Vikings might wind up with Henderson brothers at 'backer

MANKATO, Minn. -- The NFL Draft was finished, and Erin Henderson was frustrated.

After two solid seasons as a linebacker at Maryland, leading the Atlantic Coast Conference in tackles as a junior and declaring early, Henderson was passed over by all 32 teams.

The consolation prize came quickly.

"It took about 10 minutes to get over," Henderson said. "I was upset, but then I thought about it. I'm going to Minnesota to play with big bro. What do I really have to be upset about?"

The Vikings signed him hours after the draft, providing the opportunity to outdo more experienced and more expensive players for a spot as a backup. The bonus? His older brother E.J. Henderson was already entrenched there as a starter, coming off a career year in which he was voted the team's most valuable defensive player.

They're six years apart, 28 and 22, so they weren't that tight as kids and have never been teammates. Training camp, thus, has been a time to catch up.

It's been a time for Erin to use E.J. as a natural resource for learning the defense and the nuances of the position. It's also been a time to make clear -- to Erin, E.J. and everyone else on and around the team -- just how different these siblings are in personality despite a strikingly similar appearance.

"It's still weird, because you never know which E.J. is going to show up to practice," Erin said. "Sometimes you've got the laid-back, don't-say-nothing-to-me E.J. Sometimes you've got the E.J. you want to play around with. Sometimes you've got the E.J. that's got all kinds of energy and wants to be a jerk about things. So it's still kind of tough to figure him out."

Sure sounds like the little brother, huh?

"I knew he was a real fun-loving guy. Very open with everybody. Gets along with just about everybody. Very passionate. You see that when he's playing," E.J. said. "Very vocal. Born leader. I knew all that, but it's just good to see he could continue on at this level with these types of players and these types of guys around him."

The Hendersons grew up in Maryland -- they're from Aberdeen, hometown of baseball Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. -- and both played for the Terrapins. Saturday's preseason game at Baltimore against the Ravens was to be a special treat for family members, even if they're nervous about Erin's status.

For E.J., August is a tuneup, a time to get in rhythm with the rest of the defense and get used to communicating with coaches before the snap through a microphone and speakers in his helmet. The practice started with quarterbacks and is being expanded this season to include a designated defensive player.

For Erin, this month could make or break his career.