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GRAND FORKS — Former UND tight end Jim Kleinsasser is back on the ballot for the College Football Hall of Fame.
For the second year in a row, the National Football Foundation & College Football Hall of Fame announced Kleinsasser is one of 101 players listed on the ballot for the College Football Hall of Fame.
“It’s an enormous honor to just be on the College Football Hall of Fame ballot considering more than 5.7 million people have played college football and only 1,093 players have been inducted,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “The Hall’s requirement of being a First-Team All-American creates a much smaller pool of about 1,500 individuals who are even eligible. Being in today’s elite group means an individual is truly among the greatest to have ever played the game, and we look forward to announcing the 2025 College Football Hall of Fame Class early next year.”
Kleinsasser played tight end at UND from 1995-98. He was voted a First Team All-American by three publications in 1998 and was a first team member by two publications in 1997. He also received honorable mention All-America status in 1996.
Kleinsasser secured First Team All-North Central Conference honors in 1996, 1997 and 1998 and remains the highest drafted UND player to be selected in the NFL Draft.
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In his career, Kleinsasser caught 88 passes for 1,309 yards and averaged 14.8 yards per catch. He finished with 10 receiving touchdowns and also rushed eight times for 91 yards and a score. The Fighting Sioux had an overall record of 32-10 in Kleinsasser’s playing days and an NCC record of 28-8. He helped UND make the NCAA Division II Playoffs in both 1995 and 1998 and was a member of the 1995 UND North Central Conference Championship Team.
In the 1999 NFL Draft, Kleinsasser was drafted 44th overall by the Minnesota Vikings. He played for the Vikings from 1999 to 2011, before retiring at the end of the 2011 season.
During his time as a Viking, Kleinsasser led the way for seven of the top eight single-season rushing marks in Vikings history, including Adrian Peterson’s team record and then-NFL leading record of 1,760 rushing yards in 2008. Kleinsasser also appeared on USA Today’s All-Joe Team in both 2007 and 2008 and was inducted into the University of North Dakota Hall of Fame in 2012.
The College Football Hall of Fame ballot was emailed Monday to more than 12,000 NFF members and current Hall of Famers whose votes will be tabulated and submitted to the NFF’s Honors Court, which will deliberate and select the class.
Kleinsasser was also on the 2024 ballot and appeared as a Senior Bowl 75th Anniversary Team ballot member last September.
The announcement of the 2025 College Football Hall of Fame Class will be made early in 2025.
The 2025 College Football Hall of Fame Class will officially be inducted during the 67th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 9, 2025, at the Bellagio Hotel & Resort, and they will also be honored at their respective schools with an NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute during the 2025 season.
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