Former West Sioux High School star Hunter Dekkers will be undergoing the biggest job interview of his young life May 10-11.
Dekkers, a 2020 graduate of West Sioux, has been invited to the New Orleans Saints rookie minicamp.
Dekkers, a 6-foot-3-inch, 215-pound quarterback, was not selected in the seven-round NFL draft this season. That made him a free agent. No team elected to offer him a contract and put him on their 90-man offseason roster, but the Saints are going to give him a look. Dekkers will attend team camps on a tryout basis without a contract, aiming to impress and earn a roster spot.
The Saints’ minicamp will take place May 10-11 at the Oschner Sports Performance Center in Metairie, LA.
Dekkers set Iowa high school career records for most passing yards with 10,628 and touchdown passes with 126. He went to Iowa State University, where he played in three games in 2020 and four in 2021. He became the starter for the Cyclones in 2022, completing 66.1 percent of his passes and throwing for 3,044 yards with 19 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. The yardage mark is sixth on Iowa State’s all-time single season list.
In 2023, he lost he eligibility in the NCAA after being indicted on charges related to sports gambling.
Dekkers resurfaced last fall at Iowa Western Community College, leading the Reivers to the national championship game. Dekkers completed 64 percent of his passes, throwing for 3,806 yards and 32 touchdowns with 10 interceptions.
The Saints starting quarterback, Derek Carr, is considering shoulder surgery putting his availability this fall in doubt.
Jake Haener and Spencer Rattler are on the roster. The Saints took Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough in the second round of the draft.
Van Ginkel extended
Andrew Van Ginkel, a 2014 Rock Valley High School graduate, signed with the National Football League team closest to his hometown last season.
The arrangement worked out so well, Van Ginkel and the Minnesota Vikings have added another year to his contract.
The Vikings announced Tuesday they have agreed to a one-year contract extension that will keep Van Ginkel with the team through the 2026 season.
Van Ginkel is in the last year of a two-year $20 million deal he signed last year and is set to make a $10.7 million base salary this season. His extension is worth $23 million, with $22.4 million guaranteed.
Van Ginkel started all 17 games with the Vikings last season and was selected to the Pro Bowl.
He had a career-high 11.5 sacks with 18 tackles for loss and 19 quarterback hits. He was on the field for 81 percent of Minnesota’s defensive snaps.
Before last season, Van Ginkel was a member of the Miami Dolphins, who drafted him in the fifth round in 2019 after a college career that saw him make stops at the University of South Dakota, Iowa Western Community College and University of Wisconsin.
He has played in 90 career games in the NFL with 59 of them starts.
The 6-foot-4-inch, 242-pounder has 329 career tackles, 49 tackles for loss, 28.5 sacks, 76 quarterback hits, four interceptions and three fumble recoveries.
He has returned three interceptions for touchdowns, including two last year, and has one fumble return for a score.