Two weeks into Bo Richter’s second training camp with the Minnesota Vikings, one thing is clear to him.
“There’s no lazy days around here,” he said.
That’s fine with Richter, a Naperville North graduate who made the team as an undrafted free agent out of Air Force in 2024. The 6-foot-1, 248-pound outside linebacker knows he can’t look back — or too far ahead — if he wants to stick around.
“Anybody can get waived at any time this time of year until you reach year four,” Richter said. “Then your contract becomes guaranteed at the beginning of the year.”
The only thing guaranteed about Richter is his laser focus on what’s in front of him. He appeared in 14 games for the Vikings last season, mostly on special teams, and recorded eight tackles.
“After last season, in exit interviews the coaches said that they like me, that I did a great job last year and they felt like I was one good offseason away from making a big leap and taking on a bigger role,” he said.
“But it’s training camp now. It’s a time when guys fight for jobs. The spots are up for grabs, and the snaps are up for grabs. So it’s a dogfight every day, and every rep is precious.”
Richter is competing for reps with a talented linebacking corps that includes returning Pro Bowlers Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard, plus veterans Ivan Pace Jr. and Blake Cashman and 2024 first-round pick Dallas Turner.
Having a year of experience in the NFL gives Richter some comfort, if not a big edge.
“Having been through it before, everything slows down a little bit,” he said. “You kind of know what to expect since you’ve been around the block once, but I wouldn’t say it was a huge advantage. It’s just another piece of the puzzle.”
Richter is determined to be one of those pieces. He played football for just two years at Naperville North and then started for only one season at Air Force before he signed with the Vikings.
“He’s got the right mentality,” Naperville North coach Sean Drendel said. “I talked to him maybe two or three days into camp, and I asked him, ‘Do you feel good about it?’
“He goes, ‘No, I’m right on the edge, and I got to fight for every rep I get.’ That mentality is going to really serve him well. It keeps him going. He loves the underdog mentality.”
Minnesota Vikings outside linebacker Bo Richter (54) takes part in drills during training camp in Eagan, Minnesota, on Monday, July 28, 2025. (Abbie Parr / AP)
That makes the successes that do come even sweeter for Richter, who delighted his fans by recovering a fumbled punt to set up a touchdown drive during the Vikings’ 30-27 victory over the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on Nov. 24.
“It was great, especially coming in Chicago, in my hometown,” he said. “I had a bunch of people there to support me.
“If I could have chosen a place to do that, it probably would have been there. It was definitely surreal.”
Playing in the NFL can feel surreal, but Richter is focused on the day-to-day tasks.
“I played against all of the starters every day last year during practice,” he said. “But this time of year, everybody kind of gets a little bit of everybody. Like the ones will go against the ones, ones will go against the twos, so everybody basically gets to see everybody on the roster at some point on the field.
“You get challenged every day, and you either rise to the occasion or fall. So I kept learning and getting better.”
That’s the message Richter brought when he attended Naperville North’s 7-on-7 event this summer.
“I try to get back and talk with the guys as much as I can,” he said. “Obviously, I don’t have a ton of free time this time of year, but I try to keep my face around campus and support them.”
Drendel appreciates that.
“It’s very helpful, especially someone who fought to get to the top,” Drendel said. “He wasn’t a five-star recruit. He had one true offer when he was in high school. He took it and made the best of it.
“We try to talk to our kids about taking advantage of opportunities, and he definitely did that. So I’m really, really proud of the guy, and who he is as a young man is even better. He never forgets his roots.”
While Richter hasn’t changed his approach, he did change his uniform number, giving up No. 98 to 10-year veteran Javon Hargrave, a free agent signee from San Francisco.
Richter chose No. 54, the same number that Dave Garnett, another undrafted free agent linebacker from Naperville North, wore for the Vikings for three seasons in the 1990s.
“Hargrave wanted his number, so I didn’t want to stand in his way,” Richter said. “I switched to 54, and I’ve been rocking that all training camp, and hopefully I’ll be rocking that all year.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.
Originally Published: August 5, 2025 at 6:49 AM CDT