Charley Walters: Defensive end Cameron Jordan would be a solid first pick for Vikings

CHARLEY WALTERS

There aren’t many sure bets in the NFL draft. But one safe choice the Vikings could make with their No. 12 overall pick when the draft begins Thursday would be Cameron Jordan.

Jordan is a 6-foot-4, 287-pound defensive end from the University of California. He’s the son of former Vikings tight end Steve Jordan, a six-time Pro Bowl selection.

If character, intellect and durability are important in addition to talent, the Vikings could do worse than picking Cameron Jordan. His father possessed those qualities during a 13-year career with the Vikings.

“Cam benefits in that he’s really athletic,” Steve Jordan said from Phoenix, where he is director of construction services for the Minneapolis-based Ryan Companies.

“He runs like a linebacker or a tight end. I always said he should have been a tight end because he’s got hand-eye coordination. He can catch anything. But he likes to hit, so he plays defense.”

Cameron Jordan, 21, was clocked in 4.71 seconds over 40 yards at the NFL scouting combine in February.

“He ran as fast as I ran (when I was) 220 pounds coming out of college,” Steve said.

Steve Jordan, also 6-4, was a sixth-round draft pick in 1982 who graduated with a civil engineering degree from Brown University. Cameron is a legal studies major at California.

“Cam’s a safe kid,” Steve Jordan said. “In college, a lot of kids want to hang out with their buds, party a little bit, that sort of thing. Cam’s ideal situation when he has down time is hanging out at home, doing family stuff. He just gets it.”

Cameron Jordan, who can play assorted defensive techniques, was captain of his high school and college teams. He played in 50 of 51 games during his four seasons at Cal.

“(Vikings coach) Bud Grant always talked about durability, saying you give him the choice of a superstar who he wouldn’t know if he would play week by week, or a guy who’s consistent, plays no matter what, and he’ll take that steady guy any day of the week,” Steve Jordan said. “That’s Cam. There were times when he’d have some pain and injury, and I’d say to him, ‘Maybe you should shut it down this week.’ And, of course, he didn’t listen, and played well.”

Cameron Jordan was born in St. Louis Park, then moved to Arizona with his family when his father took a career transfer. He is projected to be a first-round pick in Thursday’s draft. The Vikings could make him their top choice. That would make dad happy.

“I’d be ecstatic,” Steve Jordan said.

Look for the Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission this week to try to add an amendment to the Vikings stadium bill seeking $2 million annually from stadium naming rights for amateur sports facilities in Minnesota. The money would be split among congressional districts.

The Vikings might balk, though, because they figure the $2 million would come out of their pockets.

Quarterback MarQueis Gray, who is expected to start as a junior for the Gophers next season, asked to compare his new coach, Jerry Kill, with his former coach, Tim Brewster: “Coach Kill is more intense. He’s all in the player’s face. He’s going to get after you if you’re not doing anything right. The guys are buying into that. God is loving him, and we’re going to do great things this year.”

St. John’s John Gagliardi, 84, college football’s all-time leader in coaching victories, doesn’t get too excited about spring practices because many of his players are involved in baseball and track.

“Every year we lose irreplaceable guys,” Gagliardi said, “and thank God, every year more irreplaceable guys show up.”

The Southern California football team the Gophers open up against in Los Angeles this fall isn’t expected to be ranked among the country’s top 25. But also on Minnesota’s schedule are Nebraska, Michigan State and Wisconsin — all expected to be among the top 15.

USC coaches will be in town Tuesday recruiting Eden Prairie High School offensive lineman Nick Davidson, a 6-6, 275-pound senior who is son of new Vikings offensive line coach Jeff Davidson. Nick, who is also being recruited by the Gophers, said he has no favorites at this juncture.

The Gophers football staff will have seven coaches on the road recruiting beginning Monday.

NBA referees Ken Mauer Jr. of St. Paul and Pat Fraher of Hastings have been awarded playoff games to work.

The way it looks now, 88 games should be enough to win the American League Central Division, and the Twins, despite their poor start, still should be able to attain that.

Minnesota Lynx guard Lindsay Whalen, 28, scored 17 points Saturday for USK Praha in its 72-62 Czech League championship game victory over Brno. Whalen will return to Minneapolis this week to prepare for Lynx training camp, which begins May 15.

Troy Burne golf professional Dave Tentis, a four-time winner of the Tapemark charity tournament, scored his ninth career hole in one the other day at his course in Hudson, Wis.

Bobby Bell, the former Gophers and Kansas City Chiefs hall of famer, scored a hole in one in a charity tournament at the Biltmore course in Scottsdale, Ariz., last week.

Today’s 11 a.m. Gophers baseball game at Indiana will be shown live on the Big Ten Network.

Dan Berezowitz, the classy former Gophers football recruiting coordinator, is back in town after a job he accepted at Oklahoma fell through. Berezowitz is in the job market and has applied for some local high school athletics director positions.

The scouting report on incoming Gopher Andre Ingram, a 6-7 player out of Butler (Kan.) Community College, is that he’s a physical player and natural rebounder. John Sherman, who coached Ingram for one prep season at Minnesota Transitions, said Ingram is a “model citizen and serious student.”

Washburn’s Merrick Mackdanz-Marble, 6-4 son of former Iowa star Roy Marble, has left the Minneapolis school and enrolled at West Des Moines Valley High School, where he’ll continue playing basketball, the Des Moines Register reports.

No word yet on whether Minnesota-Duluth’s recent Frozen Four men’s hockey champions, as has been customary for NCAA champions, will be honored with a visit to the White House to meet President Obama.

That was Robb Quinlan watching alma mater Hill-Murray’s baseball practice the other day. It looks as if Quinlan, 34, a former Gopher who played nearly eight seasons in the major leagues, has completed his professional playing career.

Cretin-Derham Hall basketball player Jordyn Alt, daughter of former Kansas City Chiefs star John Alt, made the all-tournament team with the Minnesota Stars when they won the under-14 division championship in Merrillville, Ind., last week.

Wayne Belisle, the former Fighting Saints owner who owns “Smalley’s 87” near Target Field, is having Best Buy install a custom-made 13-foot by 7.5-foot outdoor TV adjacent the restaurant for viewing of Twins games.

Oceanaire manager Steve Uhl, 46, who developed a multitude of sports and business relationships during 12 years at the downtown Minneapolis seafood restaurant, leaves Monday to manage several other restaurant properties.

Former Gopher and Timberwolf Richard Coffey stays in touch with Clem Haskins and says the former Gophers men’s basketball coach, 67, continues to work the tractor on his farm in Campbellsville, Ky.

The B.C. Lions of the Canadian Football League are seriously interested in 6-2, 220-pound wide receiver Calvin Simon, a former Concordia-St. Paul player who impressed during last month’s Pro Day at the Bierman complex. Simon is from Shakopee.

Twins hall of famer Bert Blyleven will receive the Bobby Jones Sportsman Award on Monday night at Interlachen Country Club in Edina.

Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission chairman Ted Mondale speaks at a Dunkers civic breakfast Tuesday at the Minneapolis Club.

Former Gopher Jeff Tow-Arnett is starting center for the Milwaukee Mustangs of the Arena Football League.

Proceeds from Gordy Jones’ “Baseball Guy” children’s book signing next Saturday at Duke’s Pizza in Oakdale will go to the Twins Community Fund.

Bloomington golfer Joe Stansberry, who has qualified to play the European Senior Tour throughout 2011, made eight birdies playing at Bellwood Oaks the other day. Stansberry hopes to play in the next senior tour event in Spain in three weeks.

Cretin-Derham Hall grad Freddie Weinke, who was offensive line coach for the Arena Football League’s Green Bay Blizzard, has been offered an assistant coaching job with the United Football League’s Omaha Nighthawks. And he has been chosen for a NFL Bill Walsh minority coaching internship this summer.

About 50 hopefuls are expected to show up for open tryouts for the St. Paul Saints baseball team on Thursday at Midway Stadium.

Brad Gulden, the catcher promoted to the New York Yankees when Thurman Munson was killed in a 1979 airplane crash, has been elected to the Chaska High Sports Hall of Fame, along with Amana Rome and Emily Rome Welter.

Former Twins first-round draft pick Kyle Gibson is 0-0 after three starts for the Twins’ AAA Rochester club with a 3.86 earned-run average, having allowed 13 hits in 14 innings while striking out 13.

Arden Hills’ Mike Schmid, 69, a member of the St. Paul Bowling Association Hall of Fame, recently competed in his 50th U.S. Bowling Congress Open Championship in Reno, Nev.

The Dallas Stars’ Jamie Langenbrunner, who is from Cloquet, Minn., and posts a 0.8 handicap, is on Golf Digest’s top 150 athlete golfers list, which also includes ex-Viking Brett Favre (1 handicap), ex-North Star Mike Modano (1.3), ex-Twin Nick Punto (2.0), ex-Twin Kyle Lohse (2.9) and ex-Minneapolis Laker Jerry West (5). Hall of Fame former Yankees catcher Yogi Berra, 84, has a golf handicap listed at 31.5.

Left-handed pitcher Jordan Jess of Ripon, Wis., who has signed with the Gophers, has an 89-mph fastball.

The Twins will pick 30th in the 50-round major league draft that begins June 6 and will receive two compensatory picks between the first and second rounds for losing Orlando Hudson to the Padres and Jesse Crain to the White Sox via free agency during the offseason.

The Nook, home of the Twin Cities’ best hamburger and a hangout for St. Paul sports celebrities, is on schedule to reopen the first week of May following a fire that shut it down.

Chris Bergstrom, who played linebacker for the Gophers under coach Jim Wacker, died suddenly at age 37 last week.

NBA TV analyst Chris Webber, on Wolves forward Kevin Love: “If you’re tall right now, you might not always be tall in school. If you’re short right now, you might not always be short. Get all the skills of the game. That’s what this guy does; great talent.”

DON’T PRINT THAT

With the uncertain future of the Phoenix Coyotes in Glendale, Ariz., and a sale of the NHL team that just lost to Detroit in the first round of the playoffs up in the air, Coyotes coach Dave Tippett could be an intriguing possibility for the Wild.

If the Cincinnati Bengals take a quarterback — either Cam Newton or Blaine Gabbert — at No. 4 in Thursday’s NFL draft, regular QB Carson Palmer, 32, could be available to the Vikings.

Twins catcher Joe Mauer, asked what it would be like opening checks for $1.92 million every two weeks this season: “I don’t; they’re direct deposit.”

Besides being named the NBA’s most improved player last week, Timberwolves all-star Kevin Love filmed a commercial spot for Best Buy and appeared on TV’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live.” Look for the Kimmel airing during the NBA Finals.

It’s becoming clear that Mauer, who has a tremendous arm, could end up in right field next season. But the Twins would have to find a replacement behind the plate.

The Twins this season are paying $500,000 of former third baseman Brendan Harris’ $1.75 million salary. Harris, 30, traded to Baltimore for pitcher Jim Hoey, is hitting .143 in 15 games for the Orioles’ Class AAA Norfolk team.

The Sporting News projects the Vikings to choose QB Ryan Mallett of Arkansas with the No. 12 overall pick in Thursday’s draft, but there’s no chance of that happening.

The Vikings are using the same Minneapolis attorney in their attempt to land a new stadium as the Twins did when they got their new ballpark.

With an NBA lockout looming this summer, there’s been no urgency for the Timberwolves to fire coach Kurt Rambis and pay a successor when there might not be a season next fall.

Local brokers say they have an abundance of tickets for the Twins’ current homestand against Cleveland and Tampa Bay at $10 to $15. The days of getting $100 to $150 for lower-level seats at Target Field are gone.

Cole Aldrich, 22, the former Bloomington Jefferson and Kansas star, has been a healthy scratch for the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA playoffs against the Denver Nuggets. Aldrich, who was an academic All-American at Kansas, plans to complete a communications degree there this summer.

Former Gophers infielder Derek McCallum is batting .133 after 10 games for the Twins’ Class A Beloit Snappers.

OVERHEARD

Gophers football coach Jerry Kill, to Minnesota students he addressed at the “Field Frenzy” promotion after a practice at TCF Bank Stadium the other day: “From (age) 17 to 22, I did everything once, maybe twice, and I did it really well.”