As a freshman in college, Jalen Redmond found himself lying in a hospital bed waiting for answers. Now, he’s making plays with one of the NFL’s top defenses.
EAGAN, Minn. — In the summer of 2018, freshman defensive lineman Jalen Redmond had high hopes when he first stepped on the University of Oklahoma’s campus.
The four-star high school recruit out of Oklahoma’s Midwest City High School was pushing to make an immediate impact with the Sooners, who were fresh off an appearance in the College Football Playoff.
Redmond had just finished a routine morning workout when he returned to his dorm to relax.
“I was fine, took a nap,” he recalled. “When I woke up, it felt like my ribs were broken.”
Redmond said he couldn’t move and struggled to breathe. Soon after, he was lying in a hospital bed in an emergency room waiting for answers.
“It took them like three days to find out exactly what was wrong with me,” Redmond said.
Doctors eventually told him he’d suffered a pulmonary embolism — blood clots in his lungs.
“It was the worst three days of my life,” he said. “I spent a week in the hospital after that. I just thank God that I’m able to even be here today and keep playing because I didn’t understand how serious it was until I got older.”
According to Mayo Clinic, a pulmonary embolism occurs when a clump of material, most often a blood clot, gets stuck in an artery in the lungs, blocking the flow of blood. It can be life-threatening if not treated, so Redmond remained in the hospital while his football career took a backseat.
Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley announced in late July that Redmond would miss the entire season because of the severity of the complication. Redmond defied the odds and returned to the field in October, but after three games, he experienced more blood clot issues and was sidelined for the remainder of the season.
“I don’t know where it came from,” Redmond said. “Not genetics — never had it in my family — so it’s kind of like a freak accident, honestly.”
He returned to the field in 2019 to record 6.5 sacks, 11 tackles for loss and one forced fumble. Due to his medical history, he opted out of 2020 because of COVID-19 but returned to play two more seasons with the Sooners before turning pro.
Redmond went undrafted in the spring of 2023, but signed with the Carolina Panthers immediately following the draft. He spent the summer working out, preparing to make a splash in the NFL but blood clots, once again, kept him from playing.
“(Doctors) look at it and they say, ‘We don’t know why it keeps happening. Your blood’s fine, you’re fine,” he explained. “It’s just something that happens to me.”
Redmond eventually returned to the field and signed with the Arlington Renegades in December, just ahead of the inaugural 2024 United Football League season. He finished with 4.5 sacks and 18 total tackles before his contract was terminated so he could sign with an NFL team.
That team was the Minnesota Vikings.
Redmond spoke about the toils of starting training camp right after playing a season in the UFL, but being just 25 years old has its advantages.
“I’m young,” Redmond quipped. “I feel like I can keep going.”
He’s been going ever since. Redmond recorded a sack in his NFL debut back in Week 3 against the Houston Texans, and made his first start last month against the Arizona Cardinals. In that game, Redmond recorded two tackles for loss and was awarded a game ball following the 23-22 win.
“I think Griggs (Senior VP of Player Personnel Ryan Grigson) was the first one to kind of bring his name up,” said Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell. “Then, as he went through camp, you started to see a little bit more power and ability to be rooted in the run game, but also use that athleticism to get on edges.”
Redmond went on to make his second career start the following week against Atlanta, where he again had two tackles for loss and a pair of pass deflections. Since his breakout game against Arizona, Redmond’s seen the field much more consistently. According to Pro Football Focus, he’s the third-ranked interior defensive lineman in the league against the run.
“They gave me a chance,” said Redmond. “They gave me a chance with more playing time, and I just took it and ran with it.”
Redmond’s comeback story is still being written. From a hospital bed in Oklahoma to playing on one of the NFL’s top defenses, Redmond is cherishing every moment this season with the Vikings. Now, he’s hoping to cap it all off by helping Minnesota capture the NFC North and the NFC’s top seed on Sunday against the Detroit Lions.
One more impressive chapter of what’s been a storybook season for Redmond and the Vikings.
“I can’t wait,” Redmond said. “Sunday night, it’s going to be a crazy game.”