Stu's Hunt Down: Former Vikings lineman Todd Kalis

Each week, commenter Stu tracks down a former Minnesota sports figure about whom you might have forgotten. Stu? ---------

The Hunt Down

Name: Todd Kalis Claim to Fame, Minnesota: a 4^th-round pick for your Minnesota Vikings in 1988, the Stillwater native (ONE OF US) played guard for the Purple from 1988 to 1993. Remembered for rocking the #69 jersey prior to Jared Allen and for not committing a false start every other [redacted] play like his fellow Todd, former Vikings tackle/alleged steroids enthusiast Todd Steussie. Claim to Fame, Everywhere Else: the Arizona State product (read a very, very thorough run down of his four years in Tempe on Wikipedia) also played for the Steelers and the Bengals before retiring. Played against the Browns in the last game played at Municipal Stadium, where Cleveland fans reacted …poorly. (Good luck to Vikings fans trying that with the blue plastic seats at the Metrodome this season!) Where He Is Now: he and his family live near Pittsburgh, where he is very active in that area's NFL Alumni chapter. In 2010, Kalis co-authored the book Pigskin Dreams, a collection of inspirational stories from NFL greats that Garth Brooks liked. Chris Gaines, being darker and more "alternative," likely never read it. Is He on Twitter: no. Glorious Randomness: not Todd Kalis-related, but did you see that Steve Lombardozzi's kid had four hits for the Washington Nationals on Monday night? Did you even know that Steve Lombardozzi's kid played baseball? If you read RandBall in 2008, you did.