C.J. Ham switching to fullback for the Minnesota Vikings
By Adam Carlson
C.J. Ham played running back for the Minnesota Vikings in the past but will be making the change to fullback for the 2017 NFL season.
When the Minnesota Vikings lined up for rookie minicamp, a few returning players were on hand to help out the new players and fill out the newbies and hopefully make an impression on the coaching staff.
One of the players coming back for the minicamp was C.J. Ham, who was formerly used as a running back during the 2016 preseason. However, he will now be taking on a different role with the team.
According to the Vikings official team website, Ham will be making the full-time change to being a fullback, as he was seen lining up in front of second round draft pick Dalvin Cook as a dedicated blocker.
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Ham is excited about the opportunity to show the team he can help in multiple ways and take on extra responsibilities:
"“I’m kind of playing a new position now,” Ham said. “(I want to show the coaches) that I can learn it and be accountable.”"
While this might be the first that some fans are hearing of his change, this is something Ham has been working on for a while. He filled in at the minicamp last year to do the same thing, and now that the Vikings have moved on from Zach Line, there is an opening for a lead blocker.
"“Last year at rookie minicamp, I did running back and fullback. This year not having a fullback on the roster, they told me it was possibly a position I could play. It’s still fairly new to me, but I have to be an athlete and just roll with the punches a little bit,” Ham added. “If you make mistakes, learn from them and try to do it better the next time.”"
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With the free agent signing of Latavius Murray and the drafting of Dalvin Cook to go with returning running back Jerick McKinnon, the competition at running back looked stiff. For Ham, being able to show he can do more than just be a running back gives him extra value going forward and increases his chances of staying with the team.