Artis Hicks played for Brad Childress in Minnesota from 2006-09. During that time, the former offensive lineman claims the Vikings instituted a coach-sanctioned bounty system, similar to what the Saints were accused of running from 2009-12.
The Vikings claim stems from a biography about Brett Favre titled "Gunslinger," written by Jeff Pearlman. It is a claim Childress, now the co-offensive coordinator for the Chiefs, denied Thursday.
"I had a great opportunity to coach a lot of great people there, including Artis Hicks, at the Minnesota Vikings," Childress told reporters, via the Kansas City Star. "I have too much respect for the Wilf family (owners of the Vikings), professional football to have anything to do with a bounty system. So let it stand at that."
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The Vikings also released a brief statement Thursday, saying, "There is no truth to it."
The Vikings were the most conspicuous targets of the Saints' bounty program; New Orleans defenders allegedly went after Favre during the 2009 NFC championship game.
The bounty system in Minnesota began, according to Hicks, following a 2008 game against the Packers. Favre's final season in Green Bay was in 2007 and he spent the 2008 season with the Jets. But in a 2008 game at Green Bay, Vikings coaches were reportedly upset that running back Adrian Peterson was taking too many hits, specifically from then-Packers linebacker Nick Barnett.
According to Hicks, a Vikings coach offered $500 to get Barnett out of the game. Hicks, who last played for the Dolphins in 2012, said it was "part of the culture" in Minnesota with piles of money regularly collected in the locker room for injuring opposing players.
"I had coaches start a pot and all the veterans put in an extra $100, $200, and if you hurt someone special, you get the money," Hicks alleged in an excerpt posted by Deadspin. "There was a bottom line, and I think we all bought in: You’re there to win, and if taking out the other team’s best player helps you win, hey, it’s nothing personal. Just business."
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Vikings defensive end Brian Robison, who has been with the team since it selected him in the fourth round of the 2007 NFL Draft, backed up Childress' stance that there was no bounty program.
"I haven't heard of any bounty program since I've been here," Robison said Thursday, via ESPN.com. "I'm very unaware of a bounty program. I'm not going to sit here and talk about it all day. It is what it is. If Artis wants to say stuff like that, obviously he's trying to bring attention on him. So what? At the end of the day, like I said, I'm unaware of any bounty program that's happened here in the time that I've been here.
"I was very surprised. I actually saw it [Wednesday] and I was like — basically the first thing I said, in the car with my wife, was, 'What the hell?' It was very shocking to me. But you know, it's not surprising. We were on a roll, and of course, all this comes out when you get a loss. Whatever. It is what it is."
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Former Vikings linebacker Ben Leber also denied the book's claim.
To refute the rumor, I never heard of any bounty program existing within #Vikings locker room. We had incentives for big plays, not injuries
— Ben Leber (@nacholeber) October 26, 2016
It's the second time this week something included in Pearlman's book has been disputed by players mentioned.
Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said an anecdote claiming he called Favre "Grandpa" during their first meeting is false.