jim kleinsasser 2025 NFF COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME CLASS

Jim Kleinsasser

By Matt Fortuna

Jim Kleinsasser had a pretty good sense of what he was getting into at North Dakota. His sister, Sheri, was a standout basketball player for the school, earning Division II Player of the Year honors in 1995. Kleinsasser himself was a Carrington, N.D., native, and the idea of staying close to home was appealing enough that even when Notre Dame showed some late interest in recruiting him, he opted for the local UND, not the national one.

"If you can play and you put the work in they'll find you," Kleinsasser said. "You're not going to get overlooked. Put the work in and believe in yourself. I think that's the big thing. When I was in school UND was Division II, and we were probably in the best conference in Division II, the North Central Conference, and I think it probably carries a little more weight just being from that area and just the local support you get at UND."

"It," of course, is his Hall of Fame nod. And, indirectly, that theme of local support had guided his life. North Dakota now plays in the Division I ranks, as part of the Missouri Valley Conference in the Football Championship Subdivision. And the efforts of those like Kleinsasser are a big reason why.

Kleinsasser becomes just the second Fighting Hawks player to make the NFF College Football Hall of Fame. He joins Jim LeClair (HOF Class of '99), who played linebacker for North Dakota in 1970 and '71.

"Each and every one of my teammates I had through my four years there, that's number one," Kleinsasser said of whom he attributes his induction. "I loved every second in college. Just an amazing group of guys. And the coaching staff, I had a tremendous coaching staff. I've got to thank (head coach) Roger Thomas and (offensive coordinator) Rob Bollinger for recruiting me and really selling UND on me."

A three-sport star at Carrington High School who won a state basketball title and set records in the shot put and discus throw, Kleinsasser starred at tight end at North Dakota, earning at least one All-American recognition from a different outlet in three different seasons. he was First Team All-North Central Conference in three straight seasons as well.

He caught 88 passes for 1,309 yards and 10 touchdowns during his career. He added 91 rushing yards and another touchdown on just eight career carries. He helped North Dakota make the NCAA Division II Playoffs in both his freshman year (1995) and senior year ('98), the former appearance coming during a conference championship season. The Fighting Hawks went 32-10 during Kleinsasser's career, a mark that includes a 28-8 conference record.

As fate would have it, the closest NFL team to Kleinsasser ended up being the one that drafted him: Minnesota, where he spent the entirety of his 13-year pro career. Drafted No. 44 overall, Kleinsasser became the highest-drafted player in North Dakota history, and he went on to become one of the league's most durable players as a blocker on a dominant running team.

He still calls the Twin Cities area home today, living in Minnetrista. And he was even brought back by North Dakota this past spring to deliver the school's commencement address. Through it all, he carried a very simple motto.

"The biggest thing is I always went into every game, and I just never wanted to let my teammates down," Kleinsasser said. "I think the biggest thing, the biggest pride a player could take is how his teammates feel about him, and I wanted my teammates to know that I could be counted on. I think anyone in the business world would tell you that. The biggest marker for themselves in their evaluation is how do my teammates look at me, and how do they feel about me? I think that's probably the number one thing. Never wanted to let them down. I always wanted them to know they could always count on me above anything else."

"I look at all the other teammates I had and that was probably the biggest marker of respect you could have for someone: 'Hey, this guy gets his job done. I don't have to worry about him.' That's always what I strived for, always what I was searching for."