Trip to Israel thrills ex-Vikings

[Valin]

MPLS (Red) Star Tribune:

Mark Craig

July 1, 2015

 

Chris Doleman and other Hall of Famers attended an American football practice in Israel.

 

Ask Chris Doleman to choose the highlight of last month’s trip to Israel and the Vikings Pro Football Hall of Famer answers about as quickly as he used to zip past left tackles.

 

“I think the highlight was being baptized in the Jordan River,” the former Vikings defensive end said Tuesday. “Everybody can’t say that one.”

 

Getting baptized in the same river where Jesus of Nazareth was baptized by John the Baptist wasn’t on Doleman’s original itinerary. But he was one of about a dozen Hall of Famers who walked into the water during the weeklong trip being called “Touchdown in Israel: Mission of Excellence.”

 

(Snip)

 

“We were signing autographs one night and this older guy came up to me and says, ‘So, you’re the one who has 81 interceptions?’ ” said Krause, who retired in 1979 and still owns the NFL record for career interceptions. “I says, ‘Yeah, I’m very proud of that.’ He says, ‘Well, I want to tell you something. I have 1,700 interceptions.’

 

“He was the guy who invented the Iron Dome, which protects Israel from missiles. He’s got 1,700 hits on missiles coming into Jerusalem.”

 

Krause paused for a second and shook the man’s hand.

 

“I told him, ‘Your 1,700 interceptions are a heck of a lot more useful than my 81.’ ”