Former Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle John Randle was not kind to current Vikings backup quarterback Kelly Holcomb back in 1997, according to a great story by Pioneer Press reporter Don Seeholzer:
Holcomb said he learned that lesson [of not being prepared] the hard way
in the final game of the 1997 season with the Indianapolis Colts when
starter Jim Harbaugh got hurt during a 39-28 loss to the Vikings in the
Metrodome."I think I had 15, 16, 17 snaps (that game), and I turned it
over five times," Holcomb said. "That taught me a valuable lesson. It
doesn’t matter what your record is, you’d better be ready to play. It
was a hard lesson to learn."Adding insult to ignominy, Holcomb said motor mouth Vikings
defensive tackle John Randle delivered a running commentary of abuse."I remember him running off the field saying, ‘Hey, Holcomb, if
you want to give it to us, we’ll take it,’ " Holcomb said. "He was
making me madder by the minute. At the end of the game, if I could have
been an ostrich and stuck my head in the sand, I would have."
Hee, hee! Even four years after he retired, Randle continues to entertain.