‘Robert Griffith remembers sitting in the Vikings’ locker room, watching rookie safety Orlando Thomas act like he owned Winter Park. It was 1995, and Griffith, then in his second season with the Vikings, wasn’t quite sure what to make of the second-round draft pick from Southwestern Louisiana. "When O.T. first joined the team during his rookie year, I thought he was a loudmouth," Griffith said. "He came in with (cornerback) Corey Fuller, and there was a lot of trash talking by the two of them. "I was like, wait a minute, look at these rookies. I know I’m in my second year, but look at this loudmouth country dude (Thomas). I said, ‘He’d better be good.’" Five years and 914 combined tackles later, Thomas and Griffith have overcome vastly different beginnings to become two of the closest friends on the team. More important for the Vikings, the two safeties held together the defense when it struggled in past years. This season, they are peaking together, leading a resurgence in the unit that has helped the team to an undefeated start.’