Junior Aho joins Vikings through NFL International Player Pathway Program

The latest player to join the Vikings locker room this season has undertaken a far different journey to the NFL than most of his teammates.

Junior Aho, 24, joins the Vikings as part of the NFL International Player Pathway Program. The program, established in 2017, is designed to provide elite international athletes the opportunity to earn a spot on an NFL roster.

Aho is one of eight players who were allocated to teams in the NFC North and AFC West after spending two months training with league staff at IMG Academy. The roster spot allocated to Aho does not count against the practice squad limit of 16 players.

The 6'4" 260 pound defensive lineman had five sacks in 25 games over three years at SMU.

Aho played for Dauphins De Nice, a youth team in his hometown of Nice, France. On his way to SMU Aho spent time with the Marseille Blue Stars (France) and Seinajoki Crocodiles (Finland) before helping the France national team win gold in the European Championships in 2018.