Vikings kicker meets empathetic letter-writing 1st-graders

After missing an easy field goal which would have sent them to the next round of the National Football League playoffs, Minnesota Vikings kicker Blair Walsh is a bold man showing his face in public. A group of first graders were able to understand this, so maybe the rest of us can, too. This event showed all of two things that we should already know: 1) Kids are the best empathizers out there. “These kids, they don’t know anything about me; they just know I’m a Vikings player”. “For them to show this empathy and kindness towards me is remarkable”.

The first-grade wing at Northpoint Elementary School isn’t usually a quiet place, and Thursday was no exception. Offerdahl, who is from Washington and actually is a Seahawks fan, had watched Walsh’s miss and felt bad for him. “Puppys are cute”, wrote first-grader Tasha Lee, and while that might be a bit non-sequitur it’s all entirely true. So I was kind of glad but also kind of sad for him, ‘ one of the first-grade girls told KARE.

“They just know that I’m a Vikings player”, Walsh said.

“I’m so touched for what these kids did”.

We’re not sure if Walsh has received the letters yet, but he hasn’t posted on Twitter since the miss.

Walsh’s father, Joe, pointed out the project to him once it was picked up by Minnesota media.

“Dear Blair Walsh”, one wrote. “I’ll remember this forever”.

Walsh answered questions from students (Sample: “Do you have a guinea pig?”) and signed trading cards, miniature Vikings helmets and other items.

Slattery, a senior defenseman who is from Hugo and a graduate of Roseville High School, scored the Huskies’ lone goal Friday and had a pair of assists in an overtime win Saturday against Minnesota State-Mankato.

The kids wrote about some mistakes they had made.

That said, there is another segment of the world that – fairly or not – will continue to blister Walsh for that kick. Teachers at Northpoint Elementary School in Minnesota took this as a time to teach their classes a life lesson.