Andrew Van Ginkel lent a helping hand when Rock Valley, Ia., experienced historic flooding last year. He returned to the town of 4,000 he grew up in when the flood damage affected over 500 houses and 60% of the staff at Rock Valley Public School, Van Ginkel’s old high school.
“I’m fired up to be close to home again,” he told CBS Sports during training camp. “It’s where my roots are. It’s where I grew up. It’s kinda everything I know. You see people hurting that you know. You see all the schools, the churches that were affected this summer. It was devastating. … We needed to give back.”
By “we,” Van Ginkel means him and his wife, Sam. Van Ginkel grew up a Minnesota Vikings fan four hours from Minneapolis in Rock Valley, idolizing Jared Allen and Chad Greenway. In 2019, the Miami Dolphins drafted him out of the University of Wisconsin, and he played five seasons in South Beach.
However, he played on a one-year contract with the Dolphins last year, and they made no effort to re-sign him in the offseason. Brian Flores had coached Van Ginkel in Miami and identified him as a perfect fit for his defense because of his versatility. The Vikings quickly signed him to a two-year, $20 million contract.
“[He’s] fast,” said Flores, explaining why the Dolphins drafted Van Ginkel. “He had a kind of sneaky, slippery instinctive play style that we just really liked.”
Although the Dolphins drafted him, Flores compared Van Ginkel to undrafted players he’s had success developing, like Ivan Pace Jr. Van Ginkel is the only player from Rock Valley Public School to reach the NFL. He also played at the University of South Dakota and Iowa Western Community College before finishing his collegiate career at Wisconsin.
“He was at juco and then goes to Wisconsin, so he’s a little bit underdeveloped,” said Flores. “Like a lot of guys, [Van Ginkel] can play, he’s fast, he’s tough. He makes plays.
“[We felt] if we can develop him. He’s got the traits and intangibles to develop, kind of like some of those undrafted guys we talked about.”
Van Ginkel appreciates that Flores doesn’t pigeonhole players like him or Josh Metellus into traditional roles. He also says Flores’ clear teaching style allows the players to understand how his defense works and what their role is within it.
“He does a great job of teaching the big picture,” said Van Ginkel. “Metellus or I could be at different positions, but we’re kind of doing the same thing.
“[Flores] teaches it in ways that defenders on the field are just kind of Xs on the field. You could be here, you could be over there, you could be in the D-line, you could be inside backer. At the end of the day, it’s kind of spots and positions and zones and coverage where you’re dropping to.”
Flores is finishing the job he started in Miami. He has molded Van Ginkel into the player his defense needs, and Van Ginkel has immediately made an impact. He had a pick-six off of Daniel Jones in Week 1 and took an Aaron Rodgers interception 63 yards for a score in London. Van Ginkel also nearly had one against Brock Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers in Week 2.
“I can’t believe I dropped that,” he said after the Niners game. “I’m still hot about it.”
The Vikings added Van Ginkel, Jonathan Greenard, and Blake Cashman to bolster the defense in free agency. They also traded up for Dallas Turner in the draft and added Stephon Gilmore in camp. Each player has made a meaningful impact, but Van Ginkel stands out because he’s provided scoring on defense.
“He’s the Gink, man,” said Smith, who had a crucial block on Van Ginkel’s pick-six in London, laughing. “He needed to do it another time.”
Van Ginkel surprised himself by picking off Rodgers.
“I’m lost for words. I couldn’t believe it happened,” Van Ginkel said. “[Rodgers] told me [that] Christmas came early for me.
“Just a guy of that caliber, that level, I’m just thankful, grateful. And all the hard work and just dedication that Flo puts in and then putting us in the right position to succeed, and the rest you’ve just got to make it come to life.”
Later in the game, Rodgers pulled Van Ginkel aside to tell him that Christmas had come early for him.
“I kind of got close to him, and he just made that comment to me,” said Van Ginkel. “I just told him, ‘Thank you.’ Didn’t say a whole lot. Kind of just walked away.”
It was a fitting response from Van Ginkel. He’s a soft-spoken, small-town guy who can make a significant impact.
In the offseason, Van Ginkel provided $50,000 in relief money from the Wilf family, who own the Vikings. He also did odd jobs for the city maintenance staff, like painting road lines and sweeping sidewalks, while organizing people to deliver three hot meals to displaced residents and others affected by the storms.
“He is the epitome of what Rock Valley is,” David Miller, who works for the city of Rock Valley, told CBS Sports in August. “There was a thought, if he didn’t get drafted, that he would have to come back for the job with the city.”
Most people saw the flooding in Iowa on the news. However, they wouldn’t have known that Van Ginkel volunteered in his hometown if CBS Sports and other outlets hadn’t reported on it. It’s fitting for Van Ginkel. He’s hard-working and makes an impact, but he doesn’t say a whole lot.
