EAGAN, Minn. – Former Augustana running back, and current fullback in the NFL, CJ Ham has been named a captain for the 2022 season for the Minnesota Vikings. Ham played for Augustana from 2011-15.
 
The NFL's Vikings announced the eight captains this week, voted on by teammates.
 
"What a tremendous honor for CJ to be voted a captain by his teammates, just as he was at Augustana," Augustana head coach Jerry Olszewski said. "It is not a surprise to me as he has always been a servant leader that does it the right way!
 
"He is a man of highest character, work ethic and grit that does not expect anything from others that he is not willing to do himself. Bottom line, you will not find a better man and passionate competitor than CJ Ham."
 
In his sixth season on the active roster, Ham is in his seventh year in the NFL overall after spending 2016 on the practice squad. A Pro Bowl honoree in 2019, Ham has totaled 13 rushing touchdowns and two receiving touchdowns over his career.
 
In the Vikings.com release, it said "The new coaching staff has commented multiple times about its intrigue of using a fullback in the offense and spoken almost as much about how Ham goes about everything the right way. That will come in handy in his additional duties as a core special teams player for a unit that works with a lot of young players."
 
Ham currently ranks fifth all-time with 2,662 rushing yards at Augustana while his 29 touchdowns are third all-time. In his 146-yard performance at Minnesota Crookston on Sept. 6, 2014, Ham averaged 9.1 yards per rush, a mark that is 10^th on the single-game list.
 
The Minnesota Vikings open the 2022 season against the Green Bay Packers in a 3:25 p.m. kickoff from U.S. Bank Stadium.