(Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
The Minnesota Vikings made a surprising move after the 2021 NFL season, cutting ties with then-GM Rick Spielman.
Spielman was the team’s general manager for 16 seasons, but a new era officially begun.
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is their new GM, someone that was relatively unknown across the league.
As Peter Schrager has recently highlighted after an interview, Adofo-Mensah took a non-traditional path to his current role.
After spending time as a Wall Street trader, Adofo-Mensah left the industry, taking a job with the San Francisco 49ers.
Back in 2013, @Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah left a high-paying Wall Street job as a trader to take an entry level position with the @49ers .
He made 1/20th the salary.
His colleagues thought he was crazy. So did his friends.
But he followed his dream. He explains. pic.twitter.com/ycHCPKiBFQ
— Peter Schrager (@PSchrags) June 13, 2023
After taking a job as the 49ers’ football research and development manager, Adofo-Mensah was promoted to director of the same position.
He then spent two years with the Cleveland Browns as their vice president of football operations before taking the job with the Vikings.
It seems that football is Adofo-Mensah’s passion, given the massive pay cut he took to be a part of the NFL.
“I did the math, it was like 1/20th of what I made,” he said.
He also said, “I went from money not being a big variable in my life to maybe, hey, what’s that coupon?”
Although his financial situation changed significantly when he took a job in the NFL, Adofo-Mensah never wavered in his approach.
Now, he has an opportunity to continue to grow the Vikings’ organization.
Last year, the Vikings did make the playoffs, but they fell in the first game to the New York Giants.
They have a franchise-altering player in Justin Jefferson, and will continuously look to grow around him.
Can the Vikings take a leap this season, making an even deeper playoff run?
The post Vikings GM Tells His Story On How He Entered The NFL appeared first on The Cold Wire.