GAMES/STARTS (regular season, playoffs) 2008 (16/0, 1/0), 2009 (16/16, 2/2), 2010 (14/14), 2011 (15/15). Total-61/45, 3/2.
- Enters 4th season as the Vikings full-time starter in 2012 as the club’s most consistent lineman.
- 3-time state wrestling champion as a prep in Connecticut.
- Attended same high school as NFL great Steve Young.
OFF THE FIELD College roommate with Vikings TE John Carlson during their playing days at Notre Dame...Active in Twin Cities community with visits to the University of Minnesota Amplatz Children’s Hospital...Avid sporting clays shooter at Minnesota Horse and Hunt Club, competing in league shooting the past 3 years...Active with youth outdoor mentoring activities through the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources...Graduated with degree in marketing in spring semester 2007 and played his senior season of football at Notre Dame in graduate studies...Attended same high school as former 49ers great Steve Young...Excelled in wrestling, winning heavyweight state titles as a sophomore, junior and senior and placed 7th in national meet.
GAMES/STARTS (regular season, playoffs) 2008 (16/0, 1/0), 2009 (16/16, 2/2), 2010 (14/14), 2011 (15/15). Total-61/45, 3/2.
- Enters 4th season as the Vikings full-time starter in 2012 as the club’s most consistent lineman.
- 3-time state wrestling champion as a prep in Connecticut.
- Attended same high school as NFL great Steve Young.
OFF THE FIELD College roommate with Vikings TE John Carlson during their playing days at Notre Dame...Active in Twin Cities community with visits to the University of Minnesota Amplatz Children’s Hospital...Avid sporting clays shooter at Minnesota Horse and Hunt Club, competing in league shooting the past 3 years...Active with youth outdoor mentoring activities through the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources...Graduated with degree in marketing in spring semester 2007 and played his senior season of football at Notre Dame in graduate studies...Attended same high school as former 49ers great Steve Young...Excelled in wrestling, winning heavyweight state titles as a sophomore, junior and senior and placed 7th in national meet.
PRO Has started all 45 regular season games and both playoff contests he has played over the past 3 seasons...Agreed to long-term contract extension late in the 2011 season...Has helped RB Adrian Peterson rush for 1,000+ yards and 12+ TDs in 2009 and 2010, including team-record 18 TDs in 2009...Joined rookie RT Phil Loadholt in 2009 as new starters along the Vikings line...Held down middle of the Vikings line in 2009, his 1st season as a starter, opening all 16 games and both playoff contests...Was the 4th C drafted in 2008 and became the 1st Notre Dame C drafted since 2003 when Jeff Faine was taken by Cleveland in the 1st round...The last Notre Dame C the Vikings drafted was Dave Huffman, #43 in 1979...The last Irish player selected by the Vikings was Vikings Radio Network color analyst Pete Bercich, #211 in 1994...Recruited to Notre Dame and played his freshman and sophomore seasons under former Vikings assistant coach Tyrone Willingham.
2011 Opened the 15 games he played...Helped Adrian Peterson break the 100-yard mark 2 times during the season, Toby Gerhart record his 1st career 100-yard rushing game and QB Joe Webb to go for 100+ yards...Paved way for Vikings rushing offense to rank #4 in the NFL, averaging 144.9 yards per game...Peterson broke the Vikings career rushing TDs record and came within 66 yards of the career rushing yards record during the season.
2010 Battled back from injuries to start 14 games...Snapped to 3 different starting QBs during the season- Brett Favre, Tarvaris Jackson and Joe Webb...Missed game at NY Jets (10/11) and vs. Dallas (10/17)...Fought through calf injury during preseason and early season, but rebounded to start final 12 games of season...Helped Peterson rush for 1,298 yards, the 5th-best single-season mark in team history...For the final 5 games of the season, he anchored a line that had a rookie LG, Chris DeGeare, and newly-tabbed starter, Ryan Cook, at RG after injuries to regular starters Steve Hutchinson and Anthony Herrera.
2009 Had impressive debut season as a starter, starting every game during the regular season and playoffs...Helped Vikings offense rank #5 in the NFL and ranked #8 in passing offense, a 17-position jump from the previous season...Paved the way for Adrian Peterson to rush for 1,383 yards and set a Vikings record with 18 rushing TDs...Protected QB Brett Favre, who joined the team following training camp, to post his best statistical season...Along with rookie RT Phil Loadholt, made debut as a starter along the line.
2008 Played in all 16 regular season games and the Wild Card Playoff contest vs. Philadelphia (1/4/09)...Saw time on special teams as part of kickoff return unit.
COLLEGE Starter in BCS Bowl games as a sophomore and junior, opening the Sugar Bowl vs. LSU as a junior and Fiesta Bowl vs. Ohio State as a sophomore...Guided Irish to 10-3 mark in 2006 and 9-3 record in 2005...Played final 3 seasons in South Bend under former New England Patriots offensive coordinator Charlie Weis...Played in 47 and started 43 games for the Irish...Paved the way for a 1,000-yard rusher as a sophomore and junior and protected Brady Quinn as a sophomore and junior as he threw for 3,000 yards...Served as 1 of 5 Irish captains as a senior...Preseason All-America choice by Street & Smith as a senior...Started all 12 games as a sophomore.
PREP Named Gatorade’s Connecticut Player of the Year as a senior at Greenwich High...Named All-America by SuperPrep and Parade while earning 2nd-team notice by USA Today and ESPN.com...Selected to U.S. Army All-America Bowl game in San Antonio...Helped team to 12-1-1 mark as a senior and a berth in the state title game...Posted 138-6 record as a heavyweight wrestler, winning 3 state championships.
