Tight ends Irv Smith Jr. and Brandon Dillon had something in common when they arrived as rookies in May for a Vikings minicamp, so they talked about it.
Smith had won a national championship at Alabama and Dillon had won one in the NAIA for Marian University in Indianapolis.
That’s about where any similarity ended. Smith’s Crimson Tide averaged 101,562 fans per game last season while Dillon’s Knights averaged 1,763 at a school with about 2,500 undergraduates.
“We were talking about how much gear and stuff we got at Alabama, and he said like they had to pay for their own gear,’’ said Smith, won a national title at Alabama in the 2017 season, two years after Dillon won one for Marian. “So that’s pretty crazy where he came from.’’
Now, though, both Smith and Dillon are getting plenty of free stuff with Vikings logos. While Smith was a lock to make the team as a second-round pick, Dillon surprisingly earned a spot as undrafted free agent.
Dillon got the word when the 53-man roster set on Aug. 31. Well, actually he never really heard the word.
“There was no call,’’ he said. “It was kind of weird that there was no call, but no news is good news in this business. So that’s kind of how I took it. I didn’t get the call, and I just assumed what happened.’’
Dillon earned a spot as the fourth tight end behind Kyle Rudolph, Smith and Tyler Conklin. Conklin is listed as questionable for Sunday’s opener against Atlanta at U.S. Bank Stadium with a rib injury, and Dillon could be active if he can’t play.
“I’ve always been an underdog’’ said Dilion, who grew up in Flora, Ind., population 2,000, and played in front of high school crowds of about 150. “It doesn’t really matter what the outside noise is, I’m always believing in myself. I knew there was a chance (making the roster) wouldn’t happen, but there always was a chance that it would.’’
The 6-foot-5, 250-pound Dillon impressed the Vikings from spring drills throughout the preseason with a number of impressive catches. That got him a nickname from some of the starters.
“He’s the Marian Flash,’’ said quarterback Kirk Cousins. “We all came up with it.’’
Dillon sealed his roster spot by catching five passes for 48 yards in the preseason finale at Buffalo. He had a 23-yard touchdown reception nullified by a penalty.
“It’s an incredible story, ’’ Rudolph said. “When you come from an NAIA school, undrafted, even just being on the practice squad is such an accomplishment. But just being on the 53-man roster just shows how hard he worked.’’
Dillon actually is the second Marian player to make the NFL. Wide receiver Krishawn Hogan got into two games for Indianapolis in 2017, but was cut by the Colts last weekend.
Marian coach Mark Henninger said all 32 NFL teams stopped by campus last season to take a look at Dillon. He said the Vikings, who sent Scott Studwell and two other scouts, were among the first to show up, arriving for a practice before the first game.
Studwell, a former Minnesota star linebacker, retired from the front office after the draft, so Dillon could end up being one of his last big finds. Studwell will sound the Gjallarhorn on Sunday before what could be Dillon’s first game.
“They spent all day here watching film and watching practice, talking to him, talking to our strength staff, our training staff,’’ Henninger said of the visit by the Vikings. “There was nobody that was more thorough just in their research on Brandon. Right before they left, they gave us a great report on him.’’
The Vikings followed Dillon closely during a season in which he caught 35 passes for 603 yards. When he went undrafted, they signed him to a deal in which he got a signing bonus of $10,000 and had $10,000 of his $495,000 rookie salary guaranteed.
Dillon soon showed he belonged.
“It’s a testament to his work ethic,’ Henninger said. “There’s no question I think he was an underdog, but from the things we saw from Brandon in his time here, it doesn’t surprise me. He’s smart and he’s gifted physically.
“You don’t come to Marian to be an NFL player. If you’re coming here and that’s your end goal, then you’re making a mistake. However, we tell our players that if you work and do the right things and you develop and you do good enough, they’ll find you here.’’
It remains to be seen how long Dillon will remain on the 53-man roster. David Morgan, Minnesota’s top blocking tight end, is on the physically unable to perform list with a knee injury but could be back around midseason.
For now, the Vikings certainly like what they have in Dillon.
“He’s smart,’’ said head coach Mike Zimmer. “He’s big, he’s fast. He catches the ball. He’s getting better at his blocking, so I think he’s a guy that has potential into developing into a pretty good player.’’
Zimmer hasn’t been calling Dillon the “Marian Flash.’’ But there’s still plenty of time for that to happen.
