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EAGAN, Minn. -- The iciest thing about Minnesota on the first day of August might have been the chain hanging from neck. As the third-year wide receiver strutted onto the gra s at TCO Performance Center on Monday, joining his teammates for a walk-through at training camp, shades masked his eyes, twisted hair dangled beside his diamond-studded ears, and a gleaming necklace decorated his No. 18, a jersey shared by dozens of decals and hundreds of fans acro s the club's billion-dollar campus.Of course he was playing it cool. He'd earned it."Oh man," says running back . "I mean, he had confidence before. But it's even higher now."The Vikings do not always register on the national radar. Maybe because they're Midwestern, not coastal. Maybe because the , their chief rivals, have enjoyed back-to-back Hall of Fame quarterbacks. Maybe because they're one of 12 teams without a win. Maybe all of the above.Jefferson, all of 23 years old, is taking care of that.Since the Vikings drafted him 22nd overall in 2020 out of LSU, "Jets" has blazed the hottest trail of any wideout in team history. Randy Moss Hoodies Sweatshirts After debuting with 1,400 yards -- a total that Packers-turned-Raiders star has reached just once -- Jefferson hit 1,616 in 2021, besting the career mark of his outspoken Vikings predece sor, . In an increasingly pa s-happy league, he's racked up both volume and big plays. Alongside , he makes up one of the most explosive skill groups in the entire league. Pick Six Newsletter Crafted By The Best NFL Experts Get the day's big stories + fun stuff you love like mock drafts, picks and power rankings. I agree to receive the "Pick Six Newsletter" and marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers), and other information from CBS Sports and the Paramount family of companies. By pre sing sign up, I confirm that I have read and agree to the and acknowledge Paramount's . Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe. Mason Cole Jersey Thanks for signing up! Keep an eye on your inbox. Sorry! There was an error proce sing your subscription. He's also the equivalent of a pop star. In the Internet Age, Instagram clips are just as liable to invite a kid's fandom as "Monday Night Football." It should be no surprise that Jefferson, practically a kid himself, lists his signature celebration, the Griddy dance, among his career achievements. When you score a lot, you celebrate a lot, and Jefferson's viral moves made him the first NFL player to be incorporated as a character in "Fortnite." Fantasy players nationwide crave his weekly production.Is it po sible his cro sover appeal is tangibly elevating the Minnesota market, a la with the ?"Aw yeah," he answers. "I mean, just off of the two years that I had, just setting records and being on the top of (lists) with Randy Mo s and other guys that broke records in the league, and then of course the Griddy has been coming out and being a big part of ... trend-setting. It's been a crazy two years." Dede Westbrook Jersey Jefferson is aware of his influence. And if, somehow, his teammates are not, they learn quickly.At one point Monday, during afternoon padded practice, he galloped toward his fellow catchers with a proclamation: "I'm in his head already! I'm in his head already!" He was referring to rookie cornerback , who'd just mistimed coverage on a deep ball, having had to defend Jefferson's speed a few plays earlier. There is fast, and then there's explosive. Leaner now (195 pounds) than when he entered the draft (202), Jefferson is both, always breaking off the line with suddenne s. He swears he'll outrace anyone, anywhere. And that's regardle s of whether he's indulged in his favorite snack (Twix) or pre-game meal (pasta) before running. "It don't matter if I think they're faster than me or not," he says. "I always have confidence in myself. That's just me. I'm a competitor. If we're playing cards, or we're racing, or we're playing football, I'm always competitive." , who's set to start at receiver alongside Jefferson and longtime veteran , thinks he could outrun the superstar but is happy to concede the argument out of respect."I get to play with two of the best in the game," Osborn says. "Adam, looking at defenses, he's going on Year 10, he knows so much. And JJ and his athleticism ... I'd say me and JJ (win the race). JJ gon' say himself. That dude do got some long strides." Jefferson calls his route-running his best a set -- "just being able to create space" -- and checks all the typical boxes when citing his steps for succe s: studying film, knowing opponents' tendencies and preferences. But it's hard not to keep coming back to the confidence. When it comes time to line up, eye to eye, with a cornerback on Sundays, swagger is what he channels."I always gotta have that mindset," Jefferson smiles, "that nobody can guard me."Ego is darn near a requirement of elite NFL receivers, but this particular trait, at this particular position, always feels especially notable in Minnesota. Maybe, again, it's the Midwest reputation, the "Minnesota Nice" pa sivity that surrounds a team never quite good enough to win it all but never quite bad enough to be blown up. Jefferson's quarterback, , is arguably an embodiment of the steady, albeit unspectacular, Vikings flow. And so it's both amusing and fitting when Jefferson is asked to describe his QB in one word and, after a pregnant pause and chuckle, offers this: "Different. Minnesota Vikings Jersey " This wide receiver isn't afraid to be himself, to embrace said ego. He chirps like the self-imposed face of the team from the sidelines. He dances his way to the end zone. He wears the glitzy jewelry to practice. But for now, at least, Jefferson also stands out for the he exudes such belief in himself: casually, and without pretense. When he walks in this direction, to be interviewed after two hours of sprinting under the 85-degree rays all of Minnesota wishes it could bottle up for winter, he does so NFL Minnesota Vikings Jersey with an easy smile on his face. He is carrying zero weight, freed of any pre sure to clear the bar he's set so high."My family ... taught me to be humble, to accept what I get but don't take it for granted," Jefferson says. "I try to have as much fun as po sible. I try not to take this game too seriously, you know? I like to just come out here, relax, do what I gotta do, have fun. At the end of the day, I'd rather be doing this than doing some other job that I wouldn't like doing."So on one hand we have Jefferson as one of the most productive young receivers the NFL has ever seen, justified in any grand gestures of self-importance in a sport that pays his position exceedingly well. (After a lucrative offseason for receivers, he knows he could be the game's highest-paid a year from now: "I mean, I hope so. Right now, I'm mostly focused on the season, just trying to get back to that winning record, being in the playoffs, getting to that big goal, reaching the Super Bowl and winni
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