Iowa’s Scherff talks Vikings, Giants and NFL lifestyle

CHICAGO - Brandon Scherff grew up a Minnesota Vikings fan in southwest Iowa idolizing quarterback Daunte Culpepper.

Scherff, who started his high school career as a huge quarterback like Culpepper, has attended only one NFL game, and that was in fifth grade after winning a Punt, Pass and Kick competition. Scherff watched Vikings kicker Gary Anderson boot a 53-yard field goal with 17 seconds left to beat the Miami Dolphins 20-17 on Dec. 21, 2002.

So it was exciting for Scherff to meet with Vikings personnel at the NFL Scouting Combine in February and after Iowa's pro day in March. But starting tonight, his Minnesota fandom has a chance to end quickly.

'I was a Vikings fan,” Scherff said. 'I'll be a fan of whatever team I go to.”

Scherff is virtually guaranteed to be Iowa's fourth offensive linemen drafted in the first round under Coach Kirk Ferentz. It's likely Scherff will be Iowa's highest first-round pick since Robert Gallery was chosen second overall in 2004. Scherff met with 23 teams at the NFL combine and has taken two visits. One was the New York Giants and the other was to an undisclosed team.

The Giants have a need for offensive linemen and tackle Justin Pugh publicly advocated for Scherff during an interview last week.

'I like the kid from Iowa, just from what I've seen,'' Pugh told reporters. 'Seems like a tough kid. I just watched a few games on him, and I'd like to play with someone like that.”

But Scherff loves the outdoors and often spends his free time hunting and fishing. The New York metro area at first glance doesn't seem amenable to his interests.

'You have a chance to hunt and fish wherever you go,” Scherff said. 'In New York, upstate New York, you can go fishing, you can deep sea fishing, which you can't do in Iowa.”

Scherff said he first watched the NFL draft when Bryan Bulaga was selected No. 23 overall in the 2010 draft and has followed it ever since. He doesn't view many NFL games but tries to watch former teammates Riley Reiff and Matt Tobin when they play. If he considers anyone a mentor, however, it's current Baltimore Ravens guard Marshal Yanda.

Yanda has perfected the type of off-season day Scherff wants for himself. Yanda drives 30 minutes one way to work out at Iowa, then spends the rest of his day fishing or hunting.

'Yanda just says take it in and improve every day,” Scherff said. 'It's awesome to work with him in the weight room and see how he continues to work even though he's, what, 30 years old? He's got a little aches and pains, but he's pushing through it. He's a heck of a football player.”

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