• The Minnesota Vikings nominee for the 2017 and 2018 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award.
• Received $25,000 for the charity of his choice by earning the most votes in the Walter Payton Man of the Year Charity Challenge on social media.
• Has started 65 consecutive games, a franchise record among TEs and the longest active streak among active NFL TEs.
• Has recorded 386 career receptions and 3,787 career receiving yards, trailing only Steve Jordan for the franchise lead in both categories.
• Holds the record for most career TD receptions by a TE in franchise history with 41, and is 5th all-time among all Viking players.
OFF THE FIELD Married Jordan during 2016 offseason and has since welcomed three children, twin girls Andersyn and Finley, and son, Henry..Named the Minnesota Vikings Community Man of the Year in 2017 and 2018...Partnered with University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital to develop Kyle Rudolph's End Zone, a play area for children receiving treatment and their families...Has spent countless hours at Masonic Children's Hospital hosting and participating in events, such as his annual Holiday Huddles...Visited Iceland during the 2017 offseason with teammates DT Linval Joseph and DE Danielle Hunter as a part of the team's Viking Heritage trip...Majored in management-consulting at Notre Dame and is 2 semesters shy of earning his degree...Member of National Honor Society at Cincinnati's Elder High...Active with the Vikings Fuel Up To Play 60 initiative with the Vikings and Midwest Dairy Association, a program that works with local schools to raise awareness about proper diet and physical fitness...Has worked closely with the Minnesota Muscular Dystrophy Association "Muscle Team."
HONORS Winner of the 2018 Walter Payton Man of the Year Challenge, earning $25,000 from Nationwide to donate to the University of Minnesota Mason Children's Hospital...Named the Minnesota Vikings Community Man of the Year in both 2017 and 2018...Selected to the Pro Bowl in 2012 and 2017...Named 2012 Pro Bowl MVP...Earned All-Rookie honors from Pro Football Weekly and National Football Post.
PRO Selected to 2012 Pro Bowl and named Pro Bowl MVP, an honor only won by 4 other Vikings - Fran Tarkenton, Ahmad Rashad, Randy Moss and Adrian Peterson...Earned Pro Bowl honors in 2017...Became only the 4th Vikings TE selected to play in the Pro Bowl...Climbed atop the Vikings record books for most career TDs by a TE (29) and most receptions in a single-season by a TE (83) in club history in 2016...Has caught a TD from 6 different Viking starting QBs since 2011 (Christian Ponder, Joe Webb, Matt Cassel, Teddy Bridgewater, Sam Bradford and Case Keenum)...In 2012, scored 9 TDs, the 2nd most in a season by a Vikings TE and tied for the 2nd-most by an NFL TE in 2012...Tied Vikings record for TDs in a game by a TE with 2 vs. San Francisco (9/23/12)...Scored all 3 of his TDs in the final 7 games of his rookie year...Was the 1st TE selected in the 2011 NFL Draft...Selected #43 overall, the 2nd-highest drafted TE in Vikings history behind Hal Bedsole (#19 overall) in 1964.
2018 Started all 16 games for the 5th time in his career, finishing the season with 64 receptions for 634 yards and 4 TDs...Turned in the best game of his career at Detroit (12/23), catching 9 passes on 9 targets for 122 yards (a career high) and 2 TDs, the 3rd multi-score game of his career. Helped spark the Vikings offense by scoring on a 44-yard Hail Mary as time expired in the 1st half, his 40th career TD and the 2nd-longest play of his career...Hauled in 3 receptions for 37 yards at New England (12/2) in his 100th career start...Tied a season high with 7 receptions (all in the 1st half) vs. Green Bay (11/25), totaling 63 yards...Registered 4 receptions for 37 yards vs. Arizona (10/14)...Grabbed 5 catches for 41 yards at Philadelphia (10/7), his 4th straight game of at least 5 receptions ...Made 5 receptions for 57 yards at Los Angeles (9/27), his 100th career game...Caught 5 passes for 48 yards and 1 TD vs. Buffalo (9/23)...Hauled in 7 receptions for 72 yards at Green Bay (9/16)...Began the season by catching an 11-yard TD pass vs. San Francisco (9/9).
2017 Started all 16 games for the 4th time in his career and totaled 532 yards on 57 receptions with 8 TDs to earn his 2nd trip to the Pro Bowl...Caught a 25-yard TD pass, his 1st career playoff score, at Philadelphia (1/21/18)...Hauled in 5 catches for 28 yards vs. New Orleans (1/14/18) in the Divisional Round as the Vikings clinched a berth to the NFC title game...Hauled in 1 pass for 3 yards vs. Chicago (12/31) as the Vikings clinched the 2nd best record in team history with their 13th win...Made 1 catch for 6 yards at Green Bay (12/23)...Battled through an ankle injury to help the Vikings clinch the NFC North for the 3rd time in his career with a win vs. Cincinnati (12/17), catching his 8th TD of the season, totaling 17 yards on 2 catches...Hauled in 3 receptions for 41 yards, including his 7th TD of the year and 4th in his last 3 games...Caught 4 passes for 36 yards and a TD at Atlanta (12/3), giving him 36 career TDs, breaking a tie for 5th all-time in Vikings history with ROH member Ahmad Rashad... Hauled in 4 passes for 63 yards and 2 TDs at Detroit (11/23) on Thanksgiving Day, the 2nd multi-TD game of his career...Set a new career-high with 6 consecutive games with at least 5 receptions, catching 5 passes for 58 yards vs. LA Rams (11/19)...Hauled in 5 catches for 37 yards at Washington (11/12)...Shared the team-lead with 6 receptions for 27 yards and his 3rd TD of the season vs. Cleveland (10/29) at Twickenham stadium in London, England as a part of the NFL's International series...Caught 5 passes for 43 yards vs. Baltimore (10/22)...Hauled in 5 passes for a season-high 47 yards vs. Green Bay (10/15)...Recorded season-highs with 6 catches for 45 yards and his 2nd TD grab of the year at Chicago (10/9)...Hauled in 2 passes for 34 yards vs. Detroit (10/1)...Tallied 1 reception for 4 yards vs. Tampa Bay (9/24)...Caught 4 passes for 45 yards at Pittsburgh (9/17)...Started at TE vs. New Orleans (9/11), hauling in 3 receptions for 26 yards and TD, his 30th career TD grab.
2016 Played in all 16 games in back-to-back seasons for the 1st time in his career...Capped 2016 off with the best single-game performance on his career vs. Chicago (1/1/17), hauling in a career-high 11 catches for a career-high 117 yards while breaking Steve Jordan's franchise-record with his 29th career TD reception...Hauled in a season-high 97 yards on 8 receptions at Indianapolis (12/18)...Totaled 4 receptions for 60 yards and his 6th TD of the year and 28th of his career at Jacksonville (12/11), tying Steve Jordan for the most career TDs by a TE in franchise history...Hauled in a game-high 9 catches for 64 yards at Detroit (11/24)...Totaled 5 receptions for 69 yards and a TD at Washington (11/13) his 2nd consecutive game with a TD...Hauled in his 4th TD reception of the year vs. Detroit (11/6)...Moved into 2nd place all-time for most receptions by a TE in Vikings history with 213 career grabs after grabbing 5 passes for 31 yards at Chicago (10/31)...Registered his 3rd consecutive game with a TD after hauling in 5 passes for 55 yards, including a 7-yard TD vs NY Giants (10/9)...Caught 7 passes for 70 yards while catching his 2nd TD of the year at Carolina (9/25)...Had 3 receptions for 31 yards and his 1st TD of the season and the first Vikings TD in U.S. Bank Stadium history vs. Green Bay (9/18)...Caught 4 passes for 65 yards at Tennessee (9/11) in the season opener.
2015 Played in every game, including Wild Card Playoff, starting every contest...Helped team win NFC North title for 1st time in his career...Earned 2nd career playoff berth...Cleared way for Adrian Peterson to lead the NFL in rushing with 1,485 yards on the ground...Had career-high 495 yards receiving and had 2nd-best totals of his career in receptions (49) and TDs (5)...Set single-game career high with 106 yards receiving vs. Green Bay (11/22), including a career-long 47-yard TD...Caught season-high 7 passes in win at Atlanta (11/29).
2014 Opened the season with a 7-yard TD reception from Matt Cassel in win at St. Louis (9/7)...Hampered by sports hernia and ankle injuries that would hold him out 7 weeks during the season...Had season-high 7 receptions and 69 receiving yards at Detroit (12/14)...2nd TD of the season came vs. Carolina (11/30) on the opening drive on a 4-yard TD toss from Teddy Bridgewater...Appeared in 9 games, making 8 starts.
2013 Had promising season cut short by injury after 30 catches and 3 TDs in the opening 8 games of the season...Placed on injured reserve on 12/9...Inactive for 5 games after foot injury suffered at Dallas...Caught 31-yard TD at Dallas (11/3), his longest play of the season, and injured foot on play...Hauled in 1st TD of the season on 20-yarder from Christian Ponder at Chicago (9/15)...Started season opener at Detroit (9/8) and caught 2 passes...Hauled in career-best 9 catches for career-best 97 yards and a 23-yard TD vs. Carolina (10/13)...Led team with 4 catches for 51 yards vs. Green Bay (10/27).
2012 Tabbed as Pro Bowl MVP after a 5-reception, 122-yard 1-TD effort in the all-star game...Late addition to Pro Bowl roster for NFC...Had breakout season with 9 TDs, the 2nd-most by a Vikings TE in a season in team history...His 9 TD catches were tied for 2nd-most by a TE in the NFL in 2012...Had career-best 2 TD catches vs. San Francisco (9/23), matching the Vikings single-game best by a TE...Caught a TD pass and 2-point conversion pass at Washington (10/14)...Hauled in 6-yard TD pass with 31 seconds remaining in game at Indianapolis (9/16) to tie game 20-20 after being down 20-6 entering the 4th quarter of game that Colts won on late FG 23-20...Pulled in career-high 7 catches vs. Detroit (11/11) and had a then career-best 67 yards vs. Jacksonville (9/9) in the season opener.
2011 Earned All-Rookie honors from Pro Football Weekly and National Football Post...Assumed larger role in offense as season progressed, catching all 3 of his TDs in the final 7 games of the season...Started 8 games and played in 15...Snared season-long 41-yard pass at Kansas City (10/2)...Had season-high 3 catches in 5 games...Scored 1st career TD on 1-yard pass from fellow rookie Christian Ponder vs. Oakland (11/20)...Hauled in TDs vs. Denver (12/4) and at Washington (12/24).
COLLEGE Ended 3-season Notre Dame career ranked among the all-time leading TEs in school history...Set ND record for receiving yards in a game by a TE vs. Michigan in 2010 with 164 yards...Ranks 2nd for receptions in a game by an Irish TE with 8 catches vs. Michigan and at Michigan State in consecutive games in 2010...Hauled in the 2nd-longest pass play in Notre Dame history with a 95-yard TD vs. Michigan in 2010...Was just shy of the school-record 96-yard pass play...Became the 1st Irish true freshman TE to start a season opener in 2008.
PREP Played 2 sports at Cincinnati's Elder High...Selected to play in U.S. Army All-America game...Earned 1st Team All-America honors by USA TODAY as a senior...Named All-State by AP...Named conference basketball player of the year 3 times as a prep...Ended high school career as the 2nd-leading scorer in Elder High history and the 2nd player to break the 1,000-point mark.
