We see that you have javascript disabled. Sunday's Hometown Heroes were 10-year-old Jordan, a survivor of the Robb Elementary School shooting in May who helped pull a classmate to safety, and his mother Virginia, an EMT who was among first responders. In football, he played all over the field in high school and excelled as a tight end in college, leading to a pro career in which he has played fullback, tight end and H-back, proving remarkably adept at drive-blocking on running plays and protecting on pass plays. I know, because I'm watching him.". "He's one of the last of a dying breed. Majority of Jims money comes from being a football player. Jim Kleinsasser: Big as the prairie - Star Tribune Baby Boomer is the result of the end of World War II, when birth rates across the world spiked. He played in his first NFL game, and started his second. "I may not know what to do with myself," he said. I think a lot of guys get caught up in themselves and don't really realize it. After tossing 80-pound bales around all day, Jimmy asked the time. Jim Kleinsasser Net Worth: Jim Kleinsasser is a retired American professional football player who has a net worth of $12 million. He would ride in the family trucks when his parents were working, and his mother figured out how to keep him happy. You know that he's going to come to work prepared, ready to do his job. ", Jimmy would get angry at his father, too, during games of H-O-R-S-E. "He'd cheat," Carter said. NDHSAA Member School Alumni: Jim Kleinsasser, former multi-sport 1/28/2004: This Saturday will be Jim Kleinsasser's 27th birthday. Amidst his 13-year career with the Vikings, Kleinsasser has always done what many others fail to do by merely keeping his nose down and doing his job. He blocked for former Eagles quarterbacks of different generations, Randall Cunningham and Donovan McNabb. "There aren't enough guys like that in the NFL these days.". He has worked at the paper since 1990, previously covering the Twins and Vikings. Jim Kleinsasser's age is 46. "It's going to be sad to see Jim go, but I know that it's the right thing for him, and I'm happy for him," he said. "It's going to be sad to see Jim go, but I know that it's the right thing for him, and I'm happy for him," he said. Teammates are using his swan song as a rallying cry to finish 4-12 and avoid matching the 1984 Vikings for the worst 16-game record in franchise history. "He has been lifting weights as long as I can remember.". WanMor, the sons of R&B legend Wanya Morris of Boyz II Men, sang the National Anthem prior to the Vikings-Jets game on Dec. 4. 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. It is a punishing job in the NFLs meat grinder, but fulfilling nonetheless. Before he became an iron man, Kleinsasser was a farm boy. Jimmys been a beast his entire career. For right now, he plans to continue spending quality time with his family. Born in 1977 in Carrington, North Dakota, Jim Kleinsasser played college football in his home state for the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux. He signed with North Dakota, and his parents suggest that he did so because his sister, Sheri, was a basketball star there. "If I had gone anywhere else, how many years would I have lasted? He was fine with that. Part of the emotions going to be just leaving the team atmosphere, Kleinsasser said. Discover Jim Kleinsasser's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. He's an anomaly among anomalies.". I guess that was his early lesson in humility.". He may be called "Purple Jesus," but he sure still needs blockers to help him part defenders. Retiring on his terms, in the stadium where it all began, in front of friends and family, Kleinsasser would not have it any other way. Once more details are available on who he is dating, we will update this section. His position is almost as unsexy as offensive lineman, but he's such a key to not only your running game but your whole offense. 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. So are the hometown heros speeches during the coachs annual summer football camp. I think theres something to be said for keeping a little bit for the rest of your life. "We'd bounce the ball two or three times, and we'd be in a fight. After a 13-year career, all of them spent in a Vikings uniform, Kleinsasser will retire. We'd sit there and drink a cup of coffee and talk about football, ice fishing, our kids, whatever. Vikings tight end Jim Kleinsasser confirmed today that he will retire at the end of the season. "Kid," Theismann told him, "I cried, too. Kleinsasser was often known for his skill in pass and run blocking, and was a fixture on the offensive line as teammate Adrian Peterson shattered several team records and led the league in rushing during the 2008 season. Former NFL fullback and tight end who played for the Minnesota Vikings from 1999 to 2011. "I gotta get to town," Jimmy said. His net worth has been growing significantly in 2022-2023. More important, she was his transportation. The 120 or so fans coming by ca Minnesota quarterback Daunte Culpepper agreed. When Jimmy was in middle school, Carter fired up the obsolete machine that produced square bales, just to show the kids how farm work was done before modern machines did the hoisting. In third grade, on career day, Kleinsasser wore his Joe Theismann Redskins jersey to class. 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. Kleinsasser has been under the radar from the start, growing up as a boy in the small town of Carrington, N.D., going to college at North Dakota and getting overshadowed by quarterback Daunte . Or pets. He's not what you'd call an impact player. Carter remembers another. Drafted by the only NFL team within a 10-hour drive of his home, he became the longest-tenured professional athlete in the Twin Cities despite choosing a sport defined by short careers and catastrophic injuries. He lasted 13 seasons, almost 10 years longer than the span of the average NFL career. Western North Dakota sentimental area for former Minnesota Viking Kleinsasser, in his 13th season with the Vikings, was a second round draft pick from North Dakota in 1999. Though he hasn't ever been an impact player, he's always been one of the most reliableperhaps the most reliableguys in his locker room. He was a basketball player at Carrington High School. They'll make one more. He's an anomaly among anomalies.". If you see something that doesnt look right, contact us. While we work diligently to ensure that our numbers are as accurate as possible, unless otherwise indicated they are only estimates. Jim Kleinsasser's net worth "We'd hang out by our lockers in the morning and in the equipment room during lunch, the non-nonsense, no-glamour guys," Birk said. He played college football at North Dakota and played for the Vikings his entire career since being drafted in 1999. North Dakota has a strong educational system, good work ethics, and positive core values., PublishedJanuary 28, 2021 at 1:08 AM CST. "I may not know what to do with myself," he said. When it was time to take a sheep to the fair, he yanked the back seat out of a '66 Chevy and made Jimmy ride with the sheep in back, the sheep bleating the whole way. The house is small, warm and modest. 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. The school gym had six backboards, two of which were not breakaways, one of which Kleinsasser had demolished with a dunk. Homes - Celebrity - Sports - Football Links: en.wikipedia.org By: tlp333 Celebrity Homes Mailing List James 'Jimmy Jam' Harris' house (former) After tossing 80-pound bales around all day, Jimmy asked the time. "I drove down the main street just to embarrass him," Carter said. It takes a little adjustment, not having that structure. Once they took him to the shoe store, and the salesman asked why Jimmy wasn't in school. We would advise you to tell your son that if he's going to continue to dunk the basketball, he should do so very carefully.". People born under this sign are often seen as humorous and gifted in literature and art. But parting ways with Kleinsasser prematurely wouldn't have allowed the Vikings to accomplish the seemingly few feats that the fans cling on to. and 272 pounds, he became a tight end for the Minnesota Vikings. The past 13 years, Carter and Kathe Kleinsasser have made the six-hour drive to the Metrodome for Vikings games that didn't coincide with blizzards or harvests. 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There is nothing, outside of your own misdeeds, you have to worry about.". "He couldn't stand to lose.". Jim Kleinsasser has not been elected into the Hall of Fame. "There aren't enough guys like that in the NFL these days.". Jim Kleinsassers age is 46. As a senior, he was the MVP of the state basketball tournament when Carrington won the state title. "He's still very considerate, still very much himself. Seasons in Minnesota: 13 (1999-2011) Position: Tight end. He's a product of nature and nurture, combining genetics that created 6-3, 275-pound man who ran sprints and played basketball in high school and a work ethic inherited from parents who ran a farm without any outside help. He outlasted the likes of Torii Hunter, Kevin Garnett and Matt Birk, three celebrated local athletes whose substantial contracts prompted their departures. "The best thing about Jim is that he hasn't changed," Kathe said. Jim Kleinsasser - Pro-Football-Reference.com 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. Curtain call: Vikings want to send retiring tight end Jim Kleinsasser Carter folded his thick arms, leaned back and stared across the endless prairie. Here's to a guy who's always been an accountable teammate. Jimmy Carter Kleinsasser (/klanssr/; born January 31, 1977) is a former American Football player who played fullback, H-back, and tight end for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. Two-time All-Region selection Two-time North Dakota High School Coaches Association All-State selection ", The Vikings signed star guard Steve Hutchinson before the 2006 season, and he joined the clique. I think a lot of guys get caught up in themselves and don't really realize it. Like I already said, Kleinsasser has always put his team above all else. For him to make it 13 years, damn near 180 games, and still be standing at the end of it, that's something special. "The other teachers were telling Jimmy's teacher that playing football wasn't a job, that he needed to correct Jimmy," Sheri said. The house is small, warm and modest. The former Minnesota Vikings tight end/fullback remembers traveling to his grandparents house between the Belfield-Medora area when he was younger.My moms side of family is from out here, said Kleinsasser, who grew up in Carrington. And it takes some luck just to stick around in this league. Jim Kleinsasser's Last run through the tunnel at Mall of - YouTube It turned Kleinsasser into one of the NFLs most durable and efficient blocking tight ends. "Carrington has to be one of the greatest places you could grow up," Kleinsasser said. [1][6] He continued his 13-year career with the Vikings in the 2011 season. Please enable javascript and refresh the page to continue reading local news. Jimmy Kleinsasser attended Carrington High School in Carrington, North Dakota and was a letterman and a standout in football, basketball, and track & field. Jim Kleinsasser played 181 games . Im walking away with my legs and head intact. My family comes to all the home games. TCO Legends Connection: Jim Kleinsasser - vikings.com Only four active NFL players have been with one team longer than Kleinsasser in Minnesota. Jim Kleinsasser - Wikipedia Weekend nights, teenagers would cruise the main drag. Children's Health. Fact Check: We strive for accuracy and fairness. And it takes some luck just to stick around in this league. During Saturday's game against the Colts, the Vikings honored members of the 2022 All-State Team. He finished his career with the second-most starts by a tight end in Vikings history with 119. 9 (100.3-FM, 1130-AM) Redskins by 6 1/2. "The Vikings are smart enough to realize that a guy that like, who is so dependable and is still a dominating blocker on the outside, is someone you've got to hold on to," Birk said. 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. Jim Kleinsasser, the longest-tenured Viking on the team's roster, is entering his 13th year in the NFL -- all in Minnesota -- and has been one of the most physical tight ends in the team's. Wild star Kirill Kaprizov sounded the Gjallarhorn prior to the Vikings-Giants game on Dec. 24. Kleinsasser, a six-foot-three, 272-pound tight end, was twice selected to the All-Joe team put together by the "USA Today" in 2007 and again in 2008. Its always nice to come back here and see some of the same, old faces.. He's a tremendous example for any young player.". Murphy is a Detroit native and Wayne State University graduate. 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. On a December morning, their homestead is an oasis of heat and color on a desolate and windblown landscape. Jim Kleinsasser Net Worth | Celebrity Net Worth Its great to hear that.. Jim Kleinsasser is 6-3 (190 cm) tall. 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. "You see big, strong, tough guys who can't make it more than a couple of years in this league. "The Vikings are smart enough to realize that a guy that like, who is so dependable and is still a dominating blocker on the outside, is someone you've got to hold on to," Birk said. He is a member of famous with the age 46 years old group. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. Once again, Jimmy dived for cover. While playing for Carrington High, Kleinsasser was twice named All-Region, All-State and Gatorade Circle of Champions North Dakota Player of the Year.