I’m telling you. He was the best coach I ever had in my life because he got the best out of me. “When I got into television, my goal was to do television so well that you would forget my football career. But if you made a mistake, rather than stop and do it over, just dig yourself out of the mistake, and it’ll either be, we’ll enjoy it, and people sitting at home, they won’t feel alienated because you feel like one of them. When people see you now, they see this great journalist who has this relationship with Michael. When Michael’s dad came on [The Last Dance], I was trying to explain it to somebody how his dad was like my dad. Rashād was converted back to wide receiver while with the Cardinals, where he played for two seasons. And [Bulls head coach] Phil Jackson walked in and kicked him out. He then played for the Buffalo Bills (1974–1976), the Seattle Seahawks (1976), and, most notably, the Minnesota Vikings (1976–1982), where he earned four Pro Bowl selections from 1978 to 1981. Somehow Kareem and I had met and we would talk about it all the time. So, we end up telling stories, we end up laughing, we end up correcting s—. John and Evan Deutsch presented officials with the coin toss coin for Sunday's game against the Bears. View exclusive images shot by Vikings team photographer, Andy Kenutis, as the Vikings played the Falcons at U.S. Bank Stadium. You learn all those things that really go well with once you get to television. His presence and his personality were constants during the Vikings first 60 seasons. And being the captain of the Minnesota Vikings was one of the highlights of my whole career. So, I was getting myself ready for when I quit playing football. Now you know where it is.’, And he goes, ‘Wait, one other thing I wanted to ask you, so your name, how do you pronounce it?’ And I said, ‘Well, the Arabic way of pronouncing it is Ahmed.’ I said, ‘But people call me Ahmad.’ He goes, ‘Oh, I want to know what the correct pronunciation is.’ I said, ‘It’s Ahmed.’ He goes, ‘That’s what I’ll call you from here on out.’. What has it been like watching The Last Dance? Sunday's Hometown Hero is a frontline health care worker who has been instrumental in Minnesota's response to COVID-19: Dr. Andrew Olson, a Director of Hospital Medicine at the University of Minnesota. © 2020 ESPN Internet Ventures. A four-time NFL Pro Bowler, Rashad fought racism during his playing career, converted to Islam and changed his name and went on to become a pioneer in … He inspired me as a young black man to be a young, strong black man, and to go out there and show them what you can do, and be strong in what you do. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. You still have to do it the right way. All rights reserved. Rashad worked on the NFL on NBC with O.J. Marc J. Spears is the senior NBA writer for The Undefeated. What I’m really enjoying about it is the highlights. After a year of marriage, Ahmad and Phylicia had a daughter, Condola Phylea Rashād (named after his mother). What are your memories of playing for the Vikings and Bud Grant? He used to be able to dunk on you, but he hasn’t been able to in years and his knees still hurt. So, he called me one morning and goes, ‘Hey, man, go get a camera, and let’s do this interview so I can get this out of the way.’ I went, ‘OK.’. An All-American running back and wide receiver from Oregon known as Bobby Moore, Rashad was the fourth overall pick in the 1972 NFL Draft, drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals. But what do you think people can learn about you? Watch as the Minnesota Vikings Skol Line performed during the Week 3 matchup against the Titans. Watch as the Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders performed during the Week 3 matchup against the Titans. Sunday's Hometown Heroes were two members of the Twin Cities community who have donated their time and resources to give back to those in need. I always wanted to do television in some sort of capacity. I was on TV three times a week locally, and a CBS affiliate. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. Bud was a tough guy. He complained, he complained. I had a great time with my teammates. Can you tell the story about the racist incident at a Cardinals practice? Larry Bird, the same way. You’re able to learn how to talk in increments of 10 seconds, 20 seconds, a minute, two minutes. I felt like I had as good a career as anybody. My influence at that time was Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar]. Prior to the National Anthem at each Vikings home game, there is an official changing of the guard ceremony, similar to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.