C.J. Ham

BIOGRAPHY

Cortez Thaddeus Ham Jr. was born July 22, 1993 in Duluth, Minnesota. He is a Fullback in the National Football League.

He went undrafted in the 2016 NFL Draft. He played college football at Augustana. Ham attended Augustana University in Sioux Falls, South Dakota from 2011 to 2015, where he was a four-year letter winner in both football and track & field.[3] In his football career with the Augustana Vikings, Ham rushed for 2,662 yards and 29 touchdowns, and also had 949 yards receiving and six touchdowns, including 39 catches for 431 yards and three touchdowns in his final season.[4] In track and field, Ham was a two-time All-NSIC honoree in the shot put. He currently holds the school record in the indoor weight throw and the outdoor hammer throw. In 2016, Ham participated in the Minnesota Vikings rookie minicamp, competing on a trial basis. On May 10, 2016, following the Vikings rookie minicamp, Ham was signed as a free agent to the 90-man roster becoming the fifth player in Augustana history to sign with an NFL team. In his first preseason game, Ham led the team in rushing with 35 yards on 12 carries, including a 10-yard touchdown, and catching one pass for 9 yards, defeating the Bengals 17–16. Ham led the Vikings in rushing yards in the preseason with 140 yards on 44 carries, including two touchdowns.

In the 2018 season, Ham appeared in 15 games and recorded 11 receptions for 85 receiving yards. In the 2019 season, Ham appeared in all 16 games and recorded 17 receptions for 149 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown. On March 18, 2020, Ham signed a three-year, $12.25 million contract extension with the Vikings. He was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list by the team on November 19, 2020, and activated two days later.