MINNEAPOLIS - Vice President Joe Biden joked about his role at the Republican National Convention next week, telling a group of press he would be a featured speaker in Tampa.

"Any of you going to be in Florida?" Biden asked reporters during a campaign stop. "Well, I'm the speaker at the convention. I'm gonna be down there."

Earlier in the day, the Obama campaign announced Biden would spend time in Florida on Monday and Tuesday, including stops in Tampa, where the GOP will hold its convention next week.

Biden popped into football practice at Minneapolis South High School, the home of the Tigers, Tuesday afternoon. When a player asked him if he and Obama were going to "put Mitt Romney down," Biden was careful to answer, saying he'd rephrase the question so the press wouldn't misconstrue his answer.

"Are Obama and I going to put Mitt Romney down? Well the answer is, just because the way the press is I will rephrase your question because if we say put down I'm going to hear the headlines now. 'Biden says Obama will put down,' but I think we're going to win this race."

Get more pure politics at ABCNews.com/Politics and a lighter take on the news at OTUSNews.com