Vikings’ Cam Dantzler honors late friend, Cardinals CB Jeff Gladney on cleats

Minnesota Vikings cornerback Cam Dantzler honored his late friend and former teammate Jeff Gladney with customized cleats Sunday ahead of a matchup against the Arizona Cardinals.

Gladney, who began his NFL career with the Vikings in 2020 before signing with the Cardinals last offseason, died in a vehicle crash in May.

Dantzler at the time tweeted he lost a brother and could not hold back tears.

The 24-year-old wore cleats in warmups Sunday with he and Gladney standing next to each other in their Vikings jerseys.

.@camdantzler3 is honoring his late friend and former @Vikings teammate, Jeff Gladney, with his cleats today. 💜💛 pic.twitter.com/tXbq1JOMOs

— NFL (on London time ☕️🇬🇧) (@NFL) October 30, 2022

Dantzler posted during the summer that he planned to dedicate this season to Gladney.

Gladney was a first-round pick by the Vikings in 2020, and the Cardinals signed him in March to have a prominent role in the secondary this season.

He was 25 years old when he died.

“We are devastated to learn of Jeff Gladney’s passing,” the Cardinals said in a statement following the incident. “Our hearts go out to his family, friends and all who are mourning this tremendous loss.”

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