ST. PAUL — Ezrah could hardly contain his excitement.

The 7-year-old sat up in his hospital bed and wiggled excitedly, holding a football and grinning widely as four Vikings entered his room at Children’s Minnesota – St. Paul.

Rookie teammates Caleb Banks, Jake Golday, Kejon Owens and Tyreek Chappell sincerely greeted the youngster, who offered consistent delighted giggles.

"Did you know we were coming?" Banks asked.

Ezrah nodded, shy at first but soon warming up to the towering athletes. He pitched multiple questions their way, including how long their practices are, where they are from and what positions they play.

Ezrah was happy to answer questions, as well, telling the Vikings teammates his favorite player is Justin Jefferson (to feigned surprise from the rookies), his favorite TV show is SpongeBob SquarePants and he loves to play Madden.

When asked by Golday if he has any touchdown celebrations, Ezrah carefully slid out of bed and showed off a "Griddy" that no-doubt would impress Jefferson himself. Ezrah then challenged the rookies to join him, which they did — much to his amusement.

"He set the tone for us, man," Owens later quipped. "It took me back. I hadn't done the Griddy in a couple years, so I had to pull out my tricks for him. He lit up, and it was just such a great experience coming here to make his day."

Banks called his first visit to a children's hospital "really fun" and an experience he won't soon forget.

"Ezrah really enjoyed seeing us. It was really fun seeing him smile and seeing how excited he was when we hit the Griddy, and it was great getting to know him," Banks said. "This was awesome."

Banks joined 27 fellow Vikings rookies at the hospital, where players divided into smaller groups and paid room visits to young patients navigating illness, post-surgical recovery, eating disorders or mental health challenges.

Golday expressed gratitude for the opportunity to spend time with youngsters who are going through difficult times. The former Bearcats linebacker regularly visited Cincinnati Children's Hospital, where his fiancée worked as a nurse, during college and is looking forward to making a difference in the Twin Cities.

"It means everything to me," said Golday, the Vikings second-round selection. "I feel like I'm in a super blessed situation, and to give back means everything. I had an amazing community at the two schools I went to, and back in my hometown, that gave so much to me — so I want to give back just as much, if not more, to this new community."

In addition to connecting with Ezrah, Golday, Banks, Owens and Chappell met 2-year-old Ian and an infant, Milo, along with his older sister Saylor.

The Vikings helped cheer up a crying Ian by helping him use wooden blocks to build a tower — which he then happily knocked down with his toy bulldozer. Milo showed off his grip by clutching Owens' finger tightly, bringing a smile to the running back's face.

A father himself to a 4-year-old, Owens said the visit held a special meaning.

"Whenever I can have a chance to make an impact on a kid's life, it's always a great thing to do," he said. "It was just as great of an experience for me as it was for them."

Chappell, who has a young daughter, echoed Owens' thoughts.

"Seeing these kids get so happy just from seeing us, it brings some type of joy," said Chappell, who also visited children's hospitals during his time at Texas A&M. "Giving back is probably just as big as football, because a lot of people don't look at athletes and say, 'They've got a life outside of football,' so us showing [this side of ourselves] really means a lot."

Charles "Chuck" Demmings, whom Minnesota drafted in the fifth round, visited rooms with teammates Demond Claiborne, Gavin Gerhardt and Delby Lemieux. Demmings exhibits a natural gift for connecting with people, and this situation proved no different. He quickly bonded with families and patients, including one young girl who shared his love of movies.

"We talked about Moana, we talked about Princess and the Frog … and I was like, 'Wow, we're talking about movies and you've got nothing on TV,' " Demmings recounted. "I asked her about Disney+, and she said she doesn't have an account. I told her, 'You know what? Before the sun goes down tonight, you're going to have your own Disney+ account.

"It wasn't much else I could give other than my presence, so being able to give that, it made my day," he added. "Her face absolutely lit up, something as small as that."

Demmings and Minnesota's other first-year players have spent hours together in the days since rookie minicamp, most of them either in a classroom or on the grass. Getting out into the community together offered not only a change of pace but another way to build camaraderie while making a difference for others.

"Everything we've been doing has been straight ball," Golday said. "And you grow doing that together, for sure, but really getting to know each other out in a space like this, giving back to the community, it gives you more opportunity to spend time with your buddies and learn more about them."

The Friday afternoon "field trip" held one more memorable experience for Golday and the group.

As players exited the hospital, a mix of shocked and excited cheers came from inside a school bus parked in a lot just across the street. Young students hurried to slide their windows open and yell to the group of Vikings in purple jerseys.

"Hey 95! Caleb Banks!" Shouted one youngster, who extended an arm to wave.

Banks laughed and waved back, then brought his fingers together to form a heart.

"What's up!" He yelled back. "SKOL!"

Several of the students cheered, then leaned out the windows to start the SKOL Chant with the rookies.

"Today has been awesome," Banks said. "A lot of people don't really know who the guys are underneath the helmet, and I think it's really good for us to go out and explore, get to know the area we're in and who our fans are.

"That means a lot to us, and I know it means a lot to them," Banks added. "I'm going to have a lot of fun doing things like this and can't wait to go visit more places."

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