Isaac Fruechte got the call. The Caledonia, Minn., native was invited to try out for the Minnesota Vikings after the NFL draft concluded Saturday.
On Thursday, the University of Minnesota product will head to Eden Prairie, Minn., to meet with the Vikings. Fruechte also got offers from other teams, including Green Bay, so there’s no guarantee he’ll stay with Minnesota.
But Fruechte knows a thing or two about proving himself. After not being accepted to the U out of high school – where he was an all-state WR and helped Caledonia win two state titles – he went to Rochester Community and Technical College to improve his grades.
A year later, he was given a full ride from the Gophers, after a 29-reception, 788-yard (27.2 avg.), eight-touchdown season in Rochester. The 4.4-second 40-yard dash time didn’t hurt either.
At Minnesota, however, Fruechte’s career was in turmoil … or the quarterback situation was. The 6-foot-3, 202-pounder caught passes from four different quarterbacks (MarQueis Gray, Max Shortell, Philip Nelson and Mitch Leidner).
Fruechte finished his senior season named the team’s wide receiver of the year with 18 catches, 292 yards (16.2 avg.) and a touchdown.
The Vikings currently have eight wide receivers on the roster led by 24-year-old Cordarrelle Patterson, Charles Johnson (26) and newcomer Mike Wallace (28) from the Miami Dolphins. Minnesota also drafted Maryland’s Stefon Diggs in the fifth round.
If Fruechte does make the NFL, he’ll one of two from Caledonia to currently be in the league. Karl Klug, a 2006 graduate who went to Iowa, is heading into his sixth season with Tennessee.