Minnesotan To Meet: Minnesota Vikings' Kyle Rudolph
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Minnesota Vikings fans know him as number 82.
Tight end Kyle Rudolph is preparing for this sixth NFL season. But for this interview, WCCO stepped away from the field. And although football came up briefly, Kyle and his wife Jordan gave a unique glimpse into their private life.
The Rudolph's have been calling Minnesota home for a while and that's what makes them "Minnesotans to Meet" times two!
Most summer days, after his workout, Kyle and Jordan can be found out on their boat.
"We come over in Wayzata Bay a lot. We'll bring our families over here, just anchor and float around. Especially during the week," Jordan said.
Kyle made Minnesota home right away his rookie year.
"We spend 10 plus months here," Kyle said. "This is definitely home. We still go back to our homes respectively, in Michigan and Ohio, but I would definitely consider ourselves Minnesotans. This is home."
The couple met at the University of Notre Dame when they were sophomores. Kyle was a star on the football squad. Jordan was a cheerleader for the Irish and a communications major at neighboring Saint Mary's University in South Bend, Ind.
"We met in the end of January at a party at his house," Jordan said.
Jordan grew up on a lake not far from Notre Dame's campus, in Michigan.
"I remember the first time I went out on the lake the summer I moved up here [to Minnesota]," Jordan said. "OK, I can do this. It felt like being home in Michigan."
"I think that's the biggest thing. You have, obviously, the Midwest way of life and then mentality, but then you also have the north mentality," Kyle said.
Kyle, who grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, and said he has embraced the winter months.
"Winters here are still very active. People embrace the winter and do winter activities. Whereas, where we're from, it's just cold," he said.
This winter will certainly be a busy one for the Rudolph's. Not just because of the new U.S Bank Stadium, but the newlyweds' family is expanding two fold.
"We were so shocked. I think the first thing that came out of my mouth was, 'How?'" Jordan said. "We don't have twins on either side of our families."
The couple made the announcement fittingly at a first pitch during a Twins game.
"It's the first grand-kids on both sides of the families," Jordan said.
"We'll definitely have a full slate of guests," Kyle said.
"We are so excited, and twin girls at that," Jordan said.
The Rudolph twins aren't expected to arrive until after opening night kick-off.
"Now [the baby kicks have] gotten strong enough where Kyle could feel them for the first time," Jordan said.
As they have a few more months to enjoy days without diapers, WCCO's Ali Lucia couldn't leave the boat without asking at least one football question about the new U.S. Bank Stadium.
"Coach Zimmer was talking to us this past week and he said, 'Look, the new stadium is awesome.' But, everything goes back to winning and losing with him, and he said 'It's not awesome if you don't win. We have to win games in it.' I think that will be one of the the best atmosphere a lot of guys have played in their entire career," Kyle said.
Kyle and Jordan said they have been shopping at Baby Grand in Hopkins. Jordan used to work there.
That's also where two other Minnesota sports families shopped when they learned they were having twins: The Mauer's and the Parise's. Kyle said he told the store's owner, "we'll have whatever the Mauer and Parise's are having."