Sport | American football |
---|---|
No. of teams | 6 |
Countries | United States |
The Cheese League was the informal name given to the National Football League teams that held their training camps and scrimmages in Minnesota and Wisconsin. The Cheese League reached its apex in 1995 with six NFL teams. Drawn by the milder summers, an escape from the distractions of home, and great facilities, these teams retreated to college towns in Wisconsin to prepare for the NFL season. [1] The league had its strongest participation throughout the 1990s with five teams, peaking in 1995 with six teams thanks to the participation of the Jacksonville Jaguars for a single year. This proximity allowed the teams to practice with and scrimmage against one another - allowing for a nice change of pace and more realistic preparation for the regular season. [2] Despite this perk, as well as the cooler summer weather, the non-local teams eventually decided that it was politically and logistically wiser to host training camp in their home states. [3] [4] With the Minnesota Vikings announcing that the 2017 training camp would be their last in Mankato, all six former members of the Cheese League will now hold camp in the same metro area that they are located. [5]
Michael A. Bennett is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings 27th overall in the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Wisconsin.
Keenan Wayne McCardell is an American football coach and former wide receiver who is the wide receivers coach for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the wide receivers coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars, University of Maryland, College Park and Washington Redskins.
Koren Lynard Robinson is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the NC State Wolfpack. He was selected by the Seattle Seahawks ninth overall in the 2001 NFL Draft, and also played for the NFL's Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers between stints with the Seahawks. He was selected to the Pro Bowl with the Vikings in 2005.
Ryan Scott Hoag is an American former football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders with the final pick in the 2003 NFL Draft, earning him the title of Mr. Irrelevant. He never played in a regular season game. He played college football at Gustavus Adolphus.
Maurice Christopher Jones-Drew, often called "MJD", is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons. He played college football for the UCLA Bruins and earned unanimous All-American honors.
The 2001 Chicago Bears season was their 82nd regular season and 23rd postseason completed in the National Football League. The team finished with a 13–3 record under head coach Dick Jauron en route to an NFC Central title and the number two seed in the NFC. With former 1st round pick Cade McNown being traded during training camp, the Bears were led by Jim Miller. The team had five comeback wins during the season, including two straight improbable wins where safety Mike Brown returned an interception for the game-winning touchdown in overtime. However, the Bears were upset at home by the Philadelphia Eagles 33–19 in the NFC Divisional playoffs.
Frank Edgar Cornish IV was an American football offensive lineman in the National Football League (NFL) for the San Diego Chargers, Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Philadelphia Eagles. He was selected in the sixth round of the 1990 NFL Draft. He played college football at UCLA.
The 1988 New Orleans Saints season was the team's 22nd as a member of the National Football League (NFL). They were unable to match their previous season's output of 12–3, winning only ten games and missing the playoffs by a tiebreaker, going 6-6 vs. NFC opponents compared to 8-4 for the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams. Road losses to the Washington Redskins and Minnesota Vikings, as well as a sweep by San Francisco, ended up being the difference in New Orleans staying home and the California teams advancing.
Stefen David Wisniewski is a former American football guard and center. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft out of Penn State. He also played for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Christopher Lee Ivory is an American former football running back in the National Football League (NFL). He was signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2010 and also played for the New York Jets, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Buffalo Bills. He played college football at Washington State and Tiffin.
Adrian Battles is a retired American football offensive guard. He played college football for Minnesota State University, Mankato from 2005 to 2009.
Marqise Lee is an American football wide receiver who is a free agent. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He played college football at USC, where he was the 2012 Biletnikoff Award winner as the nation's top receiver and a unanimous All-American.
Audie Raymond Cole is a former American football linebacker. He played college football at NC State and was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the seventh round of the 2012 NFL Draft.
Dalvin James Cook is an American football running back who is a free agent. He played college football at Florida State, where he finished his career as the school's all-time leading rusher. Cook was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft, where he spent six seasons with the team and earned Pro Bowl honors four times before being released in June 2023.
Ashley Guy Sheppard is a former American football linebacker who played three seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Minnesota Vikings, Jacksonville Jaguars and St. Louis Rams. He was drafted by the Vikings in the fourth round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Clemson University. Sheppard first enrolled at North Pitt High School in Bethel, North Carolina before transferring to Fork Union Military Academy in Fork Union, Virginia.
Yannick Nicolas Ngakoue is an American football defensive end for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Maryland and was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He has also played one season each for the Minnesota Vikings, Baltimore Ravens, Las Vegas Raiders, and Indianapolis Colts.
Christopher Reed is an American football guard for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Jacksonville Jaguars after the 2015 NFL Draft. He played college football at Minnesota State. He has also been a member of the Miami Dolphins and Carolina Panthers.
Jonathan Taylor is an American football running back for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). Taylor played high school football at Salem High School, where he set a New Jersey state rushing yards record. He played three seasons of college football at Wisconsin, where finished his college career as the sixth all-time rusher in the NCAA and the first player in history to rush for more than 6,000 yards in any three-year span.
Hercules Mata'afa is an American football defensive end for the New Jersey Generals of the United States Football League (USFL). He played college football at Washington State University and signed as an undrafted free agent with the Minnesota Vikings in 2018.
James Robinson is an American football running back for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Illinois State and signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent in 2020, and was traded to the New York Jets in 2022. In 2020, Robinson broke the National Football League (NFL) record for most scrimmage yards of any undrafted rookie.