By: Lindsey Young
Back like he never left.
Eric Wilson walks through the halls at TCO Performance Center and across the Vikings practice fields wearing his signature grin.
No, really. He might always be smiling.
The linebacker who started his career in Minnesota as an undrafted rookie in 2017 re-joined the Vikings this spring and continues to have a positive impact on the field and locker room alike.
"Eric being back has been great," fullback C.J. Ham said. "Like, the dude is a heck of a player. He's a dog. Me and him had some great years together the first time around, too.
"He just loves the game," Ham continued. "If you ever have any nerves or anxiety before games, he's one of the guys I could look at before kickoff, and he just had a great big smile on his face. When you see guys with that type of energy, everything's cool. It's gonna be great."
Vikings Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores hasn't coached Wilson, who spent 2017-20 in Minnesota, prior to this season. But he admired the dynamic defender from afar and quickly has become a fan.
Flores recently told Twin Cities media members Wilson is "just a guy you want to be around." He noted players in all three phases gravitate toward the almost-31-year-old.
Flores emphasized the need for players of Wilson's nature, saying he fits seamlessly on a unit of blue-collar defenders.
"People use the term 'glue guy'; I think he's got the makings of that," Flores said.
Asked what he thought of the 'glue guy' compliment, Wilson tilts his head before letting out a loud laugh.
"I'm not sure I know what that means," he chuckles. "Glue?"
I translate a bit: "People are drawn to you. You unify a group."
For just a moment, Wilson looks the slightest taken aback — in a good way. His smile reappears, softly.
"Wow, I appreciate that," he said. "I just love what I do. I try to maybe bring that out of other people, to find what makes them go and to help them be better at it."
Traveling teammates
Wherever Wilson goes, he easily creates close relationships.
It's why he's still incredibly close with former Vikings teammates Danielle Hunter, who last year joined the Texans in free agency, and Ifeadi Odenigbo. The trio stays in close touch despite being spread across the country — and they also enjoy trotting the globe together.
Wilson, Hunter and Odenigbo first traveled internationally together in 2019 when they joined teammates Anthony Barr and Eric Kendricks, along with Kendricks' now-wife Ally, in visiting Tokyo.
The trip still tops Wilson's list, from sightseeing and museum tours to eating dinner at Gonpachi, the restaurant that inspired one of Quentin Tarantino's famous Kill Bill fight scenes.
"We were so lucky to have Ally," Wilson said. "She planned everything; we just had to show up. We tagged along."
He did point out, though, that Odenigbo handled lodging responsibilities for half the group — and subsequently had the privileges jokingly revoked.
"Ifeadi's like, 'Guys, I found this great place, super cheap for everybody, huge, plenty of space. It has this huge projector screen to watch movies and stuff.' That sounds pretty cool," Wilson recalled. "So we found our way through the train station … to get there. It was like walking through Times Square. We had no idea where we were, but we figured it out.
"Got to the place and it was like a studio apartment shack. It was very compact," he quipped. "There were four of us — one, two, three, four — laying up in a studio apartment. We were on top of each other. We had to, like, crouch down in the shower. It was funny. But it was cool. It brought us much closer, for sure."
Wilson, Hunter and Odenigbo met up for another trip in March 2023, when they made the marathon trip across the globe to Australia. The group toured Sydney, Melbourne and the Gold Coast, collecting more memories and anecdotes along the way.
"The thing about Eric is that he's just a free spirit, man; he's always positive," Hunter said. "If there ever is a negative situation, he always finds a positive in it. I don't think I've ever seen Eric mad, angry, anything. In any situation, whether during a game or traveling together, he's always finding the positive."
A few months ago, Wilson got a phone call from Hunter inviting him to return to Japan and this time also visit China.
"Sure, sounds fun! When?"
"In two days."
"BRO."
Wilson cracks up while conveying the story. He's certainly not opposed to spontaneity, he assures, but even he needs more than a couple days' notice.
There's another trip option, though. Hunter offers for Wilson to join him and Odenigbo on a post-OTAs excursion to Copenhagen, Denmark, and Stockholm, Sweden.
"I was like, 'All right, bet.' I had, like, over a month to find a flight, find hotels and whatnot," Wilson said. "They had been to Norway before, so these were also on their list."
The three friends traded off who was in charge of booking various museums or dinner reservations, and they explored a Vikings (the authentic variety, not the NFL variety) museum in each capital city.
Wilson found himself enamored with the history of the Vikings and connecting it to some of the modern parallels drawn by the team he's now played for twice.
He especially enjoyed learning about the Vikings longships, which are believed to have been invented in the 8th century. The strong, slender and flexible boats most notably featured a draft that, even when filled with troops, equipment and plunder, sat shallowly in the water. The longships' unique design made it possible for Vikings to sail faster than any other water vessel of that time and to navigate seaports, shallow coves and even rivers.
"That was really cool to learn about it. Really interesting," Wilson said.
"It provides extra context to [our Vikings]," he later added. "The shields we have everywhere, the chants that we do … it's pretty dang cool. Sounding the Gjallarhorn before the game, put it all out there to take what we want. It's really cool."
During their five-day stay in Sweden, the group visited The Royal Palace of Stockholm, the official residence of the royal monarch, where they admired giant marble columns, grand archways and stunning original artwork — including the breathtaking ceiling of Karl IX's Gallery.
In Denmark, he and his former teammates visited the Rosenborg Castle, where they were able to see the Crown of Christian IV, the older (1596) of just two surviving crowns of Denmark; the Rubjerg Knude Lighthouse on the coast of the North Sea and Amalienborg Palace, the official residence of the Danish royal family.
"When you go overseas, for whatever reason when you go somewhere brand new, that's when you want to visit a museum. I've checked out more museums overseas than here in America," Wilson laughed. "But the art there is fascinating to me. It's old school, it's traditional. …You know, murals on all the ceilings, every piece of the walls is covered with something. And it's all done in this [high-quality], beautiful way."
It wasn't all castles and regality, though.
Wilson of course made sure to mix in a few goofy photos during such sophisticated tours, and the trio one evening took a boat ride to a Swedish island, had a quick burger, and boated back.
He also took a spontaneous dip one day in Denmark.
Hunter described bicycling past multiple people swimming in the river. Though the activity certainly looked refreshing, the friends hadn't brought swimming trunks or a change of clothes on their outing.
No problem for Wilson.
"Eric was like, 'Man, I'm about to go in.' And he just, like, took his [outer layer] off and jumped in," Hunter laughed. "Ifeadi and I did not go in. We went to get food and came back later; he'd been swimming for hours. He was just vibing. Eric's a guy that knows how to have conversation with people; by the time we got back, he was friends with the whole group."
In addition to chatting up the locals, Wilson makes a point to seek out neighborhood, hole-in-the-wall food establishments. This vacation was no different, as he leaned on Google maps and patron reviews to track down "something that feels like a homecooked meal."
"I found some spots that had some really good homemade-style, authentic to the town, authentic to the country," Wilson explained. "Lingonberries, a meatloaf and mashed-potato dish. Gravy. It sounds like something so common, but the flavor profile is just a little different there, and it was amazing."
Wilson appreciates the vacation approach he, Hunter and Odenigbo take, finding a perfect balance of relaxation and tourism. He specifically enjoyed their time in Copenhagen, where they solely walked or utilized bicycles — one of the primary modes of transportation there.
"We were there for a week and didn't even touch a car. It's fascinating," Wilson said.
"It's a very laid-back city, more so than Stockholm, and people are incredibly kind," added Wilson, who even happened to be recognized by an enthusiastic Vikings fan in Denmark.
"It was hilarious," he said. "It was great."
For the love of the game
Get to know Wilson, and it's no surprise he'd formed such strong bonds with those he's played football with.
Vikings coaches and teammates alike praise his demeanor, his ability to connect and his willingness to help bring along younger players.
"This guy's done nothing but come in and be a second coach for us," Vikings Special Teams Coordinator Matt Daniels said during minicamp. "You know, I just came over here and he's got this entire rookie group, they're going over punt protection, I mean, he's running a full-on drill.
"The addition of Eric has just been huge," Daniels added.
Blake Cashman didn't play with the Vikings during Wilson's first stint but actually got to know him in 2020 when the two linebackers ended up training together. He said it's "been a blast" having Wilson in the position group this spring and summer.
"I think E-Wil is one of the most versatile linebackers, honestly, I've played with. A guy with a lot of experience," Cashman said. "He's already added so much value just with how he sees things and how smart he is, his reads on the field. He's got experience on me, and I can lean on him, ask him how he sees playing this certain concept so I can improve my game. For a guy that's versatile, you can plug him into any spot, and he's a perfect fit for this defense."
True to his nature, Wilson is ready and willing to do whatever the team asks of him, whether on defense or special teams. He's hard at work every day to make an impact, and he's building on connections with new and old teammates alike.
It's what makes football so great, he noted.
"It brings together guys from all different backgrounds, from all over the world. I mean, he's from freaking Australia right there," Wilson chuckled, pointing as punter Oscar Chapman walked by. "People from all over the world come together for the love of the game, and then through that process, you really get to know one another for the rest of your lives.
"It's a pretty cool thing because you have these brothers," he added. "You have these brothers for the rest of your life … guys you can trust in, guys you can confide in."
Wilson referenced Ham, with whom he shares a similar journey of adversity to the NFL.
"I show up every day with a passion for the way that I play," he said "Me and C.J. get along so well because, you know, we go out there and we're competing to win every single rep. It doesn't even matter. It could be a walk-through, wherever, you know, we're talking to each other. Try to find little ways to get under each other's skin. I just love what I do."
And now back in Minnesota, doing it in Purple? There's nothing better.
"It feels amazing. Back where it first started," Wilson said. "I've got so much love for everybody here. The city, the team, the fans, everybody. I love it."
