100 games/99 starts
Has started 99 straight games and a pair of playoff games over the past 7 seasons at LT…Has started every game but one in his career (99/100), playing in but not starting his 1st career game vs. NY Giants (11/10/02)...Started the following week vs. Green Bay (11/17/02) and kicked off his current streak of starts…Agreed to long-term contract extension heading into 2006 season opener at Washington…Since entering the league and taking over starting LT job, the Vikings’ offense has posted 3 top-five offensive rankings (#1-2003, #2-2002, #4-2004) and ranked #1 in the NFL in rushing in 2004 and 2007….Teams with perennial All-Pro G Steve Hutchinson to form one of the best left sides in the NFL…Drafted #7 overall pick in the 2002 NFL Draft…Was the team’s highest draft choice since Chris Doleman was selected #4 in 1985...The 2nd highest OL choice in team history behind Ron Yary, the #1 pick in 1968...Joins Yary as the 2nd Outland Trophy winner the Vikings have drafted.
2008 Helped Adrian Peterson become the 1st Vikings RB to lead the NFL in rushing and set a new Vikings single-season rushing record with 1,760 yards and establish new team record with 10 games over the 100-yard mark…Started all 12 regular season games he played and the NFC Wild Card game vs. Philadelphia (1/4/09)…Protected QB Gus Frerotte as he connected with WR Bernard Berrian on the longest scrimmage play in Vikings history and tied for the longest in NFL history with a 99-yard passing TD vs. Chicago (11/30).
2007 Continued to raise his level of play and was recognized as a Pro Bowl alternate...Received votes in Associated Press All-Pro balloting...Paved the way for the Vikings running game to rank #1 in the NFL and the offense ranked #13 overall, a 10-spot jump from 2006…Key element of the Vikings running game that set a team record with 2,634 yards on the ground and tied a team record with 8 games featuring a 100-yard rusher… Helped set a team record for rushing average at 5.33 yards per carry...Paved the way for Adrian Peterson to set a new NFL record with 296 rushing yards in a game vs. San Diego (11/4) and ran for 224 yards at Chicago (10/14), a team record before he broke his own mark with his performance against San Diego…Peterson became the 1st NFL rookie to break the 200-yard rushing mark twice in their debut season…Helped Peterson and Chester Taylor set a Vikings record for combined rushing yards by a tandem. 2006 Started all 16 games for the 4th consecutive season… Helped Chester Taylor rush for 1,216 yards, the 4thbest performance in team history…Paved the way for Taylor to rush for 100+ yards 4 times during the season… Helped write Vikings history as Taylor ran for a teamrecord 95-yard TD run at Seattle (10/22) and tied the 6thbest rushing day in team history with 169 yards on the ground…Paved the way for Artose Pinner as he posted his 1st career 100-yard rushing day with 125 yards at Detroit (12/10) in his 1st start as a Viking. 2005 The only Vikings offensive player to start all 16 games…Protected Vikings QBs as they set a team record for the most games without an INT on the season with 9…Helped Brad Johnson lead the NFL with an interception percentage of 1.4%, as he threw only 4 picks in 294 attempts...The Vikings went 3-0 in games with a 100-yard rusher…Paved the way for Michael Bennett to rush for 100 yards for the 9th time in his career vs. Detroit (11/6)...Helped Mewelde Moore break the 100-yard mark vs. New Orleans (9/25) and at Green Bay (11/21) on Monday Night Football. 2004 Opened all 16 regular season games and both playoff games...Helped protect QB Daunte Culpepper’s blind side as he posted the best season by a Vikings QB in franchise history and earned a berth in the Pro Bowl...Helped pave the way for the #4-ranked offense in the NFL that averaged a team-record 396.2 yards per game...Opened holes for rookie RB Mewelde Moore to rush for consecutive 100-yard games at New Orleans (10/17) and vs. Tennessee (10/24), including posting the 3rd-best rushing total by a Vikings rookie with 138 yards vs. Tennessee (10/24)...Forced out of game at Detroit (12/19) with back spasms and was replaced by rookie Nat Dorsey, but bounced back to start the following game vs. Green Bay (12/24)...Returned to play a Monday Night game and a playoff game in Philadelphia, the 1st time returning to his home area as an NFL player. 2003 Started all 16 games at LT…Was part of a line that opened all 16 games as a unit, 1 of only 5 teams in the NFL in 2003 to accomplish that feat…Helped pave the way for the Vikings’ offense to rank #1 in the NFL for the first time in team history…Blocked for Moe Williams (745), Onterrio Smith (579), Michael Bennett (447), and Daunte Culpepper (422), who each rushed for 400+ yards, the 1st time in franchise history the Vikings had 4 players rush for 400+ yards…Part of a line that opened the way for Williams, Bennett, and Smith to each break the 100-yard mark in games, only the 2nd time in team history that the team had 3 players rush for 100-yard games. 2002 Stepped into starting lineup a week after signing with the team and opened the final 7 games of the season... Started 1st career game vs. Green Bay (11/17), becoming the 1st Vikings rookie to start at LT since Todd Steussie in 1994...Saw 1st NFL action at LT vs. NY Giants (11/10), splitting time with Everett Lindsay...Helped pave the way for Michael Bennett to earn a Pro Bowl berth and run for 1,296 yards...One of 5 Miami players drafted in the 1st round of the draft, tying an NFL Draft record set by USC in 1968...Was the 1st of 11 Hurricanes players drafted in 2002, 3 from the ‘Canes O-line.
Consensus All-America and Outland Trophy winner as a senior for the 2001 National Champs...Played two seasons at Miami after transferring from Lackawanna Junior College...Named National Player of the Year by CNN/Sports Illustrated as a senior...Finished 8th in 2001Heisman voting, receiving 26 1st-place votes...In 2000, earned All-America honors by The Sports Xchange and Football News...Unanimous All-Big East selection...Redshirted at Miami in 1999 after transferring from Lackawanna Junior College in Scranton, PA...Did not allow a sack during his high school or college career.
2001 Consensus first-team All-America selection...Unanimous first-team All-Big East Conference choice...Named National Player of the Year by CNN/Sports Illustrated...National Offensive Player of the Year finalist by Football News...Named the winner of the Outland Trophy recognizing the finest interior lineman in college football...Finished eighth in voting for the Heisman Trophy (received 26 first-place votes)...Led a Miami offense that was the nation's most balanced, averaging 454.8 yards per game (eighth in the nation) and 43.2 points per game (third nationally)...Keyed an offense that averaged 5.3 yards per rushing attempt and scored 25 rushing touchdowns in the regular season...Earned Offensive MVP honors by the coaching staff three times...Mainstay of an offensive line that allowed just three quarterback sacks in the regular season...Led the team with 134 knockdowns and graded 87.4 percent for blocking consistency.2000 All-America first-team pick by The Sports Xchange and Football News...Unanimous All-Big East Conference first-team choice...Was awarded the Offensive Lineman of the Year Award by the Miami coaching staff...Blossomed into a force for the Hurricanes in his first season of play at UM...Did not allow a quarterback sack during the 2000 season... Recorded 117 knockdown blocks and graded 84.5 percent for blocking consistency as he paced an offense that averaged 460.8 yards per game...Played a major role in Miami's pass protection on a line that allowed only eight sacks in 340 pass plays in the regular season...Also helped pave the way for a 1,000-yard season by tailback James Jackson, just the fifth time a Miami back has surpassed the 1,000-yard plateau.1999 Spent season as a member of the scout team.1998 NJCAA and JC Gridwire first-team All-American at Lackawanna (Scranton, PA) Junior College...Made the move to the offensive line at Lackawanna...Was a 1998 Northeast Football Conference All-Star as Lackawanna claimed its second straight conference championship.1997 Helped Lackawanna to a conference title and a 9-2 record as a freshman in '97.
Joined his mother and grandmother to participate in the 2008 Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure at Mall of America...Hosted Laureus Sport for Good Foundation celebrity fundraiser in Miami during 2008 offseason, an organization started by Dr. Nelson Mandela that helps needy children worldwide through the positive power of sport...Donated a coach bus to his home church, St. Mathews Baptist in Williamstown, NJ, for events and trips...Donated complete weight room to Lackawanna Junior College in Pennsylvania, where he played for 2 seasons prior to transferring to Miami…Majored in sociology... Interested in the music industry and working with recording artists...Participated in the NFL Moms fashion shows in recent offseasons...Has donated equipment to and coached musician Luther Campbell’s Pop Warner football team...Worked with Twin Cities Habitat For Humanity in summer 2008.