Moritz Boehringer's last competitive football came as a member of Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns of the German Football League. The next time he suits up, it will be as a member of the Minnesota Vikings.
We saw some history in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL Draft on Saturday when Boehringer became the first international player to go straight from a European league to the NFL.
It was fitting that Boehringer landed with the Vikings. His interest in football began just five years ago, when he stumbled upon highlights of Adrian Peterson running past defenders on YouTube.
"I searched for a team in Germany and found one in my hometown, but we only had seven players," Boehringer (6-foot-4, 227 pounds) said during a recent studio appearance on the *Move The Sticks Podcast* with Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks. "We just practiced a bit, and after half a year we (found a full team) about 25 miles from my hometown and played there."
Boehringer, 22, was an immediate star in the German Football League, the highest level of football in Europe. He arrived in America on Feb. 29 and put himself on the NFL radar with a head-turning performance at the Florida Atlantic pro day. That performance, in addition to his dominant Unicorns game tape, made him a buzzy Day 3 pick.
"That's kind of what the draft is all about -- making dreams come true," Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said. "He's a really smart kid ... he understands football and is able to repeat the different routes to us and things like that. Obviously, he has a lot of work to do, but it's been fun."
After the Vikings made their selection, Boehringer found himself on the NFL Network draft set for the second time in an hour. During his first appearance, NFL Media's Mike Mayock looked into the camera and implored Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman to select the big German. The plea might have been enough to move Boehringer to the top of Minnesota's board. In a related story, Boehringer owes Mayock a Krombacher.
Mayock asked Boehringer how it felt to suddenly be on the same team as Peterson, the legendary player whose dominance on his tablet kickstarted his football dreams.
Replied Boehringer: "The coolest thing ever."
Pretty cool indeed.
