EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- The Minnesota Vikings went three-and-out on their first possession, and the punt coverage team came out for a kick from the end zone.The gunners on the outside of the formation quickly closed in as the ball descended from the air, and the pressure forced New York Giants returner Dwayne Harris to drop it on the turf as he tried to run forward.Marcus Sherels recovered, and the Vikings went the other way for a touchdown in six plays to set the tone for a game they controlled from start to finish.The purple blur racing up the field to track the punt was none other than Cordarrelle Patterson.I put my hand out and just tried to hit the ball, Patterson said.This wasnt the role he or the Vikings envisioned when they packaged four lower picks to trade into the end of the first round of the 2013 draft to select the raw-but-speedy wide receiver out of Tennessee.He excelled at returning kickoffs right away, but that was supposed to be the bonus contribution on top of the dual threat he could provide the offense as a receiver and a runner.Over the last half of his rookie season, thats exactly what he offered.As the new system was rolled out in 2014 under offensive coordinator Norv Turner, Patterson struggled to establish himself as an integral part of it and soon became an afterthought in the game plan.Last season brought more of the same, and the Vikings declined to exercise the fifth-year option on his contract.Facing a crossroad in his fledgling career , Patterson began to prove to the coaches this summer that he was worth a roster spot for more than kickoff returning.What he has really made a commitment to is being consistent, Turner said.Relying on his Christian faith to deal with the frustration of scant playing time, Patterson was similarly grounded by his girlfriend and young daughter.Sometimes your mind can get lost here in football, Patterson said, but they keep my mind going so good, I dont know how to repay them.Not only was he making an impact on special teams in the game on Monday night, but he was on the field for 36 plays with the offense, 49 percent of the snaps. Sam Bradford targeted him six times, and he caught five passes for 38 yards.We feel like if we can get the ball in his hands, good things will happen, Bradford said. Weve just got to keep finding ways to get him the ball.Coach Mike Zimmers response to a recent question about whether Patterson wouldve bought into the alternative role a year ago was probably not. Clearly, Patterson has taken ownership of his career.Its good for all guys to see, Zimmer said. If you work hard, good things come.Patterson has a few peers who also reinvented roles to extend their careers.Wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey was the seventh overall pick in the 2009 draft by Oakland after running a 4.3-second 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine, but he topped out at 975 yards receiving in 2011 and spent one season for Indianapolis before settling with Pittsburgh in 2014 after carving out a role on kick coverage. Heyward-Bey still has a niche in the offense, catching a 31-yard touchdown pass last week, but his greatest value is on special teams.Terrelle Pryor, who also started his career with Oakland as a quarterback who was once a prized recruit at Ohio State, was out of the league in 2014 before returning as a wide receiver for Cleveland. This season, he leads the team with 290 yards.Sometimes staying in the league can require such drastic shifts.I dont look at what happened back then, Patterson said. God gave you your eyes in the front of our head to see where youre going, not where youve been.---Online:AP NFL website: http://www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL coverage on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFLCheap Curry 3 Shoes .Gather a group of friends, or find a league to join online, draft your team, set your lineup and compete in a number of different formats. Curry 5 Wholesale . 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Young formally announced his retirement Friday after returning to Rangers Ballpark, his baseball home for all but the last of his 13 major league seasons.Alex Hales up top.That’s the way Dominic Cork reckons England should have gone for their two-Test series with New Zealand, which begins at Lord’s on Thursday, May 21.Sky Sports pundit Cork - speaking before Hales penned a deal with IPL franchise Mumbai Indians and Adam Lyth was confirmed as Alastair Cooks opening partner for next weeks game at HQ - explained how Hales could have been the man to bully opposition bowlers after an excellent start to the county campaign with Nottinghamshire.The former England all-rounder also hopes Durham seamer Mark Wood, who took his maiden international wicket on last Friday’s rain-affected ODI with Ireland, gets the nod over Chris Jordan due to his extra zip.Watch the video above to see which XI Cork would have picked to tackle the Black Caps and then read his thoughts below… Alex Hales has flourished for Nottinghamshire this term, albeit at No 3 “I would have gone for Hales at the top of the order as I like the style and acceleration he brings to a team.“He won’t be perfect at Test level but he can bully the bowling and if you go with an Alastair Cook, Lyth and Gary Ballance combination in the top three we are not going to see that.dddddddddddd“Lyth deserves his selection in some ways after scoring 1,400 runs last year but Hales could have helped England and brought something different.“You then have the solidity of Ballance and the excitement of Root after that, while I would bring in Mark Wood for Chris Jordan as he has definitely got that little bit of pace. Brendon McCullum has a strong New Zealand squad at his disposal “I think it will be a tough series against New Zealand, though.“I believe they will capitalise on where England are at the moment with lots of things going on behind the scenes in terms of Kevin Pietersen and who will open the batting.“Brendon McCullum is an aggressive captain and with the opening bowlers of Trent Boult and (Tim) Southee this won’t be an easy series for England.“If England play well they will push New Zealand all the way but it’s too close to call.”Watch England’s two-Test series against New Zealand, starting on Thursday 21st May, followed by the Ashes. ' ' '