Rick Spielman

Rick Spielman

Candid photograph of Spielman wearing grey slacks and a white polo-style shirt bearing a Minnesota Vikings logo and gesturing with his hands
Current position
Title	General manager
Team	Minnesota Vikings
Personal information
Date of birth	(1962-12-02) December 2, 1962
Career information
College	Southern Illinois
Team(s) as a coach/administrator
1990–1994 Detroit Lions (college scout) 1995–1996 Detroit Lions (college & pro scout) 1997–1999 Chicago Bears (director of pro personnel) 2000–2001 Miami Dolphins (vice president of player personnel) 2002–2003 Miami Dolphins (senior VP of football operations/ player personnel) 2004 Miami Dolphins (general manager) 2006–2011 Minnesota Vikings (VP of player personnel) 2012–present Minnesota Vikings (general manager)

Rick Spielman (born December 2, 1962) is the General Manager of the NFL's Minnesota Vikings. He was promoted to General Manager in 2012 after spending 2006–2011 as the team's Vice President of Player Personnel. He formerly worked for ESPN on NFL Live.

Spielman is a graduate of Massillon Washington High School located in Massillon, Ohio and is the older brother of Chris Spielman, the former Detroit Lions linebacker.

Playing career

Spielman played linebacker at Southern Illinois University (1983–86), earning 1st-Team All-Gateway Conference honoree as a junior. He was also part of the 1983 NCAA Division I-AA national championship team as a redshirt freshman. Upon entering the NFL, as an undrafted free agent, he was invited to training camp with the San Diego Chargers (1987) and Detroit Lions (1988), but did not make it as a professional football player.

Career in scouting

Spielman began his NFL career as a scout with Detroit in 1990 and worked with the club in college scouting for five seasons before adding pro scouting duties in 1995 and 1996. He moved to Director of Pro Personnel for the Bears from 1997 to 1999 before joining the Dolphins in 2000 as Vice President of Player Personnel. He was promoted in 2002 to Senior Vice President-Football Operations/Player Personnel and eventually General Manager in 2004. Spielman left the Dolphins during the 2005 off-season.

Spielman worked with ESPN as an NFL analyst in 2005, before joining the Minnesota Vikings.

Minnesota Vikings

Spielman assumed the Vikings' Vice President of Player Personnel role on May 30, 2006, replacing Fran Foley.

To date, Spielman has overseen seven drafts in Minnesota. His most notable draftees include: Adrian Peterson and Sidney Rice in 2007; Letroy Guion and John Sullivan in 2008; Percy Harvin and Phil Loadholt in 2009; Chris Cook and Toby Gerhart in 2010; Christian Ponder and Kyle Rudolph in 2011; Matt Kalil, Harrison Smith and Blair Walsh in 2012; Sharrif Floyd, Xavier Rhodes, and Cordarrelle Patterson in 2013; and, Teddy Bridgewater and Anthony Barr in 2014. The draft aside, Spielman is best known for several key offseason moves. In 2008 they traded a first-round pick, two third-round picks and a swap of sixth round picks to the Kansas City Chiefs for Pro Bowl defensive end, Jared Allen. Spielman also played a key role in the Vikings coming to terms with longtime Green Bay Packer Brett Favre prior to the 2009 season. In 2012 Spielman helped the team sign fullback Jerome Felton who made it to the Pro Bowl that same year and who was a major contributor to Adrian Peterson rushing for the second highest total yards in a season in NFL history.

On January 3, 2012, Spielman was promoted to General Manager of the Vikings.

Personal life

Spielman is married and has six children. His wife's name is Michele, and his children are Juan, Luis, Ronnie, J.D., Omie and Whitney.

References

Sporting positions
Preceded by Vacant	Miami Dolphins General Manager 2004–2005	Succeeded by Randy Mueller
Preceded by Fran Foley	Minnesota Vikings Vice President of Player Personnel 2006–2011	Succeeded by Vacant
Preceded by Vacant	Minnesota Vikings General Manager 2012–present	Succeeded by Incumbent