during Sunday’s Minnesota-Chicago game

The winner of a $10,000 scholarship to the University of North Dakota from the Minnesota Vikings will be announced Sunday during the final game of the Vikings’ season and the last game of UND alum Jim Kleinsasser’s 13-year career with the team. 

The scholarship recipient and family members will be in the Twin Cities for Minnesota’s game with the Chicago Bears and will watch it from a private suite. The scholarship will be awarded during pre-game activities at Mall of America Field. 

Kleinsasser, a Carrington, N.D., native and one of the best players ever to suit up for UND, started the academic scholarship with his wife, Christa. Following a four-year career at UND from 1995-1998, he was drafted by the Vikings as a tight end in the second round of the NFL draft. He is the longest-tenured pro athlete in the Twin Cities and was inducted into North Dakota High School Hall of Fame in 2008. 

There were more than 250 scholarship applicants from eight states and the United Kingdom. The scholarship is for an incoming freshman in 2012. 

The recipient was selected based on high school GPA and standardized test scores. Applicants also submitted a 1,000-word personal statement that highlighted their career goals, achievements, how they’ve overcome adversity and what the opportunity to study at UND would mean to their future. 
Kleinsasser participated in promotional television and radio spots to promote the scholarship. In them, he talked about his love for UND and how his years at the University have helped him in life. 

Off the field, Kleinsasser has worked extensively with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, serving with his wife to host the annual fundraising ball in the Twin Cities. He participates annually in the Epilepsy Foundation Clothing Drive and the North Dakota Special Olympics Games.