UpdatedAug 16, 2011 8:38 PM ETEDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP)(Eds: Updates with quotes,
details and background.)By JON KRAWCZYNSKIAP Sports Writer Every time Toby
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and hit hard.And that was just in practice against his teammates.The golden boy
from Stanford was given a rude welcome to
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of Pat Williams and Ray Edwards any chance they got.''At the time, I was like
God, everybody's out for my number,'' Gerhart recalled with a chuckle. ''No
matter what I did, I was
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running back, and it was expected as a rookie. Can't complain, I guess.''Vikings
defenders always seemed to put a little more mustard on their hits when No. 32
had the ball, and the message was clear - Gerhart wasn't in Palo Alto
anymore.After leading the nation in rushing and touchdowns for the Cardinal, the
Vikings traded up in the second round to grab him as a complement to Adrian
Peterson. But Gerhart had a quiet rookie season, rushing just 81 times for 322
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a decorated college career.''I was a little hesitant, a step slow, kind of
thinking too much,'' Gerhart said. ''This year I'm just relaxing, playing, doing
what I always did. I feel much more confident and relaxed, and I think this year
I can contribute in
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show in the Vikings backfield. Peterson is the first, second and third option on
offense, one of the most dynamic players in the NFL and a guy who wants the ball
in his hands as much as possible.The offense new coordinator Bill Musgrave is
installing will revolve around Peterson, so there is still some question about
how much opportunity there will be for Gerhart to get in a rhythm and get
rolling like he was used to doing in college.Even with Peterson only playing
just a few plays in the preseason opener
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for 8 yards. The sparse workload has taken some getting used to for a
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years at Stanford.Only three times last year did he get
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for 76 yards and a score against Washington.''It's a bit different,'' he said.
''As a running back, it's hard to get that rhythm when you carry one carry and a
quarter goes by and you get another carry, but you've got to make the most of it
when you get it. For me last year it was pass protection, running routes like
that, fine tuning those and contributing in any way possible.''With the lockout
wiping out the summer, Musgrave is getting his first up-close look at Gerhart
this preseason. He said Gerhart was ''very sharp'' and is picking up the
intricacies of pass protection quickly.''We know that Adrian and Toby will both
complement each other was we go through the season,'' Musgrave said. ''Two
different running styles. We want to keep both of them healthy. It's a tough,
tough way to make a living for those guys.''Also in the mix is Lorenzo Booker,
an accomplished return man who has shown a little more wiggle and juice than
Gerhart early this season.''He's got skills that neither one of those two have
in terms of catching the ball, splitting out of the backfield and
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said.Left guard Steve Hutchinson said he already has noticed a change in
Gerhart.''Anytime you get a year under your belt and get through your
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in everything you do,'' Hutchinson said. ''I think that's a big key
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Adrian.''So far in this camp, Gerhart hasn't taken near the amount of abuse he
did as a rookie. Edwards and Williams are both gone, but the way Gerhart handled
the treatment - keeping his mouth shut and standing up for himself when he got
into a little skirmish with Edwards - seems to have resonated with his teammates
and earned him some respect.''Some of the guys, later on they said they just
wanted to see what I had,'' Gerhart said. ''It was kind of a test-the-waters
sort of thing because
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they wanted to see what kind of guy I was. It was a learning experience to say
the least.''NOTES: WR Percy Harvin watched much of practice after leaving with
an apparent rib injury. He told reporters he was
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back in his starting spot for 11-on-11 drills while he continues to work his way
back from knee surgery. Musgrave said it was too early to tell if he could play
on Saturday against Seattle. ''So far, so good, first couple days he's been out
here,'' Musgrave said. ... TE Visanthe Shiancoe (hamstring), LB Heath Farwell
(hamstring), LB Kenny Onatolu (foot), DE D'Aundre Reed (calf) and CB Simeon
Castille (hamstring) all sat out.---Follow Jon Krawczynski on Twitter: