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Kleinsasser retiring?


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I never understood how the VIkings ever used him as more than a blocker. He was a kick @ss TE at UND I thought he would have been more of a receiver than a blocker.

If I'm not mistaken, he had some trouble with drops in his first year or two and so they switched him to primarily being a blocker which he excelled at.

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Best blocking TE in the NFL. Has been for many years now. The Vikings were lucky to have a guy like Jim on their team. I remember watching him play in High School because I had relatives in Carrington and we would catch most of the football game when we were in town. He played offence and defense and was their kicker and punter so he was out there the entire game. It was great to see him play in college and even better that he got drafted by the Vikings and spent his entire career there so we could watch him every Sunday. We will always remember Jim as the guy who made "that play" against the Bison at the Fargodome. That will be engraved in my memory forever!! He was a great player but more importantly a great guy off the field as well. Carrington Cardinal, North Dakota Fighting Sioux, and Minnesota Viking fans should all be proud they had a guy like Jim Kleinsasser to cheer for on their teams.

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Darin Erstad.

Mr Hockey, Punter for Nebraska national championship team, and all star MLB player.

Good example, although I was only referring to high school athletes, and I don't recall much about Erstad as a high school football player. He may have been really good, I just don't remember. I will say Erstad was probably the best four-sport athlete in recent memory, as he was also a very good hurdler in track.

Kleinsasser was just such a freak of nature--huge, powerful, fast and he could jump out of the gym despite being like 240 pounds.

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Wasn't Brooks Bollinger a star football, basketball and baseball player? I believe he was drafted late late late in the MLB draft, but still a great accomplishment.

Brooks was a good basketball player, but not great by any means. I think he would be the first to admit that.

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Best blocking TE in the NFL. Has been for many years now. The Vikings were lucky to have a guy like Jim on their team. I remember watching him play in High School because I had relatives in Carrington and we would catch most of the football game when we were in town. He played offence and defense and was their kicker and punter so he was out there the entire game. It was great to see him play in college and even better that he got drafted by the Vikings and spent his entire career there so we could watch him every Sunday. We will always remember Jim as the guy who made "that play" against the Bison at the Fargodome. That will be engraved in my memory forever!! He was a great player but more importantly a great guy off the field as well. Carrington Cardinal, North Dakota Fighting Sioux, and Minnesota Viking fans should all be proud they had a guy like Jim Kleinsasser to cheer for on their teams.

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Brooks was a good basketball player, but not great by any means. I think he would be the first to admit that.

I would say he was an excellent HS BB player, but I thought he was also an all state track athlete and placed in the state meet. Anyone remember? He was drafted by the LA Dodgers though not sure he had a real shot at pro BB. Also excellent student.

Tom Petrik was All-State in FB, and BB and state Champion in track for Bismarck High in the 1970's. He played a year of BB for the Sioux and was an all conference TE for the sioux and lettered 4 years and was team captain.

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I would say he was an excellent HS BB player, but I thought he was also an all state track athlete and placed in the state meet. Anyone remember? He was drafted by the LA Dodgers though not sure he had a real shot at pro BB. Also excellent student.

Tom Petrik was All-State in FB, and BB and state Champion in track for Bismarck High in the 1970's. He played a year of BB for the Sioux and was an all conference TE for the sioux and lettered 4 years and was team captain.

Brooks started for GFC's state title winning basketball team in 1996 as a sophomore, and was certainly good, but I don't think he was ever all state in hoops. Not sure he was even all conference, but may have been. I think he ran track early on (maybe 9th grade), but didn't place in an open event as far as I can remember. I'm sure he would have had he stuck with track throughout high school.

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Has there ever been a better three-sport athlete in North Dakota history? I can't think of any, at least not in the past 30 years.

Ryan Chappelle was the most gifted athlete I've seen in North Dakota in the past 20 years. Only track and football though. . . 10.54 100m as a senior and was on pace to be by far the best RB in UND history. Too bad he wasn't as gifted in the classroom.

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Ryan Chappelle was the most gifted athlete I've seen in North Dakota in the past 20 years. Only track and football though. . . 10.54 100m as a senior and was on pace to be by far the best RB in UND history. Too bad he wasn't as gifted in the classroom.

He was certainly a talent. Like Greg Mask, another tremendous athlete from Central, he unfortunately didn't manage to fufill his full potential at UND.

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Brooks started for GFC's state title winning basketball team in 1996 as a sophomore, and was certainly good, but I don't think he was ever all state in hoops. Not sure he was even all conference, but may have been. I think he ran track early on (maybe 9th grade), but didn't place in an open event as far as I can remember. I'm sure he would have had he stuck with track throughout high school.

Central beat then undefeated Minot in that title game. It was magical.(no pun intended :lol: )

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Good example, although I was only referring to high school athletes, and I don't recall much about Erstad as a high school football player. He may have been really good, I just don't remember. I will say Erstad was probably the best four-sport athlete in recent memory, as he was also a very good hurdler in track.

Kleinsasser was just such a freak of nature--huge, powerful, fast and he could jump out of the gym despite being like 240 pounds.

Not on the ND side, but I've always thought that EGF's Kurt Knoff, Green Wave class of '72 was probably the best all around athlete to come out of the area. Great football, basketball and baseball player, even with the knee issues. MN High School Athlete of the Year in 1972. All American safety at Kansas, very good baseball player for the Jayhawks and even played a bit of basketball for them. 6 or 7 years in the NFL until the knee issues ended it for him. I beileve he scored over 30 points in a 3rd place state tourney basketball game as a junior in 1971. Basketball was his 3rd best sport. Best I ever saw.

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