Get To Know A Viking: Jeff Dugan

October 30, 2009

Let me be totally honest. Last Sunday, I cheered louder during the Pittsburgh Steelers’ victory over the Minnesota Vikings than I did during the Green Bay Packers’ cakewalk over the Cleveland Browns. I was also watching the game closely to spot our next subject for our Get To Know A Viking. We’ve already covered Hillbilly 1 (Jared Allen) and Hillbilly 2 (Bizarro Brett). Fresh off a cross-dressing stint, I thought maybe it was time to give Brad Childress his due.

But late in the Vikings game, during the final frantic minutes, a new shining star of mouth breathery was born.

That star is backup fullback/tight end Jeff Dugan.

In the span of just a couple plays, Jeff Dugan wiped out a Vikings touchdown with a tripping penalty and then managed to injure the back judge who threw the flag.

Late in the fourth quarter, Bizarro Brett connected with receiver Sidney Rice in the end zone, which would have put Minnesota up 17-14. During the play, Dugan was badly beaten by the Pittsburgh pass rush and flopped into the air, sticking his leg out to block the rushing defender.

After Pittsburgh forced a Favre fumble and returned it for a TD, Minnesota’s Percy Harvin took the ensuing kickoff to the house. Along the way, Jeff Dugan laid out the back judge who had flagged him just a couple plays earlier.

The back judge, Richard Reels, was hurt on the play after his head violently smashed into the turf. He was later helped off the field.

At first, it looked like an accident. Refs get in the way sometimes. But the next day on ESPN’s First Take, Skip Bayless proclaimed his belief that it looked like Dugan intended to bowl the ref over. After a few replays, I had to agree. There were no other players anywhere near Dugan and he had plenty of time to avoid Reels. Instead, he sprinted right at him, extending his arms and pushing him down as he ran through.

Cut from the same cloth as legendary Minnesota Vikings cheap shot artists and mouth breathers like Chris Hovan, Jeff Dugan is the type of scrappy, chippy, overachieving cheater that Green Bay Packers fans love to hate.

With a mugshot that looks like he just escaped from a Norwegian penitentiary, it seems like he was born to play for the scummiest of all the NFL franchises – the Minnesota Vikings.

Jeff Dugan Dossier

Height: 6’4″
Weight: 258
Age: 28
Born: 4/8/1981, Pittsburgh, PA
College: Maryland

Fun Fact: Attended Central Catholic High School in Pittsburgh, the same school Dan Marino and Marc Bulger attended.

Also Check Out: Jeff Dugan’s Wikipedia page, presumably written by Dugan himself or at least an overzealous little brother. It contains this gem (as of 10/29/09).

In 2009, Jeff has led the Vikings to a 3-0 start and has made them Super Bowl contenders. Former ESPN analyst Joe Theismann called him one of the greatest blocking tight ends the game has ever seen. Brett Favre had said his latest comeback from retirement would have not taken place if Jeff Dugan was protecting him.

Previous Get To Know A Viking Entries:

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