7 Minnesota Vikings who surprisingly never made a Pro Bowl

Jim Kleinsasser – FB/TE

A relatively local find, Jim Kleinsasser was drafted in the second round of the 1999 NFL draft from the University of North Dakota. He was a Vikings lifer in that he never departed for another team during his 12 years with the organization.

When it was all said and done for Kleinsasser, he wound up playing more games with Minnesota than icons Fran Tarkenton and John Randle.

You won’t find anybody anywhere that would call Kleinsasser an overly prolific football player, but he did do the dirty work. Kleinsasser scored seven touchdowns in 181 games and he played under four head coaches during his time with the Vikings that included Dennis Green, Mike Tice, Brad Childress, and Leslie Frazier.

Kleinsasser was showcased in a pass-blocking and run-blocking capacity while playing fullback and tight end with the team. He never made a Pro Bowl, which would be understandable based on his rudimentary numbers.

However, throughout 13 seasons, it’s odd that he was never seriously considered for the honors based on his blocking alone. He was also extremely durable as he played all 16 games in eight of his 13 seasons.