'One eye or two, I'll be back': Zimmer determined to coach despite eye problems
— -- MINNEAPOLIS -- Minnesota Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said on Friday he will return to coaching the team even if vision problems in his right eye eventually cause him to lose his sight.
"I don't want to go blind in this eye," he said. "If that's what it is, that's what it is. This will not keep me from coaching."
Zimmer said in a conference call with reporters that he is scheduled to meet with a doctor on June 5 in Minnesota seeking clearance to return to work. Zimmer missed this week's OTAs while recovering from his eighth surgery on his right eye since last fall. He has been resting at his Kentucky ranch, in what he said was a mandated absence from the team designed to give him time to recover. In between fishing trips and walks around his property, he has been watching film of the Vikings' practices, texting players observations from what he's seen, and conducting conference calls with his coaching staff.
He's unable to fly because of sensitivity to air pressure, so he will drive 12 hours back to Minnesota the day before his doctor's appointment. But the coach quashed any thought that his eye issues might cause him to retire.
"One eye or two, I'll be back," Zimmer said.
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