Growing up in Rushford, Matt Ulrich spent a lot of Sundays cheering for his favorite football team — the Minnesota Vikings.

Starting today, Ulrich will be in the meeting rooms and on the practice field looking to make a good first impression with his favorite team. Ulrich signed a free-agent contract with the Vikings on Wednesday.

Ulrich, a former All-American defensive tackle at Winona State University, will be participating in the Vikings’ rookie mini-camp this weekend in Eden Prairie, Minn.

He’s not the first Rushford-Peterson athlete to join an NFL team. Steve Heiden, a tight end, spent 10 seasons in the NFL — his first two with San Diego, then the next eight with Cleveland. He caught 201 passes for 1,689 yards and 14 TDs.

“I’m pretty excited and a little nervous. I’ve always liked the Vikings, and it will be really cool to put on their uniform,” said Ulrich, who was a three-time All-NSIC selection.

“I’m excited to be done with all the testing for the scouts and get the whole D-I versus D-II thing out of the way. When we step on the field, they’ll be looking for the best players, not who played where.”