Zach Von Rosenberg's path to the Vikings is unlike any of his fellow undrafted signings who will come together for the first time during the team's rookie minicamp in the May 14-15 weekend.
Von Rosenberg, a 30-year-old NFL rookie punter out of LSU, is expected to sign with Minnesota, according to his agent Neil Schwartz, in the latest step of his athletic career.
He was initially a 2009 sixth-round pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates as a coveted high school pitcher who helped contribute to four Louisiana state titles. But after six seasons in the minor leagues, uneven with a 4.52 ERA due to reported numbness in his pitching hand, he turned back the clock and returned to Louisiana, where LSU brought him onto the football roster as a quarterback, naturally.
After bouncing around between quarterback and tight end, Von Rosenberg, also a former high school punter, got a shot to be LSU's lead leg. He latched onto the role, averaging 44 yards across 193 punts in four seasons.
Now Von Rosenberg will get to keep wearing LSU's purple and gold, this time in Minnesota where he's brought in to compete with incumbent punter Britton Colquitt.
The Vikings now field two specialists at each position — kickers Greg Joseph and Riley Patterson, punters Colquitt and Von Rosenberg, and long snappers Andrew DePaola and Turner Bernard.
The Vikings will also be hosting former Virginia Tech punter Oscar Bradburn during rookie minicamp tryouts, according to a league source.
