TMZ Sports has obtained footage of Everson Griffen moments after he jumped out of an ambulance on his way to a mental health evaluation ... and you can hear cops talking football to Griffen in an effort to calm him down.
It all went down on Sept. 22 after cops had been called on the Minnesota Vikings star following a string of bizarre and troubling behavior in the Minnesota area.
As we previously reported, Griffen allegedly threatened to shoot somebody at a hotel, wandered into a teammate's yard and forced a stranger to drive him around town against his will.
Cops ultimately got Griffen to agree to take an ambulance to a nearby hospital to be evaluated -- but he jumped out during the ride fearing someone was trying to harm him.
When cops approach Griffen, you can hear him saying, "I jumped out because I was scared for my life."
Griffen then explains that someone in the ambulance was "digging in his pocket pulling out something. He was digging in his pocket pulling out something and I called him. They had gloves on there’s something in here and they tried to get me. I’m not crazy."
Griffen mentioned that he plays for the Vikings -- and cops began talking football with him. That's when everything starts to cool down.
Ultimately, cops got Griffen to agree to get back in the ambulance and they took him to the hospital without further incident.
Griffen has since apologized for the incidents and said he is "focused on resolving personal issues with which I have been dealing for a long time."