Team

GAMES/STARTS (regular season, playoffs) 2010 (1/0-Minn), 2011 (16/3-Minn), 2012 (16/0, 1/0). Total- 33/3, 1/0.

• • Scored 1st career TD on a 77-yd PR at Detroit (9/30/12) and helped Vikings match a team record with a PR and KOR in the same game when Percy Harvin had a 105-yd KOR TD in the game.
• • Local product attended Rochester John Marshall High and University of Minnesota.

OFF THE FIELD  Earned bachelor’s degree in political science in spring 2010...Aspires to attend law school after his playing career...Older brother, Mike, played LB for the Gophers from 2004-07 and captained the team as a junior and senior...Brother, Mike, now serves on Gophers coaching staff....Earned Academic All-Big Ten as a sophomore...Joins TE John Carlson (Litchfield, MN) and Adam Thielen (Detroit Lakes, MN) as the only Minnesota in-state products on the Vikings roster.

PRO Became the 10th player in Vikings history to return a punt for a TD with a 77-yard return for a score at Detroit (9/30/12), the 7th-longest punt return in team history and the 6th-longest PR TD in team history...Notched 1st Vikings PR TD since 2008...Ranks 5th in Vikings hitory with an 8.7 yard career punt return average...Worked his way up from rookie free agent to seeing game action in 2010 regular season finale at Detroit (1/2/11)...Signed as a rookie free agent on 5/4/10 after performance in Vikings rookie camp where he participated on a tryout basis.

2012 Handled all punt return duties and tied for team-high in kickoff returns....Ranked 7th in NFC in PR average at 9.0 yards per..Scored 1st career TD on a 77-yard punt return at Detroit (9/23), helping match a Vikings-record with a punt return and KO return in the same game when Percy Harvin also scored on a 105-yard KOR TD...The Vikings set an NFL record by posting their 3rd all-time game with a PR TD and KOR TD in the same game in club history...His 77-yard PR TD is the 1st since 2008 for the Vikings and ranks as the 7th-longest PR in team history...Returned 16 kickoffs during the season, tied with Percy Harvin for the team-lead...Had a pair of season-long 41-yard KO returns during season, vs. Detroit (11/11) and vs. Green Bay (12/30)...Along with 77-yard PR score, he notched a 25-yard PR vs. Green Bay (12/30) in regular season finale.

2011 Moved from special teams role to start 3 games as a CB or nickel back as injuries took their toll on the Vikings backfield...Handled all punt return duties and tied for 2nd on team with 16 kickoff returns...Earned 1st career start vs. Arizona (10/9), the 1st win of the season...Notched the Vikings longest punt return of season with 53-yarder vs. Detroit (9/25) and the 3rd-longest kickoff return with a 78-yarder at Carolina (10/30)...Helped Vikings post a team-record 26.9-yard kickoff return average as a team...Started other 2 games of season vs. New Orleans (12/18) and at Washington (12/24)...Notched 1st career sack against Aaron Rodgers vs. Green Bay (10/23)...Had career-high 6 tackles vs. New Orleans (12/18)...Tied for 6th in Vikings history with 90 punt return yards in a game vs. Detroit (9/25)...Helped Vikings special teams unit lead the NFL with 3 players posting a 60+ kickoff return during the season, joining Percy Harvin (104, 103t), Lorenzo Booker (68) and adding a 78-yarder himself...Had season-high 5 punt returns vs. Oakland (11/20).

2010 Impressed the Vikings coaches’ enough to earn a spot on the 2010 practice squad...Released on 9/28/10 but was re-signed to the practice squad 10/13/10...Spent a total of 15 weeks on the 8-man practice squad in 2010...Signed to the Vikings’ active roster on 12/31/10 and made his NFL debut in Detroit on 1/2/11.

COLLEGE Worked his way from walk-on to full-time starter as a junior and senior at CB for the Gophers...Excelled on special teams during career as a return man and in coverage...Had a pair of INTs as a junior and senior...Notched an 88-yard fumble return as a senior.

PREP Earned Honorable Mention All-State as a senior RB at Rochester John Marshall...Standout in basketball.