You don’t often see DII, DIII or NAIA players make it to the NFL, much less stay for a decade.

CJ Ham was an undrafted free agent signee after a rookie minicamp tryout with the Vikings all the way back in 2016 and officially announced his retirement from the game on Tuesday.

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At the time, Ham was just the 5th ever Augustana Viking alum to sign with an NFL squad.

Ham didn’t record any stats during his 2016 campaign in Minnesota but was a key part of the roster the rest of the way, starting 42 games and appearing in 141 over his 10-year career.

Support came pouring in on social media following Tuesday’s news:

Here’s a video tribute of Ham’s career:

Ham was a star here in Sioux Falls at Augustana from 2010-2015, and departed the program with numerous accolades:

2015 (Senior): Named All-NSIC South Division Second Team … earned Academic All-NSIC honors … named NSIC Glen Galligan Award recipient … started all 12 games at running back … rushed for a career-high 1,097 yards and 16 touchdowns … tied the single season record for rushing touchdowns (16) … led the NSIC in rushing touchdowns and yards … became just the fourth running back at Augustana to rush for 1,000-plus yards in a single season … rushed for 100-plus yards in three games in 2015 … rushed for 50-plus yards in 11 of 12 games … had 15 or more carries in all 12 games, including 20-plus carries in six games … had seven multi-touchdown games … rushed for 62 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries in season-opener at Bemidji State … matched career-high with three rushing touchdowns at MSU Moorhead on Sept. 19 … rushed for 138 yards on 25 carries at MSU Moorhead … rushed for 81 yards and a score and hauled in five passes for 65 yards and a touchdown against Minot State on Sept. 26 … rushed for a career-high 160 yards and a touchdown against SMSU on Oct. 3 … ran for 91 yards and a score and hauled in three passes for 68 yards and a touchdown against Wayne State on Oct. 17 … recorded a career-high 30 carries while picking up 96 yards and three touchdowns at Winona State on Nov. 7 … rushed for 54 yards and a score while catching three passes for 24 yards and a touchdown in the NCAA Playoffs at Humboldt State on Nov. 21.

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Ham ran for 2,662 and 29 scores during his time at Augustana. In the NFL, Ham finishes his career with 119 rushing yards, 681 receiving yards, and 8 total touchdowns.

Off of the field, Ham has been constantly involved in charitable efforts, and has hosted youth football camps in both Duluth and Sioux Falls for multiple years.

Congrats to CJ Ham on a tremendous career!

Sources: GoAugie.com – CJ Ham, JasonHarmonNFL on Twitter and VikingzFanPageX

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