When Scott Studwell came out of the University of Illinois he never imagined that he would play for the Minnesota Vikings.

He up in Evansville, Ind., which is Chicago Bears territory.

Studwell was drafted in 1977 by Minnesota where he wore No. 55 and played as a linebacker for 14 years.

It's been more than 30 years since Studwell first joined the Vikings organization, and he's still part of it. After his playing days were over, Studwell moved into the front office, serving roles as president of player relations and player personnel coordinator. His current role with the Vikings is Director of College Scouting.

Free agency and salary cap have turned most NFLplayers into journeymen.

"I've been fortunate to be with the same organization for 30 years, which is unusual and somewhat rare in our business" said Studwell, who played in two pro bowls and was a three-time NFLall-pro, "I'd play again in a heart beat, if I could."

Studwell was in Bismarck on Thursday night to make a celebrity appearance at Menards.

Studwell talked about how he never had to deal with free agency and the salary cap as a player.

"It hurts the game a bit," Studwell said. "The loyalty is hard to come by. There's so much money involved in our business. You can't blame players for chasing the almighty dollar. It's hard to keep the core of your football team together. There's so much turnover every year, personnel-wise. It erodes the fan base. They don't have an opportunity to latch on to players and follow them through their entire careers."

Studwell went from being a hard-nosed, leave-it-on-the-field type of player to preparing the Vikings for the draft.

"This presents a different set of challenges," Studwell said. "It's probably the most humbling thing you can do, putting your stamp of approval on a player. He either fails or succeeds. It's a labor of love because of my association with the Vikings organization. Every player we pick we do it as a group. There's a certain sense of remorse if a player doesn't pan out or doesn't perform the way we anticipated."

Studwell wrapped up his career with 1,981 tackles, a team record. He also set team records for most tackles in a season with 230 in 1981 and most tackles in a game with 24 against Detroit in 1985.

Studwell played in two NFC championship games in 1977 and 1987. In the front office, he's saw the Vikings through two other NFC championship games.

Studwell played outdoors at Metropolitan Stadium and indoors in the Metrodome.

"I'd play in outdoors all day,"Studwell said. "The old Met was not a good place to sit and watch a game, I'm sure. But the atmosphere was tremendous. We lost a little mystique when we moved indoors."

Through all of the years of playing with the Vikings, Studwell didn't cite a favorite moment on the field.

"It's the culmination of being able to withstand 14 years," Studwell said. "It's not the games we won or lost. It's the personalities you cross paths with and all the friendships you make."

Studwell believes the Vikings field the ingredients to be a contender for the upcoming season.

The Vikings traded with the Kansas City Chiefs for all-pro defensive end Jared Allen.

Allen's blue collar play could be compared to Studwell's.

"He's a grinder,"Studwell said. "If he wasn't getting paid, he would still play. I would almost bet my bottom dollar that's the type of player he is. He brings an infectious attitude to your locker room. He seems as genuine as the day is long."

Enthusiasm is running high in Vikings country with the success of running back Adrian Peterson. Last season, as a rookie, Peterson had 231 carries for 1,341 yards and 12 touchdowns. He rushed for 296 yards against San Diego and sat out two games with an injury.

"We were holding our breath until the seventh (overall) draft pick last year," Studwell said. "Had it not been for a collar bone issue, we wouldn't have gotten close to him. He's the type of player you can build a championship around. There's tremendous excitement with him in the fold. We have a lot pieces of the puzzle in place."