Meet Jalen Redmond, the undrafted free agent carving out a niche with the Vikings

He got a game ball last weekend after the Vikings beat the Arizona Cardinals.

By Dane Mizutani, Pioneer Press – December 6, 2024

As he delivered his postgame speech after the Vikings escaped with a 23-22 win over the Arizona Cardinals last Sunday, head coach Kevin O’Connell locked eyes with undrafted defensive tackle Jalen Redmond.

After watching Redmond explode into the backfield on multiple occasions, making a couple of tackles for a loss in the process, O’Connell wanted to make it known how much he appreciated his impact on the game.

So, as he handed out game balls like he typically does after each win, O’Connell made sure Redmond got the recognition he deserved.

“Sometimes we start feeling a guy’s energy,” O’Connell said. “Just highlighting that.”

Asked about getting the game ball, Redmond admitted he was caught off guard in the locker room at U.S. Bank Stadium, joking that he almost started to get emotional when he heard O’Connell say his name aloud.

“It meant a lot,” Redmond said. “It was a special moment.”

It was a stark contrast to back in training camp at TCO Performance Center when Redmond got kicked out of practice by O’Connell in response to a scuffle after the whistle. He remembers leaving that particular practice over the summer a little bit unsure about his future with the Vikings.

“When I was walking off I was like, ‘Oh man. What did I do? I messed up,’ ” Redmond said. “The rule was not to fight, and I know that, so I was, like, ‘Man. I can’t be doing this stuff. I’m barely here.’ ”

Fortunately for Redmond, O’Connell was forgiving in the immediate aftermath, and he got to keep his spot on the roster.

Fortunately for the Vikings, Redmond has made the most of his opportunity, and he has slowly started carving out a niche for himself this season.

“There’s a reason why he made our team,” O’Connell said. “He’s a perfect fit for our scheme with the way we move those guys up front.”

The fact that Redmond has proven skills as interior pass rusher is something defensive coordinator Brian Flores has tapped into even more as he’s found places to insert him into the game on a weekly basis.

“The athleticism jumped out immediately,” Flores said. “This guy can run.”

That has long been a calling card for Redmond despite his 6-foot-3, 290-pound frame. He was an explosive athlete in college at Oklahoma, and ran the 40-yard dash in 4.81 seconds, proving he had the twitchiness to play at the next level.

After signing with the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent before last season, Redmond arrived at rookie minicamp hellbent on proving everybody wrong. He got cut after training camp despite showing flashes of his potential.

“It crushed me,” Redmond said. “I didn’t know if I was ever going to get another shot.”

As he sat at home wondering what was next for him, Redmond randomly got a call from the legendary Bob Stoops, the former head coach of Oklahoma, who is now the head coach of the Arlington Renegades of the UFL.

“It was wild,” Redmond said. “I look at my phone and see the name. I was like, “Why is Bob Stoops calling me?’ I answered it and he asked if I wanted to play on his team.”

After growing up in in Oklahoma, Redmond was not about to say no to a living legend. He joined the Arlington Renegades and eventually parlayed that into a cup of coffee with the Vikings ahead of training camp.

“I went there with the mindset that I was going to make the best of it and try to get back to where I wanted to be,” Redmond said. “I had a lot of fun there, and it helped get me to where I am now.”

Though he wasn’t exactly a household name, Redmond did enough to make the Vikings out of training camp.

“Whenever I walk through those doors and my code still works, I don’t take it for granted,” Redmond said. “I put in everything I can to everything I do here because I’ve been on the other side of it.”

Now he’s starting to look more and more like somebody who could emerge as a key contributor for the Vikings down the road.

“That’s all I wanted to do when I got here,” Redmond said. “Just prove that I can play at this level.”

He can. He has a game ball as proof.

“I was so happy for him,” Flores said. “I think he’s got a long career in front of him.”