DULUTH — Unlike the first Minnesota Duluth Bulldog to sign an NFL contract this spring — New York Jets offensive lineman Brent Laing — there has been no need for the family of new Minnesota Vikings fullback Zach Ojile to buy an entirely new wardrobe of NFL gear.
A native of Blaine, Minnesota, Ojile and his family have plenty of purple and gold in their closets.
“All of my family is from the state,” Ojile said Friday in a Zoom call with reporters. “It's definitely a plus for them that they get to continue to root for their favorite team.”
The 6-foot-2, 238-pound Ojile signed with the Vikings this week following six seasons with the Bulldogs and a tryout at Vikings rookie minicamp last week at the TCO Performance Center in Eagan. He’ll be back at Vikings headquarters Monday for the start of Organized Team Activity (OTA) practices.
Ojile said making the Vikings 90-man roster this offseason is “surreal” but it’s only the start. He’s spent much of this week studying the team’s playbook to prepare himself for the long road ahead.
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“I’ve been a Vikings fan my whole life. Obviously I was super excited to get the shot,” Ojile said. “Throwing on the Vikings helmet was special. I was happy to go out, have a good couple of days and earn another opportunity.”
Ojile was a two-time captain for the Bulldogs during his six seasons, starting as a fullback when he arrived on campus in 2017 before transitioning to tight end in the later half of his college career. As a sixth-year senior tight end in 2022, he landed on the All-NSIC first team after catching 25 passes for 289 yards and five touchdowns.
Tyler Schank / 2019 File / Duluth News Tribune
He also ran for three touchdowns, giving him 14 total rushing TDs as a Bulldog. Ojile said he wasn’t surprised to see “fullback” listed on his nametag when he arrived at Vikings rookie camp last week as scouts who visited UMD this fall has been signaling a return to the position should he make it to the NFL.
“It's not that different from what I did at Duluth kind of as an H-back, ” Ojile said. “It's just kind of from a little different spot on the field. It went really well.”
Ojile was one of two Bulldogs at the Vikings’ rookie camp last week along with fifth-year wide receiver Armani Carmickle, who was not signed by the team.
The first round of Vikings OTAs take place Monday, Tuesday and Thursday next week with three practices a week scheduled through the week of June 5-9. A mandatory team minicamp is scheduled for June 13-14 in Eagan.
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