Harrison Smith’s weekly coffee with Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell has been one part of a special season for both of them and the entire team.

A member of the Minnesota Star Tribune’s Detroit traveling party commented to Vikings safety Harrison Smith on how he was moving around the losing locker room like someone a decade or so older than some of his teammates.

With his 36th birthday approaching in February, Vikings safety Harrison Smith knows his place as a veteran on an upstart team. His coaches understand it, too, and are grateful for the elder statesman's contributions.