Sherels making his mark with Vikings

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — Marcus Sherels is listed at 5-foot-10 on the Minnesota Vikings roster. But he’s probably closer to 5-8. On his tiptoes.

The odds have been stacked against him for most of his football life. He came to the University of Minnesota as a receiver and switched to defensive back midway through his career. He wasn’t even an undrafted free agent after playing on one of the worst defenses in the country, settling for a tryout with his hometown Vikings before last season.

Somehow, he’s stuck around.

He spent most of last season on the practice squad and returned an interception for a touchdown in the preseason victory over the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday. In a muddled Vikings secondary, Sherels is doing all he can to make the decision a difficult one.