And that reminder is about the importance of family
This season, after every Minnesota Vikings’ victory, the folks who run the team’s social media accounts are kind enough to take us into the locker room and give us an opportunity to hear the postgame speeches from head coach Kevin O’Connell. While all of the speeches are generally outstanding, this one presented us with an important reminder as we head into Thanksgiving and the holiday season in general.
Before we start, here’s the speech for your viewing pleasure.
We are on a grind and mission the rest of the season.
Every hour, every day we work.
We know we’re chasing something special. pic.twitter.com/rtHI5qVXrw
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) November 24, 2024
O’Connell gives out the game balls for the week during his postgame talks, and this week the first one went to fullback C.J. Ham. Ham’s name didn’t appear in the box score this week. . .he didn’t have any carries or any catches or anything like that. But the reason that he got that game ball is what serves us with a reminder of the importance of family.
When the team landed in Chicago on Saturday, Ham was allowed to take a bit of a break from the team to go and visit his ailing grandfather in the Chicago area. He got the opportunity to spend about five hours with him prior to having to come back to the team and get prepped for Sunday’s game. On Sunday morning, Ham got word that his grandfather had passed away, news that must have been devastating for him to hear, but he got out on the field and did his job.
You can hear O’Connell’s voice crack a bit when he’s talking about Ham and what happened in the hours before the game, and you can tell just how much the opportunity to spend time with his grandfather meant to Ham as well. Ham is one of the longest-tenured members of the Vikings and it’s easy to see just how much respect the rest of his teammates and coaches have for him.
As we get closer to the start of the holiday season, this is a reminder that family is a pretty important part of our lives. If you’re going through some tough times right now, whatever the reason, take the time to be thankful for those around you who support you and are a major part of your lives.
We want to send our condolences to C.J. Ham and his family on the event of his grandfather’s passing.
