Bo Richter springs out of his stance and attacks.

What the undrafted Vikings rookie lacks in stereotypical size as an NFL edge defender, he accounts for with a play style reliant on emotions and instincts.

"He's just a guy that plays with passion. That's who he is. He's not extra or over-the-top," said Air Force defensive line coach Alex Means. "He loves the violence of the game. He loves to make plays. He loves getting sacks and pressures, and he just kind of roars when he gets those successes. It's cool to see."

A lion preying on quarterbacks, Richter's roar was witnessed by many Vikings fans last Saturday when he tallied a sack of Raiders quarterback Anthony Brown on the first snap from scrimmage in the second half of Minnesota's 24-23 victory.

It took Richter one defensive play – a mere repetition in his very first taste of the NFL – to record a sack.

His college position coach, Means, showed up an hour late to an Air Force football staff barbeque that day because he was glued to his television, watching Richter, whom he considers a little brother, emerge.

"My wife said – it was the funniest thing; she wishes she would have got it on video – that I was jumping up and down like it was my own kid making plays," Means recalled Tuesday during a phone conversation.

The 6-foot-1, 248-pound Richter made six tackles, including two for losses, in his NFL preseason debut. He was stripped of a second sack because of finicky designed-quarterback-run rules – Richter didn't care; Vikings Head Coach Kevin O'Connell, however, countered in his postgame presser that "those don't exist."

"I was telling one of the [athletic trainers] here, my phone has blown up after big games before, but nothing like this – everybody is so supportive and it's awesome to see," Richter said Monday afternoon.

Replicating his initial performance in Minnesota's second exhibition game Saturday at Cleveland could help Richter vie for a spot on the club's 53-man roster. He just needs to keep making plays.

"You can't feel like you've made it," Richter stated. "And I definitely don't feel like I have."

Leadership laboratory

Richter was the recipient of the 2024 Brian Bullard Award, looked at as the Air Force Heisman, after furnishing his senior season with 19.5 tackles for a loss, 10 sacks, three forced fumbles and 45 tackles.

It was a year of bingeable highlights. Calling it a major breakout – at the start, Richter boasted 1.5 career sacks – seems a major disservice to the serviceman. Means remembers Richter becoming "unstoppable."

"Bo just took off," said Means, hinting at Richter's final nine-game stretch when he produced a sack in four consecutive contests and eight overall (three in Air Force's bowl game), along with 35 total stops.

Richter's contributions on the field increased by seismic proportions. His physical composition was night-and-day different, as well (Richter finished Basic Training his freshman year weighing 216 pounds).

His mind, though, changed the most.

"There were a lot of guys that were doing double majors in astronomical engineering and all these crazy things, literal rocket scientists," said Richter, who majored in business management and laughs as he shares the tale of his once-doubtful commitment to the military school. "I said to my mom 'Oh, that's pretty cool, Air Force is talking to me. I'm not going there, but it's pretty cool that they're interested.' "

Little did he know then! Richter said he wouldn't trade attending Air Force Academy for anything.

The bonds he built in what he labels "such a pressure cooker of an environment" aided his leadership abilities.

"You've got to know who you're working with in order to lead them correctly," Richter said.

Cadets are broken down through Basic Training, then built back up.

By virtue of an innate focus at Air Force to prepare students for military officer positions, and his rising comfort on the field, Richter came into his own.

Means got a front-row view of his star pupil's evolution.

"You combine all of that with his natural leadership skills, the way he communicates and projects – I mean when he speaks, the rest of the team would listen. You saw that," notes Means, "right before that senior year jump. [He was] absolutely the voice of our program, the voice of our defense. When he spoke, everybody stood up and said 'OK, we're going to follow this guy. Whatever he says, we're doing.' "

Richter believes what "happens behind the scenes" tremendously affects his payoff.

Motor made for Minnesota

Twitch, power, explosion and hustle make Richter special.

"He just doesn't ever give up," said Means, definitively concluding Richter's motor is his No. 1 attribute.

Richter has elite short-area quickness – he displayed a swift commitment to inside pass-rush tracks on his first and second quarterback takedowns against Las Vegas – and processing skills. He leans on sudden movements and play recognition to beat linemen to landmarks rather than latching on and disengaging.

Defeating blocks against players sometimes half-a-foot taller and 60 pounds heavier is tough, but not impossible.

"I feel like I can do everything the edge can do but I handle it a little differently," he said.

Richter's tenacity, which Means described as a desire to make every imaginable play within the defensive scheme, and a "nice GPS toward the ball" (a phrase used by NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein) is key.

They're traits that Richter zeroes in on during film study.

"I think a lot of guys have different things to bring to the table that you can incorporate into your game," said Richter, specifying his favorite players to watch include recent opponent Maxx Crosby of the Raiders, new Jets pass-rusher Haason Reddick (closer to Richter size-wise) and Super Bowl 50 MVP Von Miller.

"It was actually pretty cool seeing Maxx Crosby out there. He's a very different player than me – he's kind of the stereotype, he's real long and lanky and uses his length really well – but I love watching him play because his motor jumps off the tape," Richter said. "It literally looks like, every time he goes out there, the [Las Vegas] coaches are about to pull him [out] because that's the last play he can play in the game, and every snap is like that. I admire that a lot, and I try to model my game after that."

It's a style that resonates with Vikings coaches. Richter felt wanted by Minnesota; a fit was apparent.

"The Vikings were the only team to do a Zoom call with me," said Richter, noting that his contact with clubs exploded after testing extremely well at his Pro Day (Richter's 9.91 relative athletic score ranked 24th out of 2,686 linebackers in the RAS database from 1987-2024). "I had contact from 22 or 23 teams pre-draft, but it was all 'What's the best draft day phone number?' Not real in-depth conversations."

He had a more insightful chat with Vikings Assistant Head Coach and Outside Linebackers Coach Mike Pettine. Afterwards, Richter did his homework on the staff to gauge how the Vikings might utilize him.

"It made sense for me as an undersized edge guy," Richter said, complimentary of the vision of Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores. "[It] was the best fit for me because he uses people in variable ways."

Richter's agent informed him there was about 50/50 odds of landing in the sixth or seventh round, or going undrafted. Richter had a dream of being selected but wasn't seriously upset with the outcome.

"I'll never get worked up by that stuff," he said. "I believe God has a plan for me and there is a plan that is set out for me. I don't know what it is, so I'll wait for it to happen – I'll control what's in my power."

"You'll remember you didn't get drafted," Richter added. "So and so got drafted before you. As an athlete you use every competitive advantage you can, and that's a good motivator for me."

Knowing Bo

Growing up, Richter aspired to play college basketball. He competed in the AAU circuit, joining his high school football team in Naperville, Illinois, his junior year. He thought, "bigger, faster, stronger is better."

Initially, Richter remembered, "I didn't know, really, what was going on." He learned the basics as a wide receiver and off-ball linebacker. "It was more like 'You go do this' and 'OK, I'll do that,'" Richter said.

There was an element of inquisitiveness back then that the 24-year-old Richter exudes to this day.

"The first time you meet the kid, he just loves the game of football. He's just eager to learn. He listens and he's passionate about it," Means reflected proudly. "He goes, 'Coach, I know I'm an inside linebacker but what can I do to get home on a quarterback?' It was a lot of fun teaching him early on."

Richter is meshing a lot of the tricks taught to him by Means with new knowledge from Vikings coaches. It's an ongoing effort for Richter – applying what's worked well for him in the past with material that's crucial to his future – and not something that will translate overnight. But glimpses are already available.

"I think that's still the biggest hoop that I have to get through and get over," said Richter, noting a need to balance cutting loose with playing under control. "Instead of letting the play come to me, I take it to the play and go make it happen for myself. … I'm confident in my skill set and know that I can compete."

"It's like a symphony," Richter added. "Every part of it has got to be there for it to work."

Richter's no-frills approach seems as if it belongs to a different era.

So, what drives him? What fuels his focus and keeps him unsatiated?

"The hay's never in the barn," said Richter, disclosing a personal mission that's usually reserved for introspection behind closed doors. "I want to do extraordinary things with my life. That's always been the goal for me. Doing this at this level, that's obviously an extraordinary thing, but using this platform to do extraordinary things and help people and do the things that I care about, that's the biggest thing."

Richter is different, according to his Air Force mentor.

"He's so selfless," said Means, who was afforded ample time to put his arm around and instruct Richter from 2019-23. "He does everything with passion. He's one of the most genuine, greatest human beings."

"I grew as much and learned as much from him – to become a better coach – as he did from me to improve his game as a player," Means added. "[I'm so] excited for him to get his opportunity in the NFL."

A purple thread

Means, a native of Mankato, Minnesota, said he's bled purple since he was born and has jerseys of Vikings Legends Jared Allen, Cris Carter, Randy Moss, Adrian Peterson and Robert Smith hanging in his house.

Richter's No. 98 may join that collection if all continues going well for the undersized, lionhearted edge.

"I love him to death, man," said Means. "He's the one who's earned all of it. He's the one who's worked toward it and put in all the time and effort. It's just an immense feeling of pride for him, and happiness."

Richter said he's talked regularly with his former coach, his "guy for life," dating to the draft process.

When he discovered which team Richter was signing with, Means and his oldest son threw on Vikings gear and drove to his home in Colorado to celebrate. He's fast to congratulate – and push – Richter.

The player and coach – Means characterized their relationship as resembling a big brother-little brother dynamic – spoke after Richter's preseason debut. Means was positive and congratulatory, Richter said.

On Monday morning, the tone changed. Richter received a text message from Means.

He shared the essence of it: "You're not [anything]. You haven't done [anything]. It's still all in front of you."

"And he's right," Richter said with a steely edge on his face. "I've got more work to do."