Winfield, Jr., Reed Following in Fathers' Footsteps at Combine

[Viktor]

As he gets ready to enter the league, Winfield, Jr., said he would prefer to play free safety, but added that he can play safety, slot cornerback or as a corner on the outside.


"I think versatility is my best attribute," Winfield, Jr., said. "I can pretty much play anywhere. Also, create takeaways. That's my goal, to create takeaways for my team, and that gives us the best opportunity to win. I'm going to do everything in my power to do that."


"I can play in the post, down in the box, over slot receivers, over tight ends," Winfield, Jr., added. "Anywhere a team needs me to play, that's what I'll do."


Both Winfields stand at 5-foot-9, although the younger Winfield said with a smile Friday morning in Indianapolis that he is certain he has better speed than his dad.


But with the two similar in size, Winfield, Jr., said he takes a lot of pride in playing the game the same way his dad did.


"Very similar. We're almost about the same in size," Winfield, Jr., said. "My dad had a lot of heart, and that's kind of what I looked up to in him.


"Seeing him go out there against professionals and great guys that you see on TV all the time, that's something I kind of modify my game after," Winfield, Jr., added. "It's not about how big you are, how tall you are … it's about how much fight you have."


Winfield, Jr., is not the only player in Indianapolis who has family ties to the Vikings.


Randy Moss' son, Thaddeus, spoke earlier in the week about the advice he's gotten from his Hall of Fame dad. And former Vikings wide receiver Jake Reed also has a son at the Combine. J.R. Reed recently finished up his college career as a safety at Georgia.