[3] Active in pro-life causes and local Republican politics, Birk joined Scott Jensen's gubernatorial candidacy in March 2022.

[4] Jensen and Birk faced incumbents Tim Walz and Peggy Flanagan in the general election and lost the race.

Birk attended Cretin-Derham Hall High School in St. Paul, Minnesota, and was a letterman and standout in football, basketball, and track and field.

He attained All-Ivy League, All-New England and Division I-AA All-Eastern College Athletic Conference first-team football honors.

16 offensive tackle available,[7] Birk was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the sixth round with the 173rd overall pick of the 1998 NFL draft.

[16] Birk returned to form in 2006, anchoring the Vikings offensive line from the center spot and earning his fifth career Pro Bowl selection.

[2] An unrestricted free agent in the 2009 offseason, Birk signed a three-year, $12 million contract with the Baltimore Ravens on March 4.

Birk suggested that legal recognition of same-sex unions would harm "the broader well-being of children and the welfare of society.

In addition to being known as an outspoken conservative who opposes same-sex marriage, Birk also expressed skepticism of the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

[38] Walz and Flanagan released copies of their tax returns ahead of the election, while Jensen and Birk declined to do so.

[39][40][41] Following the U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning the landmark ruling of Roe v. Wade, Birk spoke at a June 2022 National Right To Life convention in Georgia where he compared legalized abortion to slavery, saying that proponents treat unborn children as the "property of the mother".

[42] Birk said in the same speech that American culture "loudly but also stealthily promotes" abortion by prioritizing women's careers over motherhood.

[49] Birk established the HIKE Foundation in 2002, an educational nonprofit targeting at-risk Twin Cities' youth.

[50] Birk received the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award in 2011 for his commitment to improving literacy among at-risk youth.