Minnesota Vikings defensive back Charles Demmings (20) takes the field, Aug. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Peter Joneleit)
Some of his teammates call him “The Prophet.” When anyone finds Charles Demmings around the Minnesota Vikings practice facility, he always has an inspirational quote or aphorism ready to deliver to whoever will listen.
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The Vikings even put together a compilation of some of his greatest hits so far:
“It’s the best day because it’s today.”
“Even though the sun out, we still gotta be the light.”
“Remember, you the gift to the world.”
“Your success ain’t defined by your achievements, but by your obedience to God.”
That last one, in particular, hints at what Demmings is all about: a strong mindset, a positive attitude and strong faith in God. A fifth-round pick out of Stephen F. Austin (in the Football Championship Subdivision), the rookie is already making waves both on and off the field in training camp. As a cornerback, he’s always finding himself around the ball in drills and practice scenarios. At 6-foot-1 and 193 pounds, he presents solid size as a defensive back to go along with a 42-inch vertical jump and 4.41-second 40-yard dash time.
He made it clear from the outset what kind of a person Minnesota was getting when they drafted him.
“My passion and my ‘why’ is to hear God and express His heartbeat,” Demmings said on a video call with local reporters after he was drafted. “… I feel like I could run to Minnesota right now.”
Oftentimes, rookies take a while to get adjusted and find their footing. They’re focused on trying to make the roster and not so focused on assuming a leadership role right away. Demmings isn’t just any other rookie.
“He’s always leading us [in] a prayer every single day,” veteran cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. said. “He’s just one of the guys that comes in and asks questions and all those types of things. But it’s been a good, fun time having him in the room.”
Drafted players often have less to worry about in terms of making the final roster than undrafted players do, but Demmings isn’t taking anything for granted in his first training camp. Whether it’s a preseason game or a drill in practice, he told Vikings.com his plan is to “treat every moment like it’s a game day, like I’m preparing for a game.”
“Like me coming out here right now [to practice], I treated it like it was the Super Bowl because I don’t want to get into the Super Bowl or get into preseason versus the Giants or Week 1 versus the Packers for it to be that,” he said. “When I’m out here [I tell myself], ‘OK, we’re playing the Giants this rep. OK, we’re playing the Packers this rep. OK, now we’re in the Super Bowl this rep. How am I going to come back? How am I gonna gauge this bad rep and turn it into a great play this next rep?'”
Everything about him is fueled by his faith in God. After he was drafted, he shared with reporters about the day football went from being just a hobby to a passion: April 14, 2022.
“That was the day I surrendered my life to Christ. I understood from that point I was never going to live my life for me again,” Demmings told reporters. “I was going to do everything I could to serve the person next to me. And what sport do I play? One of the greatest team sports on the planet.”
It was then that he shared his “why” and wanting to express “His heartbeat every day.”
“So when I took that approach not only to life but to the field and my team — teammates and staff of the organization — that’s when I really fell in love with it, because I could give more to this game than just my ability to play in my cleats,” he said. “How I treat people. How I talk to people. … I became so invested not only in the game but everyone who’s involved with it and every adversity that comes with it.”
This transformation came while he was at SFA, and he recently shared with the school how his new mindset around football came to be.
“Football has become a vehicle for me, to where I’ve met a lot of people, great people. I’ve done learned a lot of life lessons. I’ve learned a lot of things on the field and off the field,” he said. “But with that, I never lost my identity in Christ, I never failed to give God all the glory, and I never failed to try to be of service to the next person.”
As the Vikings’ video compilation of his inspirational quotes continued, his messages carried on some of these same themes:
“You don’t need a spotlight to impact the room.”
“A fool prays for an easier road. Wise men pray for stronger legs.”
“You’re the light in this world. The sun is just out so you can see the impact.”
“Don’t let nobody tell you the sky’s the limit if there’s footprints on the moon.”
“We’re called to hear God and express His heartbeat. You matter to the world.”
“Two things can’t be taken: God’s unconditional love and the superpower He gave you.”
Labeled “one of the most intriguing FCS prospects” in the 2026 draft class by Pro Football Network, Demmings twice led the SFA in interceptions and passes defensed. He redshirted in 2021 and by 2023 was a full-time starter. Over four active seasons, he totaled 53 tackles, nine interceptions, two tackles for loss and 37 passes defensed.
He was the only FCS defensive back to receive an invitation to the Senior Bowl and also participated in the NFL Scouting Combine, where his vertical leap was second-best among cornerbacks.
“I always grew up working. I always grew up having to hustle,” he told Vikings.com. “And wherever God called me to be in life, or whatever platform, I did it with everything I could.”
The Vikings close out the preseason on Friday with a road game against the Denver Broncos before opening the regular season at home against the Green Bay Packers on Sept. 13.
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