Berrian: I Asked for Pressure

Vikings wide receiver Bernard Berrian said he realizes his big contract will put more pressure on him to produce, which is just fine with him. See what he had to say during an interview with NFL Network.

New Vikings wide receiver Bernard Berrian spent timing talking with NFL Network and reiterated much of what he told reporters at Winter Park a few weeks ago.

After signing a six-year, $42 million contract with the Vikings on March 1, Berrian realizes there will be pressure associated with being one of the highest paid free agents the Vikings have signed. However, Berrian acknowledges he asked for the pressure and seems to be embracing it.

“There’s going to be a lot of pressure, but it’s what I asked for, it’s what I’ve been waiting for, it’s what I’ve been trying to get to. And now that I’m at this point, it’s another stepping stone to get to the goals that I want to achieve,” he told NFL Network.

The new Viking was asked about a couple of teammates who made varying impressions last year and Berrian still seems to be excited about how defenses might approach the Vikings offense, needing to choose between trying to stop the run or the pass.

“He definitely is ‘All Day,’” Berrian said, referring to Adrian Paterson’s nickname. “He’s a beast when he’s got the ball in his hands.”

Berrian should know. He was on the sidelines watching Peterson slice through his defensive teammates at Chicago on Oct. 14, 2007. If he wasn’t already putting the NFL on notice, Peterson that day let the pro football world know he was a new force in the NFL that deserved attention. He rushed for a team-record 224 yards (before he broke the league record three weeks later) and had 128 return yards against Berrian’s former team. The wide receiver figures defenses will still try to stack the line of scrimmage to stop Peterson, which will enable the new Vikings receiver to see more one-on-one coverage this year.

That will stack the pressure on Tarvaris Jackson to make plays with his new receiver. Berrian said he would be getting immersed in Brad Childress’ playbook this week and that he continues to hear a vote of confidence from the coaching staff regarding Jackson’s abilities and potential.

“I like Tarvaris. The coach has relayed that he’s a smart quarterback and he’s learning. He’s still young right now, so he’s got some room to grow,” Berrian said. “Working out right now, he’s definitely got a strong arm. He’s able to make all the throws that an NFL quarterback can make. I think it’s just getting the experience.”

To view more of what Berrian had to say in NFL Network’s “State of the Franchise” segment, click here.

NFL Network also has its top 10 plays of the Vikings’ 2007 season online, featuring Peterson, Chester Taylor, Kevin Williams, Aundrae Allison and others scoring touchdowns and making big plays last year. To view that video segment, click here.