Adam Thielen Biography and Achievements

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Introduction

Adam Thielen is an American football wide receiver for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He was born on August 22, 1990, in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, and grew up in nearby Detroit Lakes. Thielen played high school football at Detroit Lakes High School, where he was a standout quarterback and defensive back.

University

After high school, Thielen attended Minnesota State University, Mankato, where he played college football for the Minnesota State Mavericks. He played as a wide receiver and earned All-American honors in 2012.

Career

Despite his impressive college career, Thielen was not selected in the 2013 NFL Draft. He attended a rookie tryout with the Vikings and impressed coaches enough to earn a spot on the team’s practice squad. He spent most of his rookie season on the practice squad, but was promoted to the active roster for the final game of the season.

In 2014, Thielen played in all 16 games for the Vikings, primarily as a special teams player. He recorded his first NFL catch in Week 4 of that season. He continued to contribute on special teams in 2015 and 2016, but also saw more playing time at wide receiver, recording 20 catches for 281 yards in 2016.

Record

Thielen’s breakout season came in 2017, when he was named to the Pro Bowl after recording 91 catches for 1,276 yards and four touchdowns. He followed that up with another Pro Bowl season in 2018, recording 113 catches for 1,373 yards and nine touchdowns.

Thielen has continued to be a key contributor for the Vikings in the years since, earning Pro Bowl honors in 2019 and 2020. He has developed a reputation as one of the NFL’s top route runners and is known for his ability to make tough catches in traffic.

Off the field, Thielen is involved in a number of charitable endeavors. He and his wife Caitlin started the Thielen Foundation in 2018, which aims to create programs that serve, educate and inspire individuals to reach their full potential.

Achievements

Adam Thielen has achieved a number of impressive accomplishments during his football career:

  • 4-time Pro Bowl selection (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020)
  • Second-team All-Pro selection (2017)
  • Led the NFL in touchdown catches with 14 in 2018
  • Set a Vikings team record for most consecutive games with 100+ receiving yards (8) in 2018
  • Recorded two seasons with over 1,000 receiving yards (2017, 2018)
  • Recorded a career-high 14 receptions in a game against the Green Bay Packers in 2020
  • Scored the first touchdown in a Super Bowl played in Minnesota during Super Bowl LII (2018)
  • Holds the Minnesota State University, Mankato record for most career receiving yards (5,109) and receptions (198)

Conclusion

Thielen’s success as an undrafted player and his rise to being one of the NFL’s top wide receivers has made him a fan favorite and an inspiration to many.

Ratings

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