Minnesota Vikings home fans got every bit of their money’s worth out of Monday night’s football festivities, with U.S. Bank Stadium putting on a show to complement the primetime showdown against the Buffalo Bills.
During an early break in play, the NFL presented its signature “Salute to Service” moment at midfield. Standing on the turf were the two daughters and parents of Master Sergeant Kelsey McLeod, who was in attendance to surprise her family.
Dressed in her fatigues, McLeod walked out from behind them as the stadium cameras caught her daughters turning around. The girls were in disbelief before sprinting into their mother’s arms.
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Her parents joined seconds later, embracing the returning service member for the first time in an astounding 473 days following her overseas tour in Korea.
An ovation grew from the roughly 66,000 fans in attendance, with players and coaches on both sidelines pausing to watch the heartwarming scene.
The energy carried into halftime as Minnesota officially inducted legendary running back Adrian Peterson into the Vikings Ring of Honor as its 29th member. Peterson, the franchise’s all-time leading rusher, came out, and it was a shot of adrenaline for the Vikings faithful.
WNBA star Olivia Miles was also spotted on the turf in an unexpected cameo, patrolling the sidelines as a guest celebrity photographer with her camera in hand.
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