Noel Jenke facts for kids

Noel Charles Jenke (born December 17, 1946 – died July 23, 2020) was an amazing American athlete. He was a professional football player, playing as a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played for three different teams during his career. Before playing football, Jenke was also a minor league baseball player. He was part of the Boston Red Sox organization.

Early Life and Sports Talent

Noel Jenke grew up in Owatonna, Minnesota. He went to Owatonna High School. There, he showed incredible talent in many sports. He earned a varsity letter in three sports every year. These sports were football, basketball, and baseball. In his senior year, he was the captain of all three teams. He also played on a local ice hockey team. This team won state championships. They even played in national tournaments.

College Sports Achievements

Jenke continued his impressive sports career at the University of Minnesota. He again earned letters in three different sports. He lettered three times in football and three times in ice hockey. He also lettered once in baseball. In 1968, he was the captain of the 1968 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team. This team had a strong season, winning six games.

Noel Jenke made history at the University of Minnesota. He was the first athlete ever to letter in three sports. Even more impressively, he was drafted by professional teams in all three of those sports!

His college honors included:

• Named to the AP All Big Ten First-team for football in 1968.
• Chosen for the All Big Ten Academic First-team in football in 1968.
• Selected for the AP All Big Ten First-team in baseball in 1969.
• Named to the Sporting News and Topps All American Baseball Team in 1969.

Professional Sports Career

Noel Jenke was a rare athlete. He was drafted by professional teams in three different sports leagues:

• Football: The Minnesota Vikings picked him in the 12th round of the 1969 NFL Draft.
• Baseball: The Boston Red Sox selected him in the first round of the 1969 MLB draft.
• Ice Hockey: The Minnesota Fighting Saints chose him in the World Hockey Association's WHA General Player Draft in 1972.

Playing Professional Baseball

After being drafted by the Red Sox, Jenke played professional baseball for three seasons. This was from 1969 to 1971. He played for teams like the Louisville Colonels (AAA) and the Pawtucket Red Sox (AA). He was an outfielder. He threw with his right hand and batted with his left. In 120 minor league games, he had a .241 batting average. He also hit 5 home runs and had 35 RBIs.

Playing Professional Football

After his baseball career, Jenke joined the Minnesota Vikings for the 1971 NFL season. He played in all 14 regular-season games. He also played in the Vikings' playoff game that year.

In 1972, the Vikings released Jenke. The Atlanta Falcons then picked him up. He played in one game for the Falcons. Later that season, he moved to their practice squad.

In 1973, Jenke was released by the Falcons. He then joined the Green Bay Packers' practice squad. He was later added to their active roster. He played in two games for the Packers that season.

Jenke started the 1974 season on the Packers' injured reserve list. He was added back to the active roster in October. He played in eight games that year. In August 1975, the Packers released him. He did not play professional football again after that.

Personal Life

Noel Jenke married Jane Schlamel in October 1972. They had three sons together. After his sports career, Jenke worked in sales. He worked for Champion sportswear.

Noel Jenke passed away on July 23, 2020. He was 73 years old. He had been in the hospital for a surgery.