Position: Tight End
Years: 1995-98
Place of Birth: Carrington, North Dakota
Date of Birth: Jan. 31, 1977
Jersey Number: 82
Height: 6-3
Weight: 272
High School: Carrington (Carrington, N.D.)
Overpowering defenders as both a blocker and a pass-catcher, Jim Kleinsasser carved out a place in the history books as one of the best tight ends in Division II history. The Carrington, North Dakota, native now becomes just the second player in Fighting Hawk history to enter the College Football Hall of Fame.
A two-time First Team All-American (1997, 98), Kleinsasser helped North Dakota to an overall record of 32-10, earning two NCAA Division II Playoff appearances during his four seasons in Grand Forks. He was also an Honorable Mention All-American in 1996 and secured First Team All-North Central Conference (NCC) honors three times (1996, 1997 and 1998). He helped the team claim the NCC title in 1995 with a 9-2 record and an overall NCC record of 28-8 during his four years. The Fighting Hawks posted final AP rankings of No. 7 in 1995, No. 19 in 1996 and No. 7 in 1998.
Playing at 6-foot-2 and 273 pounds, Kleinsasser caught 88 passes for 1,309 yards and averaged 14.8 yards per catch during his career. He finished with 10 receiving touchdowns, and he also rushed eight times for 91 yards and a touchdown. A team captain in 1998, Kleinsasser started all 42 games of his college career, playing for head coach Roger Thomas. In recognition of his outstanding collegiate performance, Kleinsasser was selected to start in the 1999 Senior Bowl.
Selected in the second round (44th overall) in the 1999 NFL Draft by the Vikings, he played from 1999 to 2011 before retiring at the end of the 2011 season. He remains the highest NFL Draft pick in UND history. He was inducted into the University of North Dakota Hall of Fame in 2012.
