Despite Plenty of Change, CJ Ham’s Approach Remains the Same
Drew Mahowald
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Over the last three seasons, a lot has changed for CJ Ham and the Minnesota Vikings.
When Ham began his first training camp with the Vikings in 2016, he was playing the running back position. Norv Turner was the offensive coordinator. None of the current quarterbacks were on the roster. None of the current offensive linemen were on the roster.
Fast-forward to 2018 and Ham is playing fullback, John DeFilippo is the offensive coordinator and the unit’s preseason expectations are higher than they’ve been in nearly a decade.
Despite all the changes, both individually for Ham and for the entire offense, the approach in training camp is the same for the Duluth native.
“It’s always the same approach. I’ve got to come out here and do my job and try to make the team,” Ham said. “I always go with the mindset that you never know what’s going to happen in this business so I have to make sure the coaching staff doesn’t have a reason to take this opportunity away from me.”
Ham transitioned from running back to fullback prior to the 2017 season and spent the entire year as the starter at the position. He and running backs coach Kennedy Polamalu spent many hours watching film of former Jacksonville Jaguars fullback Greg Jones last offseason to learn some of the nuances of the position.
In his first season as a starter, Ham played a key role in the Vikings rushing offense. He blocked for a backfield that ranked No. 7 in the NFL in rushing and No. 10 in rushing first downs. The combination of Jerick McKinnon, Dalvin Cook and Latavius Murray combined for 1,766 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns in 2017, much of which came with a lead blocker in Ham. Additionally, Ham recorded his first career touchdown in a Week 2 contest against the Pittsburgh Steelers and earned a role as a short-yardage rushing option for the Vikings. Five of his seven carries went for either a first down or a touchdown last season.
Though McKinnon is now in San Francisco, Ham is still excited about blocking for Cook and Murray once again in 2018.
“It makes my job pretty easy. I’ve just got to get in the way and let them do their thing. They’re both special backs and totally different in how they play the game. They complement each other very well. I’m really excited to see how great they do.”
Ham is one of many on the Vikings roster that has exceeded the expectation placed on a late-round or undrafted player. The 2016 undrafted free agent signee entered the NFL by way of Division II Augustana, where he recorded 2,662 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns. At the NFL level, though, jobs aren’t just given to Division II undrafted players — they are earned in training camp and preseason. Ham has plenty of advice to share with this year’s crop of rookies and undrafted free agents trying to prove they too belong at the highest level.
“I tell them try to not let the stage get too big,” Ham said. “We’ve all been playing football for a long time, whether it’s our first our tenth year in the NFL. You’ve been doing this since you were a little kid so just go out there, get as comfortable as you can and play ball.”
So far, Ham’s approach has proven that it is one that many draftees and undrafted free agents could learn. He doesn’t expect favoritism from the coaching staff just because he played all of last season. He is just fighting for a roster spot, as he has the previous two years.
Consistency is important in the NFL, whether it be players, coaches, front offices or an entire organization. The nature of the business calls for constant and unexpected change, and the Vikings offense over the past few years is a key example of that. But Ham is one of the few pieces that has remained with this group through three offensive coordinators, four starting quarterbacks and countless offensive linemen.
CJ Ham’s approach to the game isn’t flashy, but it works. He’s just trying to make himself and his team better, always.
“For me, I’m always thinking I can get better in all aspects of the game,” Ham said.