WARE, England — Matt Waletzko should consider himself lucky that his passport is up to date.He otherwise wouldn’t be a member of the Vikings right now.
After yet another injury on the offensive line, the Vikings reached out to Waletzko about a spot the practice squad. The only issue was that the Vikings were already at Hanbury Manor in Ware, England, ahead of their game against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday afternoon at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.
That meant figuring out a way to get the 6-foot-8, 310-pound offensive tackle across the pond as soon as possible.
“They called me Monday morning,” Waletzko said. “It was crazy hearing I’d be flying out to London.”
He went from working out in Dallas, where he currently lives, to heading to the airport in what felt like the blink of an eye.
“There was definitely some nervous packing,” Waletzko said. “I threw a bunch of stuff in my suitcase because I wasn’t sure what I was going to need.”
The logistics were a bit of a whirlwind as he flew out on Monday afternoon and arrived on Tuesday morning.
“It was crazy,” Waletzko said. “Luckily I got a little bit of sleep on the plane.”
After arriving at the Hanbury Manor, he passed his physical, met some members of the coaching staff, and immediately started diving into the playbook.
Though it’s highly unlikely that Waletzko actually plays in in Sunday’s game, he was an important piece for the Vikings during practice on an offensive line that has been decimated.
How has he acclimated to the time change?
“Not too bad,” Waletzko said. “I got to take a nap when I got in, and I’ve gotten some pretty good sleep. When I got here I was like, ‘Oh my god.’ I’m already doing a lot better.”
There’s another wrinkle that makes this an especially cool experience for Waletzko. He’s from Cold Spring, Minn., and grew up cheering for the Vikings.
“I remember growing up my friends and I would get together every Sunday, throw on our Vikings jerseys, and watch the game,” he said. “It’s pretty surreal that I get the opportunity to play for this team and go out there and compete.”
The goal for Waletzko in the short term is sticking around on the practice squad for the foreseeable future. Whether he’s still a member of the Vikings when they return from their UK trip remains to be seen.
“I’m going to come in here and give it my all,” Waletzko said. “The rest will take care of itself.”
Briefly
After missing practice this week in the English countryside, quarterback J.J. McCarthy (ankle), left guard Donovan Jackson (wrist), center Ryan Kelly (concussion), center Michael Jurgens (hamstring), right tackle Brian O’Neill (knee) and edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel (neck) were ruled out for Sunday. Fullback C.J. Ham (knee), tight end Ben Yurosek (knee) and edge rusher Tyler Batty (knee) are questionable.
Related Articles
How the Vikings cultivated a fan base in the UK
Vikings picks: Our staff thinks the Vikings will get off the floor Sunday
Why have the Vikings been limiting veteran safety Harrison Smith?
Vikings’ trip to London in 1983 hooked these season ticket holders living in England
The Loop NFL Picks: Week 5
Leave a Reply