EAGAN, Minn. — Demond Claiborne's mom respected his need to focus but sprinkled in notes of encouragement here and there.

The Vikings running back spoke to Twin Cities media members following Friday's rookie minicamp practice and smiled as he expressed gratitude for his mother, Tomeka, emphasizing the support and sacrifice she's shown throughout his life.

In leaving his hometown of Aylett, Virginia, for Minnesota, Demond reminded Tomeka he needed to stay locked in to football.

"I kind of told her, like, 'Hey, don't call that phone for a little bit. Let me get adjusted. Let me get settled in.' Because I was a little homesick yesterday and all," Demond said. "And she was like, 'OK, baby, I got you.'

"She'll send me a text every now and then and just let me know that she's still supporting me, watching me and looking over me," he added. "I just appreciate [her and my brothers] and am super excited to represent that Claiborne name and also represent the Minnesota Vikings."

A single mom of five boys, including twins — Demond and Damien — Tomeka has worked three jobs for years to ensure her sons have opportunities. Most mornings, Demond would step outside to walk to an early morning workout and wave goodbye to Tomeka as she started a long drive to work from their remote town.

Tomeka's long hours meant she often wasn't able to be "hands-on" in Demond's football journey — but she's impacted the experience more than she knows.

"Seeing how hard she attacked her business is what allowed me to continue to attack mine," he said. "She was motivated doing her thing, and for that I'm so appreciative."

Demond shined at King William High School, where he played wide receiver and running back as a freshman before focusing more heavily on the latter position. He served as a team captain during his senior season and racked up 2,946 rushing yards and 52 touchdowns (47 rushing, four receiving and a kickoff return). He helped lead King William to the state title game, where he posted 242 rushing yards and 109 receiving yards.

At the collegiate level, Demond totaled 558 carries for 2,599 yards and 26 touchdowns over four seasons at Wake Forest.

He went on to impress at the NFL Scouting Combine with a 40-yard dash time of 4.37 seconds and a 20-yard split of 2.59 seconds before Minnesota drafted him 198^th overall last month.

Demond is grateful to have completed the pre-draft whirlwind and return where he's happiest: the green grass of a football field.

"Now that I know where my home is, my focus is now laser-focused on the Minnesota Vikings and this organization and my teammates," he said. "It's really just being able to stay homed in on football things, and being able to do football with my brothers is what I'm most excited about."

Last week, that meant lots of time with his first-year pros. But Demond and the other rookies this week joined Minnesota veteran players, and he's excited to learn from the likes Aaron Jones, Sr., and Jordan Mason.

He called it "an amazing thing" to share a position room with players who have "been doing it at such a high level for a long time," and he noted Vikings running backs coach Curtis Modkins has emphasized the importance of paying close attention to the veterans' approaches to the game.

Demond has enjoyed Modkins' coaching philosophy and the directness he uses with his players.

"Having a coach that's very honest makes this a little easier because I know exactly what I have to do," Demond said. "He's been straightforward with me, letting me know there's certain things I [can] continue to improve on. Having a coach like that with positive words and good things to say [and who's] being real is just definitely something I appreciate."

While confident in what he brings to the table, Demond also recognizes the opportunity to significantly grow his game and is looking forward to the entire experience on and off the field.

"From my playing ability, I bring a lot of explosiveness to this offense. The ability to break long runs, make people miss in tight spaces, to generate those explosive plays and take the ball to the house — 60, 70 yards. From a physical standpoint, that's what I bring to the Minnesota Vikings," Demond said. "But just overall emotional, mental, I think I'm a great teammate. I love my teammates.

"I want to know the guys and what they have going on," he added. "I'm an energy guy in the locker room, like to crack jokes and laugh and stuff, so really just being the best version of myself for the guys around me is what I'm excited about."

From "the middle of nowhere" to now being in Minnesota and having a shot at an NFL career, Demond doesn't take for granted where he's come from or where he's going.

He plans on making his mom and brothers proud.

"I'm the first out of my high school, out of my county, everything, to do this — go to college, do all of that," Demond said. "So being able to be the ear, be the voice, for my community back home — for my brothers, for my family — has been amazing to me. Being able to step into this life, and for my family to see me playing at the biggest stage, this definitely is an opportunity, and I'm super grateful and ready to attack every day."

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