During the NFL lockout, Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph went to Florida to catch passes from fellow rookie Christian Ponder. They were roommates at training camp, lived together for about a week after camp broke and are roomies when the Vikings have road games.

“Any time you come into a new situation and you’re a young guy who comes into a locker room with a bunch of people you don’t know, you gravitate to people who are like you,” Rudolph said. “Coming in together as rookies, being on the same side of the ball, there’s kind of that natural connection. Just building off that, our friendship has grown since Day One.”

I talked to Rudolph today about Ponder, who will start the first game of his career Sunday against the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers.

BS: Are you excited to see Christian get a shot?

KR: I’m happy for him. As everyone knows, we have a pretty close relationship, and I felt like he has put the time and effort in to prepare himself for this situation.

BS: Is this something you and Ponder have talked about – the chance to be on the field together?

KR: Definitely. Hopefully, it will be that way for years to come.

BS: Have you talked about the relationship you’ve started as rookies and could have in the years ahead?

KR: Definitely. Since the Friday I was drafted and he called me, he said we’ll be together a long time.

BS: Did you remind him after he got the job to look for No. 82 (Rudolph’s jersey number)?

KR: (Laughs.) Of course.

BS: Have you been pleased so far with the number of times you’ve been thrown to? (He has nine receptions for 118 yards.) You haven’t dropped any.

KR: That’s my goal. Any time I’m targeted or the ball comes my way, (I want) to make a play. I just go out every day to prepare and to take advantage of those opportunities.

BS: What should people expect to see from Christian against the best team in the league?

KR: I think people should expect to see Christian do well. There’s not a whole lot of pressure on him. Like you said, we’re going against the best team in the league. He feels he’s just going to go out and perform. Coach (and offensive coordinator Bill) Musgrave and coach (Leslie) Frazier are going to put him in good situations, and he’ll take advantage of that.

BS: Do you have an expectation of how you’ll play because, for a rookie quarterback who might be under heavy pressure, some of the best guys to look for are tight ends?

KR: I’m going to do everything I can to help Christian. Everyone hears the saying, “A tight end is the quarterback’s best friend.”

BS: You spent that time together in Florida. Do you know more about what he likes to do than anyone else on the team?

KR: We’ve been working now for nine weeks as a team. I feel everyone is familiar with him.

BS: Have you given him any advice?

KR: I just told him to treat it as any other week. He does the preparation day in and day out. Sunday is the fun part. You put in all this work, and then you have to go watch. Now he’s put in this work and actually gets to go out and perform.

BS: And you didn’t tell him to look for 82?

KR: (Smiles.) No.