I dont have any regrets. Homes - Celebrity - Sports - Football Links: en.wikipedia.org By: tlp333 Celebrity Homes Mailing List James 'Jimmy Jam' Harris' house (former) He won the state shot put title as a junior and senior. [1][6] He continued his 13-year career with the Vikings in the 2011 season. The 120 or so fans coming by caravan from Carrington, N.D., to Minneapolis to salute their favorite son should be easy to spot in their yellow T-shirts emblazoned with the town name and Kleinsassers No. He may be called "Purple Jesus," but he sure still needs blockers to help him part defenders. "The secret was, I always made him two lunches," Kathe said. He blocked for former Eagles quarterbacks of different generations, Randall Cunningham and Donovan McNabb. The Kleinsassers moved here in 1974, to acquire more farmland, and planted a long row of evergreens for beauty and protection from the high winds, and a couple of ash trees for shade. The Vikings traded three draft picks to Pittsburgh to move up and select him in the second round of the 1999 NFL draft, 44th overall. Kleinsasser has played for four head coaches. Former Vikings RB Adrian Peterson was Tatum Everett's 'TCO Legends Connection' during Sunday's game against the Giants. Some may argue that the Vikings should have cut ties with him long ago, because of his age and because of how the league has become so pass-happy. ", Souhan is a sports columnist at the Minneapolis Star Tribune. When he was little, he'd run into the yard and lay a hit on the family dog that would get him fined by the NFL today. Eventually, after switching to tight end, Kleinsasser became one of the most versatile blockers on the team. Watching the game for the first time, it was weird. In 2007 and 2008 Kleinsasser was named to USA Today's All Joe Team honoring hard workers and under-recognized players. The former Minnesota Vikings tight end/fullback remembers traveling to his grandparents' house between the Belfield-Medora area. The 34-year-old veteran has given his body and 13 years of his life to the great fans of the Minnesota Vikings. In football, he was a two time All-Region honoree and All-State honoree, and was twice named the Gatorade Circle of Champions North Dakota Player of the Year. He was always a good eater.". Published April 25, 2022 at 3:14 PM CDT. "Carrington has to be one of the greatest places you could grow up," Kleinsasser said. He played in his first NFL game, and started his second. Kleinsasser was as tough on basketball backboards as he was on linebackers. He has also spent time fishing and being outdoors. Kleinsasser, who has no immediate plans, is a living time capsule in a Vikings locker room that has been turned over as much as the field crops on his family farm. It brings up a lot of memories driving back. JIM KLEINSASSER - PREP ATHLETIC STANDOUT AT CARRINGTON HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION YEAR: 1995 HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC CAREER FOOTBALL Letter winner for the Cardinals in football. "You've got the farms and the bars and the churches and the characters. He is popular for being a Football Player. 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In 2007 and 2008 Kleinsasser was named to USA Today's All Joe Team honoring hard workers and under-recognized players. In track, he has the N.D. Class B State T&F Meet records for shot put (62ft, 2 in) and discus throw (183ft, 11 in). The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. He's six weeks old.' "We joke that he's the 'Missing Link,' because he'll get hurt and a couple of days later he's 100 percent again," Hutchinson said. When provided, we also incorporate private tips and feedback received from the celebrities or their representatives. During the Spanish-American War, the first battle involving Theodore Roosevelt and his Rough Riders took place on June 24, 1898. Here's to you Mr. Kleinsasser, from one of your longtime adoring fans. He was 3. He started his career with Minnesota as a fullback before becoming one of the league's top blocking tight ends. Once they took him to the shoe store, and the salesman asked why Jimmy wasn't in school. Carter, the Kleinsasser patriarch, has just retired from running the family farm outside Carrington, N.D. Jimmy, his son, plans to retire from the NFL after two more games, having broken the team record for most games played by a Vikings tight end, lasting much longer than his parents expected and five years longer than even he had hoped. Jim Kleinsasser, Minnesota Vikings | Prairie Public Broadcasting She would turn her back, post me up and hit this sweet little fadeaway baseline jumper, and I'd try to lean on her and fall on my butt. It is a punishing job in the NFLs meat grinder, but fulfilling nonetheless. The nurse looked at us and said, 'We thought he was six months old.'". In third grade, on career day, Kleinsasser wore his Joe Theismann Redskins jersey to class. The principal asked Carter to put a claim in on his homeowners insurance, and the policy paid the school $500. Its weird in the sense that you are so used to this routine and youre on a schedule, he said. "I may not know what to do with myself," he said. They'd leave their parents' cute, modest home to play one-on-one on the basket near the Quonset hut out back, and return shortly, red-faced. Jimmy wanted to be included. The Minnesota Vikings drafted him with the 44th overall pick during the second round of the 1999 NFL Draft. Baby Boomer is the result of the end of World War II, when birth rates across the world spiked. Adrian Peterson is, without question, the best running back in the NFL when healthy. "It's going to be quite an offseason," Carter said. 1995 Class B State Championship basketball team, North Dakota Fighting Sioux football team, "Offensive Player Profile of the Week: Jim Kleinsasser: Minnesota Vikings", "Recent news on Jim Kleinsasser - Minnesota Vikings - Rotoworld.com", "Jim Kleinsasser will retire at the end of the year", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jim_Kleinsasser&oldid=1147135113, North Dakota Fighting Hawks football players, North Dakota Fighting Hawks men's basketball players, Players of American football from North Dakota, Short description is different from Wikidata, NFL player missing current team parameter, Infobox NFL biography articles missing alt text and caption, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 29 March 2023, at 01:56. People born on a Monday tend to be a bit sensitive and emotional. You know that he's going to come to work prepared, ready to do his job. She would turn her back, post me up and hit this sweet little fadeaway baseline jumper, and I'd try to lean on her and fall on my butt. In my mind, hes probably one of the top three players on this team. Culpepper likely had himself and Randy Moss in mind for the other two. Like many famous people and celebrities, Jim Kleinsasser keeps his personal life private. Kleinsasser was selected by the Vikings in the second round of the 1999 draft. Once again, Jimmy dived for cover. Being a great teammate. "That poor animal," Kathe said. "He's still very considerate, still very much himself. He was born in 1977 in Carrington, and at 6'3" and 272 pounds, he's now playing tight end for the Minnesota Vikings. He came across as an everyman, the hometown boy made good that . "He couldn't stand to lose.". BMTN Staff Updated: Mar 8, 2018 Thursday's Hometown Hero was Trish Thacker, the Executive Director of The Salvation Army Harbor Light Center in Minneapolis. Ive been blessed with the opportunity to spend some big amount of time with them, which has been a huge help in the transition. North Dakota was a Division II school at the time. He also had 43 carries for 147 years and a touchdown. Minnesota Vikings great Jim Kleinsasser's Last run through the tunnel 1-1-2012 Former Vikings TE Jim Kleinsasser was Tatum Everett's 'TCO Legends Connection' during Sunday's game against the Giants. Vikings RT Brian O'Neill sounded the Gjallarhorn prior to Sunday's game against the Giants. Kleinsasser announced his retirement following the 2011 season. After tossing 80-pound bales around all day, Jimmy asked the time. "For him, Advil is a cure-all. Kleinsasser has played for four head coaches. Jim Kleinsasser's age is 46. Looking back, UND running back Phillip Moore, the school's all-time leading rusher with 5,467 yards, remembers his 1998 team mostly using tight end Jim Kleinsasser in the screen game. Western North Dakota sentimental area for former Minnesota Viking Fact Check: We strive for accuracy and fairness. "I was always 'Sheri's little brother' in Carrington," Kleinsasser said. Jimmy, his son, plans to retire from the NFL after two more games, having broken the team record for most games played by a Vikings tight end, lasting much longer than his parents expected and five years longer than even he had hoped. He didn't just choose UND on a whim either; he was born and raised there, which is probably the exact reason why he's been inducted into the North Dakota Sports Hall of Fame. After tossing 80-pound bales around all day, Jimmy asked the time. He was a basketball player at Carrington High School. "I gotta get to town," Jimmy said. Former NFL fullback and tight end who played for the Minnesota Vikings from 1999 to 2011. Somebody like Jim, who recently retired, you could tell a lot of people were excited to see him.. The Vikings held their annual "Mascots vs. North Dakota was a Division II school at the time. Jim Kleinsasser - General - University of North Dakota Athletics In football, he was a two time All-Region honoree and All-State honoree, and was twice named the Gatorade Circle of Champions North Dakota Player of the Year. Jimmy Kleinsasser attended Carrington High School in Carrington, North Dakota and was a letterman and a standout in football, basketball, and track & field. In 1998, Kleinsasser had 45 receptions for 710 yards and 86 rushing yards. But parting ways with Kleinsasser prematurely wouldn't have allowed the Vikings to accomplish the seemingly few feats that the fans cling on to. JUMP TO: Jim Kleinsassers biography, facts, family, personal life, zodiac, videos, net worth, and popularity. Of the players who were on the Vikings' roster for that game, only he and Birk, his friend who left the Vikings to sign with the Baltimore Ravens, are still in the NFL. Author Stephen Crane said, This is part 3 of the story of Cavalier County States Attorney Gudmundur Grimson, who in 1922 prosecuted a case involving a Munich, North Dakota boy who, Yesterday, we began a 3-part story on Gudmundur Grimson, the attorney for a farm family whose son died in a forced-labor camp in Florida.In 1921, young, Prairie Public Broadcasting | The Kleinsassers expected Jimmy to be drafted in the second or third round by the New York Giants. We are very proud of him.". Of the players who were on the Vikings roster for that game, only he and Birk, his friend who left the Vikings to sign with the Baltimore Ravens, are still in the NFL. Sheri was four years older than Jimmy, who adored her and couldn't stand losing to her. ), 'Smiley-face killer' theorist accused of St. Paul sex assault at time of Zamlen search, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Theyve been my everything.. Kleinsasser's staying power is the result of rare circumstances. Hochhalter and Kleinsasser have become close friends, and Kleinsasser returns to Carrington in the summer to help with Hochhalter's football camps. American singer, songwriter and musician Jordan Smith, who won Season 9 of The Voice, performed the National Anthem prior to the Vikings-Giants game on Sunday. Jim Kleinsasser Biography, Age, Height, Wife, Net Worth, Family Only four active NFL players have been with one team longer than Kleinsasser in Minnesota. He was part of three division championships, lost two NFC championship games, saw the Love Boat scandal engulf the organization in 2005, watched Brett Favre spin magic in 2009 and endured the misery of the past two seasons. Majority of Jims money comes from being a football player. Loyalty. Western North Dakota remains a special place to Jim Kleinsasser. While playing for Carrington High, Kleinsasser was twice named All-Region, All-State and Gatorade Circle of Champions North Dakota Player of the Year. He outlasted the likes of Torii Hunter, Kevin Garnett and Matt Birk, three celebrated local athletes whose substantial contracts prompted their departures. Former Vikings TE Jim Kleinsasser was Tatum Everett's 'TCO Legends Connection' during Sunday's game against the Giants. He will depart as the Vikings all-time leader in games played by a tight end (181), knowing he helped clear a path during seven of the teams eight top individual rushing seasons. "The best thing about Jim is that he hasn't changed,'' Kathe said. "No farming, and no football.". Western North Dakota remains a special place to Jim Kleinsasser. I guess that was his early lesson in humility.". "He's one of the special few who has the genetic makeup to endure the brutality of this game and come back, week after week, and play through injuries, and at a high level. Submit a correction suggestion and help us fix it. Kleinsasser was drafted as a tight end in the second round of the 1999 NFL Draft. While we work diligently to ensure that our numbers are as accurate as possible, unless otherwise indicated they are only estimates. Former Vikings WR Jarius Wright sounded the Gjallarhorn prior to the Vikings-Jets game on Dec. 4. CARRINGTON -- They've tilled fields all their adult lives, Carter atop his Woolrich Field Cultivator, Jimmy wearing size 17 Nike Superbad cleats. The house is small, warm and modest. In fact, he's only got one catch this season. There weren't many distractions in Carrington, a town of about 2,200. Next Sunday, Jimmy Kleinsasser -- the former UND standout -- will line up against the Bears and throw a few more blocks before ending a career that has unfolded like every little league parent's . Two-time All-Region selection Two-time North Dakota High School Coaches Association All-State selection Menards is bringing in former UND hockey player Dave Christian on Wednesday and former Minnesota Twins third baseman Gary Gaetti on Thursday. U.S. Bank and Polaris surprised Army Sergeant Jonathon Laney and his family with a new truck and ATV during Sunday's game against the Cowboys. You can also find out who is Jim Kleinsasser dating now and celebrity dating histories at CelebsCouples. My family comes to all the home games. Hochhalter and Kleinsasser have become close friends, and Kleinsasser returns to Carrington in the summer to help with Hochhalter's football camps. Kids" game during halftime of Saturday's game against the Colts. After high school, Kleinsasser played for UND, where he won a long list of awards, including All-American and unanimous All-NCC first team pick. He signed with the University of North Dakota, and his parents suggest that he did so because his sister, Sheri, was a basketball star there. Jimmy grew the most underappreciated career in Minnesota sports. Jimmys been a beast his entire career. Once more details are available on who he is dating, we will update this section. This Sunday will be Jim Kleinsassers birthday. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. 2023 Celebrity Net Worth / All Rights Reserved. Kleinsasser attended the University of North Dakota and played for the North Dakota Fighting Sioux football team from 1995 to 1998 before being drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in 1999.