Purple Pups: Jolie Zimmer

[Viktor]

The name Jolie means “pretty one,” in French, but Zimmer jokes that she’s also a lucky one.


He and Corri recalled a time when Jolie made an appearance at Vikings Training Camp, and cornerback Terence Newman came over to greet and pet the dog before practice.


“He caught three interceptions that day,” says Zimmer.


Newman remembers that practice at Minnesota State University, Mankato, “like it was yesterday.” Upon seeing Corri and Jolie just inside the fence, the former cornerback swung by en route to the field.


“Jolie gets all excited when you see her – she starts [wagging] her tail and body-movin’ a little bit. So I just pet her, talked to Corri a little bit, and then I went off to practice,” Newman recalls over the phone. “The next thing I know, it was like – pick, pick, pick.


“Actually, maybe we should have had Jolie as, like, a junior mascot,” he adds with a laugh. “That may have been beneficial.”


Of all the players Zimmer has coached, Newman likely is the most familiar with the Yorkie, having spent time under Zimmer with the Cowboys and Bengals prior to reuniting in Minnesota. Newman remembers first meeting Jolie and noting the difference in Zimmer when he interacted with her.


“That’s when I really realized Zim’ had a soft spot for this dog,” Newman says. “It was actually super funny just because he’s this hard-nosed coach, but then you see him with this itty-bitty dog, and he’s like super loving and caring with her.


“As players, we’re all talking, ‘Zim’s tough and hard,’ ” adds Newman. “But to see him with this dog was just super cute, you know? To see the way he is with her is pretty special.”


When Zimmer is asked to compare Jolie to any players in the Vikings locker room, he pauses to think for a moment. The corner of his mouth turns up in a smirk.


“She’s not too mean. She’s not much of a pain. So probably none of the players, really,” he quips.


Zimmer says that Jolie would make a good therapy dog, and Corri agrees.


“A dog doesn’t care if you win or lose. They’re always happy to see you,” Corri says. “It kind of makes him feel a little better [after a loss].”


She glances at Zimmer sitting at his desk, and he offers a half-sarcastic eye-roll.


“No, [not much],” he admits.


Watching the longtime coach interact with Jolie, it’s clear she’s stolen his (rather large) heart.


He’s no stranger to dogs, having previously owned and trained Labradors that accompanied him on hunting excursions, but Zimmer will tell you he never expected to get so smitten by a petite pooch like Jolie.


But it’s hard not to like four-legged friend who’s become a part of the family.


“She’s a really loving dog,” Zimmer says. “She doesn’t cause any trouble, usually. She likes to take naps with you. She sleeps with Corri all the time. Corri bought pet steps so that she can climb up on the bed and doesn’t have to jump.


“She’s getting older now. Right, Jo-Jo?” He adds in a little higher voice.


Coach, do you think Jolie is spoiled? (For the record, the question from this Vikings writer is a rhetorical one.)


Zimmer laughs, then answers: “Oh my goodness. She just had steak for lunch.”


As Newman says, “That dog, that’s his baby right there. She’s royalty.”