Christian Darrisaw's ascension as Vikings left tackle comes 'full circle' in Washington

A dream will be realized Sunday when Vikings left tackle Christian Darrisaw returns to FedEx Field in Landover, Md., to play against his hometown Commanders.

He'll be playing a pro game at a stadium visible from Jericho Field, the park where he first played organized flag football for City of Praise Family Ministries' youth program, where he first set his sights on making it to the NFL.

Many of his family members and friends, at least 20, are expected to attend Sunday's game to see Darrisaw continue a remarkable ascension from two-star recruit at Virginia Tech to 2021 first-round pick to one of the league's most promising left tackles.

"Everything has kind of come full circle," said Kim Cherry, Darrisaw's mother.

Through seven games this season, Darrisaw has been one of the most reliable parts of the Vikings offense under first-year head coach Kevin O'Connell. His physical gifts, steady demeanor and hunger to improve have set a skyward trajectory that could lead to even bigger things from the 6-foot-5, 315-pound tackle.

Darrisaw, 23, smirked when he was told his former youth coach and pastor Jeff Wooten said, "We want to see Chris in the Hall of Fame." Darrisaw kept the focus on the next game.

"It's definitely going to be a surreal moment, having all my friends and family there to support me," he said.

Reaching a lofty standard

Darrisaw has only played the equivalent of one full regular season — 17 starts. That makes his steady play this year more impressive, considering his rookie campaign was undercut by a lingering core muscle injury that required two surgeries, the last during 2021 training camp.

Vikings offensive line coach Chris Kuper arrived this spring with the new coaching staff and was surprised to hear how injured Darrisaw was, because the film of his 10 rookie starts didn't show a guy who had missed spring workouts and training camp.

"You know you got something to work with when a guy looks like that coming straight off the training room," Kuper said.

But Darrisaw wasn't exactly thrilled with his performance. He didn't give up a single sack during his last season at Virginia Tech despite playing through the abdominal pain that required operations.

He held himself to the same standard when then-Cowboys edge rusher Randy Gregory beat him for his first sack allowed in the NFL in Week 8.

"That was my second start, 'Sunday Night Football,' " Darrisaw said. "He was setting me up all game for this one move. He was going power, power, power consecutively. And then he kind of hit me with like a power and a spin move. ... I'd never seen anything like it."

Heading into this season, Darrisaw said he focused on improving pass protection. His footwork needed to become more consistent. He needed to vary the way he positions himself against a rusher, known as pass sets. Dropping back the same way over and over allowed rushers like Gregory to easily set him up with their moves.

Darrisaw said he's learning how to throw "curveballs" at defenders, from standard vertical sets — or a straight backward shuffle — to 45-degree angle sets or aggressive, "attacking" sets where he initiates the contact.

He has returned to his lofty standard. Through seven games, Darrisaw is one of just three NFL tackles to make every start and not surrender a sack, according to Pro Football Focus, joining the Buccaneers' Tristan Wirfs and the Giants' Andrew Thomas.

The improvement was showcased against then-Bears edge rusher Robert Quinn, whom Darrisaw recalled beating him for two sacks last season. The night before the Vikings' Oct. 9 win against Chicago, O'Connell called out Darrisaw's matchup with Quinn in the team meeting as one of the keys to victory.

After Quinn was held without a quarterback hit or sack, O'Connell gave Darrisaw a game ball.

"He challenged me to not let him get going," Darrisaw said. "You got the tools and everything to go out there and have a dominant day. I went out there and did that and we got the win, so it was a great feeling."

'A physically explosive freak'

Darrisaw grew up watching and idolizing Trent Williams, the longtime Washington left tackle who has long been one of the NFL's premier blockers and is likely headed for Canton after he retires.

The 34-year-old Williams, who now plays for the 49ers, has taken Darrisaw under his wing. They have texted each other weekly since first meeting after the Vikings' loss in San Francisco last year. When the 49ers came to town for joint practices this summer, Williams bestowed a compliment that resonated with Darrisaw.

"Watching him as a kid in FedEx Field, and like, him being my favorite player, the reason I wear 71," Darrisaw said. "Him telling me he sees, like, his younger self in me."

"Definitely a surreal moment," he added.

Darrisaw and Williams share tips about common opponents they face. The nine-time Pro Bowler has also given Darrisaw general advice about how to be his own harshest critic, telling him to pick apart his techniques even on winning reps. Right tackle Brian O'Neill, also a Pro Bowler, sees some Williams-like traits in his teammate.

"Just the sheer power and his ability to move people off the ball," O'Neill said. "His ability to sit down on bull rush. He's a physically explosive freak."

Younger Vikings edge rushers have asked Danielle Hunter how to beat Darrisaw in practices. Hunter said he doesn't have many good answers.

"I can see it in him," Hunter said. "He has the opportunity to be one of the greatest tackles to ever play for this team."

Darrisaw's bullish strength and nimble feet to mirror athletic defenders "opens up everything you want to do game plan-wise," according to Kuper.

"You rarely see that in a left tackle," he said. "Even if they do have it, some guys want to play a finesse type of ball, which a lot of times is OK at left tackle. But when he's doing the stuff he has been on film, being physical in the run game, being physical in protection, that bleeds into the rest of your group."

Empowering others

Five students from Barack Obama Elementary School in Upper Marlboro, Md., will also attend Sunday's game, sponsored by Darrisaw's foundation as winners of a reading challenge at the school.

Darrisaw wanted to give back to his hometown. He picked the school, which he attended as a kid. His mother took over the logistics of awarding gift cards to weekly winners who had the highest marks in reading and comprehension. Quarterly winners — one student each from first through fifth grade — were given two tickets apiece to Sunday's game.

"Met with some of the kids, you know they're Commanders fans, but they are excited to go see a Viking and see them play the Vikings," Cherry said. "Some have never been to a live football game before."

Rooting interest won't be a difficult decision for most family and friends, some of whom have Commanders season tickets.

"I'm all Darrisaw," said Wooten, the youth coach and pastor. "I'll be in my regular seats, but I'll have my signed Darrisaw jersey. They're just going to have to understand this weekend."

Darrisaw has lifted up quarterback Kirk Cousins on the field with steady blindside play — and off the field with a sparkling diamond chain.

In what's become a road-win tradition, players put their chains on Cousins during the team flight back to Minneapolis to give the quarterback some shine. Darrisaw's chain and diamond-studded pendant with the initials C.D. was the first put on Cousins, on the flight back from London on Oct. 2.

Laughing along with his teammates, Cousins called it "empowering."

And if the Vikings beat Cousins' former team in Washington on Sunday?

"It's going to be another video trending of Kirk with the chain on," Darrisaw said.