• Returned from offseason surgery to start 13 games at C in 2018.
• Named the Minnesota Vikings Rookie of the Year in 2017 as well as being selected to the PFWA All-Rookie Team.
OFF THE FIELD Helped host Special Olympics MN athletes for a evening of flag football at TCO Performance Center...Worked on concrete crew in the summers during high school...Boyhood friend and high school classmate in Pickerington, OH, of former Michigan TE and fellow 2017 NFL draftee Jake Butt (Denver), who was roommates with Vikings 2017 4th-round pick LB Ben Gedeon while at Michigan...Earned bachelor’s degree in communication and played his final season as a graduate student...Older brother, Matt, played football at Ohio Dominican...Got engaged to his fiancee Emily in July of 2018.
HONORS Selected as the Minnesota Vikings Rookie of the Year in 2017...Named to PFWA All-Rookie Team.
PRO Tied Vikings record with 14 starts at center as a rookie, joining Hall of Famer Mick Tingelhoff...Selected with the 70th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, the highest selected C by the Vikings since Ryan Cook was selected 51st overall in 2006...1st Ohio State O-lineman selected by the Vikings since Korey Stringer, who was selected in 1995 with the 24th overall pick...1 of 7 Buckeyes selected in the 2017 NFL Draft...The 1st of 5 centers drafted in the 2017 NFL Draft.
2018 Appeared in 14 games throughout his second season, starting 13...Blocked for QB Kirk Cousins as he became the first player in NFL history to throw for 4,000 yards, 30 TDs, 10 or fewer INTs and post a 70.0% completion rate in a single season...Started at C at Detroit (12/23) as Kirk Cousins became the 4th Vikings QB to pass for 4,000 yards in a single season...Started at C in a 41-17 win over Miami (12/16), the first time Minnesota had scored 40+ points since 12/27/15 (41-17 W over the NY Giants). Blocked for RB Dalvin Cook as Cook earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors for his performance against the Dolphins...Appeared in his 25th career game at Seattle (12/10), starting at C...Started at C Weeks 4-13...Made his 2018 debut in relief of starting C Brett Jones vs. Buffalo (9/23)...Inactive at Green Bay (9/16) and vs. San Francisco (9/9).
2017 Started 16 total games in his rookie season, 14 regular season and 2 in the postseason, as the Vikings earned their 2nd-best record in franchise history at 13-3...Earned the team’s Rookie of the Year honors as well as being named to the PFWA’s All-Rookie Team...Joined Tingelhoff as the only rookie centers in team history to start a season opener...Started at C at Philadelphia (1/21/18)...Started at C vs. New Orleans (1/14/18) in his first career playoff game as the Vikings clinched a berth to the NFC Championship game for the first time since 2009 with a last-second victory...Inactive vs. Chicago (12/31)...Started at C at Green Bay (12/23)...Returned from injury to start at C vs. Cincinnati (12/17) as the Vikings clinched the NFC North title...Inactive due to a shoulder injury at Carolina (12/10)...Started at C at Atlanta (12/3) and protected QB Case Keenum as the Vikings won their 5th consecutive road game for the 1st time since 1974...Started at C at Detroit (11/23) on Thanksgiving Day...Started at C vs. Los Angeles (11/19) and at Washington (11/12) and did not allow a sack in either game...Started at C at Twickenham Stadium in London, England vs. Cleveland (10/29) as a part of the NFL’s International Series...Started at C in Weeks 5-7...Started at C vs. Detroit (10/1) in his 1st career NFC North game...Started at C vs. Tampa Bay (9/24), has helped the Vikings average over 400 yards (400.3) of offense per game through the 1st 3 weeks, just the 2nd time since 1970 (422.7, 2004)...Started at C at Pittsburgh (9/17) and snapped for QB Case Keenum in his Vikings debut...Started at C on Monday Night Football Week 1 vs. New Orleans (9/11) for a unit that only allowed 1 sack and paved the way for RB Dalvin Cook to run for 127 yards on 22 carries (5.8 avg).
COLLEGE Decorated 5th-year senior from Ohio State who was named the Rimington Award winner and was 1 of 3 finalists for the Outland Trophy during his final season with the Buckeyes...Earned Big Ten’s Rimington/Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year honors in 2016...Named 1st-Team Big Ten each of his final 3 seasons...Helped OSU lead Big Ten in scoring, total offense and rushing yards in 2016...Paved way for RB Ezekiel Elliot to rush for 3,699 yards in just 2 seasons (2014-15)...Started all 15 games - the opening 3 games at LG and the final 12 at RG - during the Buckeyes’ National Championship run...Did not miss a game from 2013-16, appearing in 53 games while starting 42, including 41 consecutive...Redshirted as a true freshman in 2012.
PREP Attended Pickerington North HS in Pickerington, OH , where he was teammates with Denver Broncos TE Jake Butt...Was rated the #33 G prospect in the nation by ESPN...Named 1st-Team All-State in Division 1 as a senior...2-time team captain in football and earned 12 letters in football, wrestling and track...Named Wrestler of the Year as a senior in Ohio Capital Conference, qualifying for state and national tournament.
