How Do You Actually Say Vikings Center Blake Brandel's Name?

Coming into Minnesota Vikings Training Camp, there have been a few questions about the team's center position on the offensive line.

One of the questions is how will converted offensive tackle Blake Brandel pan out as a center this year, especially with a new quarterback? He started camp as the presumed starter on the depth chart after Ryan Kelly retired in the offseason after concussion issues.

Besides wondering how shifting Brandel to a new role will work, another question is just how do you say Blake Brandel's name?

As Vikings Training Camp got underway in Eagan, there has been a growing buzz around how people have been saying Brandel's last name, with the question of whether people have been saying it wrong all along.

Ever since Blake was drafted by Minnesota in the 6th round of the 2020 NFL Draft, everyone has been pronouncing his name "Brand-ell". Looking at the spelling of his last name, that phonetically makes sense, doesn't it?

Somehow, after going several years with the team, questions started popping up in 2026 about if we've all been saying his name wrong all along.

I'm guessing the shift to a pivotal new role on the Vikings offensive line is the reason for the extra attention.

Anyway, I was at Vikings Training Camp at the beginning of this week with the team from the FAN 106.5's weekly show "The Northland Sports Page", when hosts Brian Prudhomme and Dave Cook chatted with some players after practice.

In a conversation with the Vikings offensive lineman, the first thing Brian asked was how Blake actually pronounces his last name. Here's what he said:

So, it isn't "Brand-ell". It's "Brandle". All of us Minnesotans can collectively say "Ope" after pronouncing his name wrong for the last few years.

If you want to hear the rest of the interview with Blake, as well as interviews with rookies Domonique "Big Citrus" Orange and Caleb Banks, veteran safety Joshua Metellus and other Vikings talk including a chat with Vikings Entertainment Network reporter Tatum Everett, tune in from 8 am to 10 am on the FAN 106.5 this Saturday (August 22) or catch it on demand on the station website northlandfan.com.

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Do note, this show is 2 hours earlier than when it normally airs (10 am - noon) because of pregame coverage for the Vikings' second preseason game against the Ravens. That pregame coverage starts at 10 am with kickoff at noon.