches for 36 yards on the next series, which ended with his 6-yard touchdown catch. "Percy is a good football player," Childress said. "He's making himself valuable as a guy you can hand ..."

Harvin backs up the talk in first action

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September 14

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Percy Harvin saw Brett Favre sprinting toward him, but he didn't quite know what to do. "I thought we were going to bump chests," Harvin said. "I looked at him and saw he wasn't slowing down at all." Favre scrapped the popular chest bump -- do 39-year-old quarterbacks even know how to execute one? -- and went straight old-school celebration. Favre celebrated Harvin's first career touchdown in a 34-20 victory against the Cleveland Browns by tackling the rookie wide receiver in the end zone. Afterward, Harvin gave a wide-eyed explanation of what Favre told him as they lay on the turf. "He looked at me yelling, 'Great job. This is your first one. Don't forget the ball,'" Harvin said. "It kind ..."

Vikings have a versatile new weapon in rookie receiver Harvin

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September 12

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"Vikings coach Brad Childress clearly conveyed to his staff how he felt about Percy Harvin, the receiver, before the NFL draft in April. Recognizing Harvin's exceptional skill set, Childress instructed offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell to create a package to showcase the Florida star's versatility. "The coach said, 'You're going to have to be able to get the guy the ball. The guy's a playmaker,' " Bevell recalled. " 'So you have to come up with new ways to get him the ball, whether it's handing it to him, throwing it to him, all the different ways you can get it to him.' " This easily could have been an exercise in futility. Harvin was widely regarded as a top-five or top-10 talent, ..."

Harvin: A glimpse of what's to come

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September 1

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell admitted this offseason that the Vikings decision to draft rookie wide receiver Percy Harvin allowed him to expand his playbook. Bevell estimated that the offense features 20 to 30 plays designed to get the ball in Harvin's hands and that half of those are entirely new to the playbook. The Vikings gave a glimpse of those new possibilities Monday in their third preseason game, a 17-10 victory over the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium. The offense opened things up and showed off Harvin's unique skill set with several formations that should give opposing defenses something to think about as they prepare their game plans. The first-team offense unveiled ..."

Harvin's debut includes first completion from Favre

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August 22

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Percy Harvin never intended to be an answer to a trivia question Friday night. The all-purpose rookie from Florida just hoped to execute his many assignments in his first preseason action with the Vikings. But when he caught Brett Favre's first and only completion in a 17-13 exhibition victory over Kansas City, he didn't have much of a choice. "It actually didn't really hit me until I got to the sideline and Coach was like, 'You're a trivia question now,' " Harvin said after the game. "I was like, 'What [are you talking about], Coach?' He was like, 'You're the first person to catch a pass from Brett Favre. ... It sunk in then." Favre threw a low ball to the first-year speedster midway ..."

Contract with top pick Harvin still unsettled

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July 30

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"The Vikings still were negotiating Wednesday evening with first-round pick Percy Harvin as players began reporting for training camp, and it was unclear whether a deal would get done before the first team meeting this morning. Only a handful of first-round picks had signed as of Wednesday night, but Vikings coach Brad Childress and several players stressed the importance of Harvin finalizing a deal before the first practice this morning. Harvin is expected to be used in a variety of roles on offense so he can't afford to miss much practice. "It is important for him to get in here, particularly in that position [wide receiver] and the different things he has to learn," Childress said. "Not ..."

Harvin's absence might mean makeup work

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July 7

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Vikings first-round draft pick Percy Harvin remained absent from the NFL's rookie symposium Tuesday because of illness and might have to attend the event next year, according to the NFL Network. Harvin reportedly tried for much of the day Tuesday to get to the symposium in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., but after seeing a doctor, he was given medicine and told to stay home. The former University of Florida receiver was considered a top-10 talent in the April draft but dropped to the 22nd overall pick because of concerns about his character. He reportedly tested positive for marijuana at the NFL scouting combine in February. Steve Wyche of the NFL Network reported after talking to people at the ..."

Vikings WR Harvin sent home from rookie symposium due to illness

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June 30

NFL.com

"Minnesota Vikings first-round draft pick Percy Harvin was sent home from the NFL Rookie Symposium after becoming ill, organizers said. Harvin reported for the start of the symposium Sunday afternoon but after notifying the medical staff that he was not feeling well, it was recommended that he return home. Harvin was officially excused by organizers. Symposium officials said that all 256 draft picks had reported Sunday."