C.J. Ham
MINNESOTA VIKINGS
| Position | College | |
|---|---|---|
| Fullback | Augustana | 7 |
EXCELLENCE ON THE FIELD
C.J. Ham has proven to be a Swiss Army knife for the Vikings offense and special team units. In addition to blocking for RB Aaron Jones, who surpassed 90 yards rushing four times through Minnesota's first seven games, C.J. often is a key pass protector on third-down plays, helping the Vikings rank 13th in third-down conversion rate (39.5 percent). C.J. scored a rushing touchdown in Week 5 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, helping the Vikings return to the U.S. with a 23-17 win over the Jets – remaining undefeated in London contests. In addition to knowing his own fullback assignments, the two-time Pro Bowler also has a firm grasp on responsibilities of the Vikings running backs and tight ends, should he be called upon. He stepped in to help shoulder a larger role after Jones suffered an injury during the Jets game. For the second straight season, C.J. was voted by teammates as a season long team captain. He additionally is a core special teamer, serving on the kickoff, kick return, punt and punt return phases. In Week 2, C.J. blocked a 49ers punt en route to Minnesota's 23-17 defeat of the NFC foe.
DEMONSTRATES POSITIVE CHARACTER & MODELS A LIFESTYLE OF GIVING BACK
C.J. consistently demonstrates commitment to giving back to the community he lives and works in during the season and the offseason. C.J. hosted the 2024 UNRL Celebrity Softball Game in May, benefiting the Thielen Foundation and the Ham Family Scholarship Fund. The next month, he was named the NFLPA Community MVP. In July, he hosted the fifth C.J. Ham Youth Football Camp in his hometown of Duluth, Minnesota, where he hosted 400 children between the ages of 6 and 15. The camp included one-on-one football instruction and focused on character development, leadership and sportsmanship. He also hosted a football camp in Sioux Falls, with benefits going toward a future Sioux Falls scholarship recipient. C.J. and his wife Steph awarded two scholarships from the Ham Family Scholarship Fund to Twin Cities high school students of color. The scholarship fund was created to encourage and support BIPOC students to pursue high-level education while aiming to improve BIPOC retention and graduation rates through financial support. C.J. has also volunteered his time to contribute to faith-based entities, including doing an interview with Pastor Adam Weber's podcast, The Conversation, and participating in a virtual leadership discussion hosted by his local pastor. During the offseason, he weekly led a small group of high school men at his church. Additional efforts have included donating "grief bags" to a local elementary school for students experiencing significant loss, speaking to a local youth football team and volunteering as a lunchroom helper at his daughters' school. Since the start of the 2024 season, C.J. has helped lead a Crucial Catch football clinic for youth impacted by cancer and his fourth Pamper Her Purple event in honor of his mother Tina, who passed away in 2021 after a fight with pancreatic cancer. The unique all-day event welcomes women who have defeated or are battling cancer for a full day of spa treatments
DEDICATION & COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY EFFORTS
THIS YEAR
C.J. consistently demonstrates commitment to giving back to the community he lives and works in during the season and the offseason. C.J. hosted the 2024 UNRL Celebrity Softball Game in May, benefiting the Thielen Foundation and the Ham Family Scholarship Fund. The next month, he was named the NFLPA Community MVP. In July, he hosted the fifth C.J. Ham Youth Football Camp in his hometown of Duluth, Minnesota, where he hosted 400 children between the ages of 6 and 15. The camp included one-on-one football instruction and focused on character development, leadership and sportsmanship. He also hosted a football camp in Sioux Falls, with benefits going toward a future Sioux Falls scholarship recipient. C.J. and his wife Steph awarded two scholarships from the Ham Family Scholarship Fund to Twin Cities high school students of color. The scholarship fund was created to encourage and support BIPOC students to pursue high-level education while aiming to improve BIPOC retention and graduation rates through financial support. C.J. has also volunteered his time to contribute to faith-based entities, including doing an interview with Pastor Adam Weber's podcast, The Conversation, and participating in a virtual leadership discussion hosted by his local pastor. During the offseason, he weekly led a small group of high school men at his church. Additional efforts have included donating "grief bags" to a local elementary school for students experiencing significant loss, speaking to a local youth football team and volunteering as a lunchroom helper at his daughters' school. Since the start of the 2024 season, C.J. has helped lead a Crucial Catch football clinic for youth impacted by cancer and his fourth Pamper Her Purple event in honor of his mother Tina, who passed away in 2021 after a fight with pancreatic cancer. The unique all-day event welcomes women who have defeated or are battling cancer for a full day of spa treatments C.J. consistently demonstrates commitment to giving back to the community he lives and works in during the season and the offseason. C.J. hosted the 2024 UNRL Celebrity Softball Game in May, benefiting the Thielen Foundation and the Ham Family Scholarship Fund. The next month, he was named the NFLPA Community MVP. In July, he hosted the fifth C.J. Ham Youth Football Camp in his hometown of Duluth, Minnesota, where he hosted 400 children between the ages of 6 and 15. The camp included one-on-one football instruction and focused on character development, leadership and sportsmanship. He also hosted a football camp in Sioux Falls, with benefits going toward a future Sioux Falls scholarship recipient. C.J. and his wife Steph awarded two scholarships from the Ham Family Scholarship Fund to Twin Cities high school students of color. The scholarship fund was created to encourage and support BIPOC students to pursue highlevel education while aiming to improve BIPOC retention and graduation rates through financial support. C.J. has also volunteered his time to contribute to faith-based entities, including doing an interview with Pastor Adam Weber's podcast, The Conversation, and participating in a virtual leadership discussion hosted by his local pastor. During the offseason, he weekly led a small group of high school men at his church. Additional efforts have included donating "grief bags" to a local elementary school for students experiencing significant loss, speaking to a local youth football team and volunteering as a lunchroom helper at his daughters' school. Since the start of the 2024 season, C.J. has helped lead a Crucial Catch football clinic for youth impacted by cancer and his fourth Pamper Her Purple event in honor of his mother Tina, who passed away in 2021 after a fight with pancreatic cancer. The unique all-day event welcomes women who have defeated or are battling cancer for a full day of spa treatments
IN YEARS PAST
In addition to the efforts C.J. has shown during the 2024 season and offseason, he has been an unwavering presence throughout Minnesota communities and beyond since first earning his opportunity with the Vikings as a 2016 tryout participant. Perhaps most prominently, C.J. has been a longtime supporter of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, having grown up "as a Boys & Girls Clubs kid" at his local Duluth location. He and Steph have annually "adopted" a family from a Twin Cities Boys & Girls Club for the holidays, hosting a holiday party and dinner at the Vikings team facility and fulfilling the family's wish list that includes everyday necessities, home goods, and "fun" items, as well, totaling approximately $4,000 per family. As a 2020 Pro Bowl participant, C.J. participated in a Boys & Girls Clubs event in Orlando, Florida. In 2023, he presented the Inspire Change "Changemaker" Award to Southside Boys & Girls Club Director, Mark Graves. C.J. has participated multiple times in the Vikings Project Success trip, traveling to Washington, D.C., for a weekend of education and inspiration of Minneapolis High School students. He also is a regular participant in the Vikings "Team Up to Give Back" annual give-back initiative. C.J. has been a proponent of women's athletics and in 2023, spoke at a Vikings Girls' Flag Football Clinic. He headed up Halloween events in 2023 and 2024 with Vikings running backs, and he has also participated in other events and room visits at Twin Cities children's hospitals. C.J. participated in the 2021 Play Like a Pro event and 2021, Vikings Build Week with Polaris, as well as the 2022 Tradehome Shoes Back-to-School event. Since his mother Tina's 14-month battle with pancreatic cancer before passing away in 2021, C.J. has served as an American Cancer Society (ACS) NFL Ambassador and stepped into prominent roles multiple times as an advocate, including in 2019 when he and Kyle Rudolph were featured as guest speakers at a special Crucial Catch evening. C.J. and Steph have annually hosted their Pamper Her Purple event, impacting numerous women who have defeated or are currently battling cancer – many of whom have stayed in close connection and friendship since meeting and bonding at Pamper Her Purple. C.J. participates every year in the NFL's "My Cause, My Cleats" campaign, wearing custom kicks to represent the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and raise funds and awareness.
