EAGAN, Minn. — Josh Ross was almost as excited about the catch as the youngster he threw it to.

"Ball, ball, ball!"

The Vikings linebacker amped up the young man as he sprinted around tackling dummies and pivoted to pluck the football out of the air, then pumped his fists into the air in celebration.

"You got it!" Ross encouraged him, patting him on the back as he sprinted back to repeat the drill.

Ross joined Vikings teammates, Vikings staff members and U.S. Bank volunteers at the organizations' annual Team Up to Give Back event last week and spent time with elementary school students from Valley View and Hmong International Academy. During two sessions (one for each school), more than 800 students participated in on-field activities, visited the Vikings Table food truck, got their faces painted and perused a pop-up Scholastic Book Fair. Each child was able to choose three books, courtesy of the Vikings and U.S. Bank.

Ross, who joined the Vikings in December, emphasized the incredible opportunity to make a difference in the lives of youth.

"This is something special," he said. "I remember when I was a kid going to football camps and seeing NFL players, and it was just the time of my life. Being able to be that person now is amazing."

As a young football player growing up in Detroit, Ross attended Reggie McKenzie football camps near Detroit, hearing about and looking up to the former NFL guard. He also looked up to Allen Robinson II, who was two years older than Ross' older brother and a star on St. Mary's Prep varsity football team. Robinson went on to play collegiately at Penn State and then spent 11 seasons in the NFL.

The impact Robinson made on Ross was immeasurable.

"When I was, like, 10 years old, I used to be in that dude's ear all the time," Ross laughed.

Now entering his fifth year in the NFL, he's thankful to give back to young people in the Twin Cities community.

Hmong International Academy Principal Gao Xiong expressed gratitude toward Ross and his teammates for taking time out of their day to connect with students.

"Especially with the demographics of students and families who we serve at our school, football players are usually just people they see on TV," Xiong said. "So this is definitely a larger-than-life kind of experience for them.

"It's just a wonderful opportunity," she continued, "especially with everything that we've been through this year in the metro area. We've had to cancel a lot of our own school events, so coming out here and knowing they're getting the experience before leaving for summer is just a really good feeling."

Vikings rookies volunteered with Valley View students during the morning session and matched the enthusiasm brought by students.

Caleb Banks, Minnesota's 2026 first-round draft pick, took a few opportunities to "steal" the mic and cheer on the children as they tried their hand at various football skills, and the entire group of first-year players formed a high-five line at the event's end.

Tight end Ben Yurosek first participated in Team Up to Give Back last spring, and he jumped at the chance to be involved again this year.

"Giving back to the community, it's what it's all about. Being a Viking, it's here in the culture," Yurosek said. "It's honestly so cool to see the smiles and joy and teach these kids a little bit about football, a little bit about life. I'm trying to give back the way other people did for me.

"It's allowing these kids to see one day, with hard work, determination, what they can become," Yurosek added. "And obviously I want to be a good role model. I think that's huge. But it's not even just for the kids; it does a lot for us as players, too."

Veteran running back Aaron Jones, Sr., voiced similar sentiments and recalled his oft-repeated motto, "If you can see it, you can touch it, it's attainable."

"It doesn't matter where you come from, your circumstances," Jones said. "That's one thing about this Vikings locker room that's kind of inspirational. You have people from all different walks of life, different backgrounds, have overcome different things. Some people may have come up in an underprivileged home, had less finances as others, but they found a way to get here. So just being a resource for these kids and letting 'em know, 'Hey, we weren't always here, but we continued to work day after day, no matter what obstacle popped up.' And we want to help put smiles on their faces."

Xiong noted the importance of diversity and representation, and the significance of young people from different backgrounds looking up to athletes who share a similar cultural or family experience.

"They are more than capable of doing anything they want to do — but they have to have that belief in themselves," Xiong said. "And I think when you see other people who look like you, you can say … 'They did it; I can do it, too.' But if you don't have that, you can really continue doubting yourself, especially if you don't have a strong support system behind you.

"We hear about athletes who come from [difficult situations] but were so determined and laser-focused on their goals," Xiong said, "And I hope these players can help my students understand, too, that if they want it, they can get it."

See the Vikings 2026 Schedule.

View future opponents for the Vikings.

Buy single game tickets.

Download the official Vikings App.

See more about the 2028 NFL Draft in Minnesota.