The Vikings Star with a Secret Strength

CJ is single-minded! Minnesota-born and Minnesota Viking beloved! The undrafted 2-time Pro Bowl veteran and team captain is also skill-diverse, bringing high value to his team and to the fullback position – a unique role reviving within the NFL, requiring sacrifice for other offensive players to excel.

Question: “CJ, a native Minnesotan from Duluth. You a Vikings fan when you grew up?” 

CJ Ham: “Yeah, for sure. As a kid growing up, I was probably more of a fan of just certain players. But the Vikings were the team that I followed the most. Huge Chris Carter fan. Wore his jersey proudly. Grew up Adrian Peterson. I wore number 28 in college because of Adrian. And, uh, I was his teammate my rookie year.  So just been a Vikings fan for a long time.”

Question: “Why is that fullback position reemerging, now, in the NFL?”

CJ Ham:  “I'm obviously a little biased, right? (“yeah”) I truly think just the fullback position; it's kind of just timeless. We have to do a multitude of things. Um, jack-of-all-trades - master of none. When you can find a guy that can do that at a high level, it can create mismatches.
And, you know, so you have those handful of teams who are having success, other teams are starting to see that and say, ‘hey, maybe we should give that a try too.’”

Question: “What to you is the most satisfying in the role that you have on offense?”

CJ Ham: “Growing up being, being a running back. Being the guy who would get the ball and score the touchdowns and then when I switched to the fullback role, you take on a role of servanthood where everything that you do is for the person next to you. When my, my teammates have success, that's my success. That's what gets me most excited is laying a block and having my running back go score touchdown.”

Question: “You're the train, you’re plowing forward, (‘yeah’), getting someone else there. Does that require a certain personality to embrace that role where the focus isn't on you?”

CJ Ham: “I think so. I get this visual. It really comes down to just humbling yourself. It's not about what I think I can bring to the table. It's about what does the team need me to bring to the table. Seeking out value for what the team needs, not my own need. if it's on offense, if it's on special teams, if it's blocking, if it's catching, uh, whatever that role is, I'm gonna go out and step into it and serve.”

Question: “Paving the way. Where are the similarities in leadership in laying your life down for the one behind you? How does that transcend from game to life?”

CJ Ham: “That's great you say that. That is my position. There's a running back behind me and my job is literally to go lay down my life for them to, uh, have success. Playing the fullback position has just really showed me what servanthood is. There is so much more value in serving others than serving yourself laying my life down for the person behind me is kind of how I try to live, you know, the rest of my life.”

Question: “What is a Christ following life uniquely look like within an NFL occupation at the mercy of both performance and distraction?”

CJ Ham: “Yup. That's a great question. It really just comes down to making a daily decision every single day to, to deny myself and pick up my cross. Just because I'm a Christ follower doesn't mean that it's easy. But every single day making the choice to deny my flesh, deny what the enemy wants from me, and choose to follow Jesus, doing what I can to keep my eyes focused on the Lord.”

Question: “Philippians 4:13, it's on your arm. Oftentimes, I know the tats go where it needs to be significant, because it has been.”

CJ Ham:  “Philippians 4:13 is a special verse for our family. ‘I can do all things through Christ because he will give me strength.’ I lost my mother to pancreatic cancer about five years ago, and that was her favorite verse and I truly didn’t understand it. That verse came to life. She didn't want cancer. She didn't ask for cancer, but she knew that no matter what, that she can do all things through Christ. We can get through this. I will get through this. And I can only get through this not because of anything that I'm gonna do. It's only solely because of you.”

Question: “One wouldn't realize that at one time you had a stuttering problem. Now on this side of it, what do you tell those that are confronting personal challenges in their life that they don't believe or see they can move around?”

CJ Ham:  “Don't let your weakness define who you are. The Lord says, ‘when we are weak, we are actually strong’. Giving it to the Lord.
Moses didn't feel worthy. He didn't speak well and God used him in a big way. He didn't fix his speaking or anything like that but he gave it to the Lord and he embraced it. And that was kind of my approach. I pray to the Lord beforehand, ‘Lord, just you speak through me’. And, um, I can make it through (laugh). And you know, He shows up every single time.”

Question: “There’s so much uncertainty (“yup”) and so much loss. What in fact do we have to gain by being in the moment and preserving through it?” 

CJ Ham: “You just gain comfort. One of the biggest verses that changed my trajectory when I was in my dark place was Matthew 5:4. Jesus says, ‘blessed are those that mourn for they shall be comforted’.
Where I was sad, I was questioning God. He spoke to me in a different way. Lord, I’m not letting you comfort me. You want to comfort me and I’m just holding on to something so hard. Once I kinda let the chains off and was honest with God, He said, ‘I’m here. I’m here to comfort you. I’m here to be with you. I’m here to walk alongside you. I had a peace. That’s what I needed the most.”

Question: “King, right in the middle of that! And CJ, ultimately it comes to just being honest with Him, right?”

CJ Ham: “God’s gonna listen to what we have to say. And show us a better way. Show us a way through not just a way out. I’m just humbled every single day that I can wake up and be saved by grace. That His mercies are made new every single morning. It helps you in your approach in life. We can take every single step knowing The Lord has walked before us and He’s walking with us. That He has a plan for us. That there’s nothing that we can do to make Him not love us! Like, it’s those truths who help me be who I am today.”