Jim Kleinsasser
North Dakota | |||||||||||||
NFL draft: | 1999 / Round: 2 / Pick: 44 | ||||||||||||
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Career history | |||||||||||||
Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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Player stats at NFL.com |
Jimmy Carter Kleinsasser (
Football career
High school
Jimmy Kleinsasser attended Carrington High School in
College
Kleinsasser attended the
Minnesota Vikings
Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle |
Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
6 ft 2+3⁄4 in (1.90 m) |
272 lb (123 kg) |
33 in (0.84 m) |
9+7⁄8 in (0.25 m) |
4.78 s | 1.69 s | 2.77 s | 4.33 s | 7.24 s | 34.5 in (0.88 m) |
9 ft 6 in (2.90 m) |
18 reps | |
All values from NFL Combine[3]
|
Kleinsasser was selected as a tight end in the second round of the 1999 NFL draft.[4][5][6] He demonstrated remarkable durability throughout his career, playing in all 16 games up to 2010, except for missing 15 games because of an knee injury in 2004.
In 2007 and 2008, Kleinsasser was named to USA Today's All Joe Team honoring hard workers and under-recognized players.[1][7] He continued his 13-year career with the Vikings in the 2011 season. He ranked second in team history for starts made by a tight end with 119, and ranked fourth in catches by a TE in Vikings history. His blocking skills also paved the way for seven of the top eight single-season rushing marks in Vikings history, including Adrian Peterson's then team record and NFL leading 1,760 yards in 2008. Kleinsasser retired at the end of the 2011 NFL season after 13 seasons with the Vikings.[8]
In popular culture
In the movie 50 First Dates, Kleinsasser is mentioned by Sean Astin's character briefly before Kleinsasser scores a touchdown on the TV.
References
- ^ a b c "Jim Kleinsasser". Minnesota Vikings. Retrieved December 17, 2011.
- ^ a b "Kleinsasser Honored". University of North Dakota. December 2, 1998. Archived from the original on December 3, 1998.
- ^ "1999 NFL Draft Scout Jim Kleinsasser College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
- ^ "1999 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
- ^ "Jim Kleinsasser Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
- ^ "Offensive Player Profile of the Week: Jim Kleinsasser : Minnesota Vikings". Archived from the original on April 25, 2012. Retrieved November 4, 2011.
- ^ "Recent news on Jim Kleinsasser - Minnesota Vikings - Rotoworld.com". www.rotoworld.com. Archived from the original on July 31, 2012.
- ^ "Jim Kleinsasser will retire at the end of the year". December 23, 2011.