MANKATO, Minn. — Chris Kluwe stood there with his lips pursed, focusing, sweat building on his forehead.

The crowd watching him chanted, "Kluwe! Kluwe!" as Vikings executives Rob Brzezinski and Rick Spielman watched him perform, their jaws open in amazement.

No, Kluwe wasn't punting in a pressure situation. Holding a plastic guitar inside a Mankato restaurant as people cheered, Kluwe was engrossed in his other passion, the video game Guitar Hero on Xbox 360.

Kluwe estimates that he is one of the top 100 Guitar Hero players in the world, although he emphasizes playing football for the Vikings is his priority. He even has defeated the Guinness World Record holder and played at a video-game developer's convention.

When most football players get recognized in public, it's usually for what they've done on the field. But Kluwe has gained fame — and a little playful ribbing from teammates — for his fast fingers as well.

"It's crazy," Vikings long snapper Cullen Loeffler said. "He's an NFL punter, and he almost gets more praise and credit for being such a good Guitar Hero player. When we're going out to eat, some of the fans are coming up to him and instead of them saying to him, 'Great game, you did such a great job punting,' it's more, 'Hey, you're so unbelievable playing Guitar Hero."