Cincinnati Bearcats fans may have to invest in some purple as yet another UC player was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings.
Center and captain Gavin Gerhardt was selected in the seventh-round by the Vikings on Saturday, April 25. He now joins former UC teammates Jake Golday, Eric Wilson and Ivan Pace Jr. Golday was just drafted by the Vikings the day before in round two.
“I couldn’t be happier to be a Viking and get to play with a couple past teammates of mine,” Gerhardt said. “It’s a dream come true. My phone was blowing up all day with every team you can think of with undrafted free agent deals and I was able to make it happen with the Vikings.”
Gerhardt had visited several teams and was around Golday recently in Minnesota as well as knowing Pace Jr. well.
“I know him and his family,” Gerhardt said of Pace. “With Jake (Golday) I was able to go with him. I bounced around pretty much every meeting he was in. We just kept switching meeting rooms with the head coach. We flew up there together and flew back together. It’s going to be awesome to get to play with a guy like that.”
Said UC head coach Scott Satterfield, “I’m thrilled for Gavin and for the Vikings. He is, without a doubt, the best leader I’ve been around. We had one of the best offensive lines in the country this past season and Gavin was the main reason why. Congratulations to Gavin and his family.”
The 6-foot-4, 310-pound Gerhardt was a three-year captain, Honorable Mention Big 12 and on the watch lists for the Rimington and Wuerffel awards. From Xenia, Gerhardt was one of the rare Bearcats to have played for both Luke Fickell and Scott Satterfield, as his UC career began in 2020 with a redshirt. He had been a UC starter since 2022, starting 49 games in all, including 25 straight to end his Bearcats career.
Gerhardt also recently was honored with the Jimmy Nippert Award, which is given to a men’s sport senior student-athlete who has demonstrated academic achievement, outstanding contributions and/or excellence in athletic performance in their sport, and documented community service.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Gavin Gerhardt, UC Bearcats center and captain, latest to join NFL Vikings
Reporting by Scott Springer, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
