MINNEAPOLIS -- The last time Kyle Rudolph played at Paul Brown Stadium, as a sophomore at Cincinnati's Elder High School, he figured he'd be back in the not-too-distant future.
On Friday, he'll play in his hometown NFL stadium for the first time in 11 years.
The Cincinnati native is back in town for the Minnesota Vikings' preseason opener against the Bengals on Friday night, set to play there for the first time since that game against Massillon High School during his sophomore year. Rudolph missed the Vikings' 2013 game against the Bengals with a broken foot, and he recalled thinking at the time he wouldn't get back there for years.