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Chat Reel: Jim Kleinsasser

Vikings FB answers questions from CNNSI.com users

Jim Kleinsasser helped the Vikings rush for 2,129 yards and 14 touchdowns this season. Elsa/Allsport

Minnesota's Jim Kleinsasser moved from a tight end at Division II North Dakota to an NFL fullback with the Vikings.

Kleinsasser helps open the holes through which Robert Smith has made a living running through this season. Kleinsasser took time out from his playoff preparation to chat with CNNSI.com user on Tuesday, Jan. 2.

CNNSI Host: Welcome to today's chat with Minnesota fullback Jim Kleinsasser. Welcome, Jim. Thanks for joining us.
Jim Kleinsasser: Glad to be here. If you fire some good questions at me, we'll have a good time. So let's get started.

From Kurtis Scaletta in Minneapolis, Minn.: Jimmy, I'm a huge Vikings fan and UND grad. I wonder if you can tell us about the status of Robert Smith and how well he will be for the playoffs -- I've heard rumors that he is more seriously hurt than they are letting on at Winter Park. Good luck, see you at the dome Saturday.
Jim Kleinsasser: About Robert: Yeah, he's been practicing a full speed. He's been feeling fine. He really hasn't been having any problems.

From LukeWhite: Can the Vikings re-sign both Moss and Smith this offseason?
Jim Kleinsasser: Well, coach Green always says if you want to sign guys back, you can do it. You just have to be creative. And pretty much all of that is up to coach Green.

From Kurtis: Do you have an opinion on the "Fighting Sioux" nickname controversy at UND?
Jim Kleinsasser: I think there's got to be some sensitivity shown to certain groups, but in the case of the Fighting Sioux nickname, it's not a matter of being demeaning in any way. When I played at North Dakota, the name, the Fighting Sioux, really meant something special to me.

From Mark J. Holman in Minneapolis, Minn.: Jimmy, what was it like playing on the white team (JV) in basketball your freshman year at North Dakota.
Jim Kleinsasser: [laughing] It was fun and rough.

From Derek in Finley: Hey Jim, I just thought I'd tell you that I played against you back in high school. That was an honor. My question is, if Robert Smith is held to fewer than 75 yards on the ground, do you think you guys will still have a shot at winning?
Jim Kleinsasser: Um ... yeah. We've got such great weapons with Randy Moss and Chris Carter and Daunte Culpepper. They're obviously not going to make it easy, but we can do it. It would be a lot tougher, though, if Robert wasn't effective.

From Jacqueline Bode in Rochester, Minn.: Have you ever visited the Theodore Roosevelt National Parks in western North Dakota?
Jim Kleinsasser: Yes, I have been there. I have grandparents that live out there -- Ray and Martha.

From Mark Van Duinen in Holland, Mich.: Congratulations on your fine season! Your conversion from tight end to fullback has really helped make the Vikings running game one of the best this year. Do you like your chances of being the NFC champions now that the Bucs and Rams have been eliminated?
Jim Kleinsasser: Well, thank you. I think we had a good situation, but right now, everybody looks pretty good across the board. We've got great defenses lined up. Either way, we've got to play our game.

From Tom Meyer in Detroit Lakes, Minn.: Jim, who are some of the guys on the team you spend the most time with off the field?
Jim Kleinsasser: I spend a lot of time with the other running backs. This whole team is kind of different than other teams. A lot of us get together and do things. We've got a pretty close group this year.

From packersboy: Jim, what do you see as the biggest obstacle facing the Vikings' offense? Is it New Orleans' huge defensive line or their quick secondary?
Jim Kleinsasser: I think their guys up front play pretty physically, so that's a big challenge for us. The whole defense flies around, so we're going to have our hands full.

From a guest: Has anyone compared you to the great Bill Brown of the late 60s Vikings?
Jim Kleinsasser: [chuckle] No, I've never heard that before. That's a pretty good person to be compared to, though.

From nightryno: Do you like living in the cities compared to the smaller towns of North Dakota? It would drive me nuts.
Jim Kleinsasser: Each place has its ups and downs. I enjoy the city, but I also enjoy getting back to my family and spending time with them.

From Kellay Loff in Boca Raton, Fla.: What is Randy Moss like off the field, and does he really call everyone 'Dog'?
Jim Kleinsasser: If he likes you, he'll call you "Dog." Randy's a pretty energetic guy. We all are kind of examples of each other. Everybody is a pretty great guy. Randy's exuberance kind of crashes over and brings a lot of excitement to everybody else.

From a guest: Do you feel you got snubbed from the Pro Bowl, considering often-injured and fumble-prone Mike Alstott was selected?
Jim Kleinsasser: No, not at all. You gotta have numbers to get to the Pro Bowl. You gotta show some numbers. Alstott had the numbers, and he's a great player

From Thomas Lawhead of Columbus, Ohio: What do you think is the weakest part of the Vikings team at this point?
Jim Kleinsasser: Right now, the weakest part of us, is playing with extra aggression. We haven't been playing with that spunk we played with at the beginning of the season. Getting that week off and regrouping, kind of refocusing our goals will be good for us.

From Dave Federspiel in Lincoln, Neb.: Will you please tell Daunte Culpepper that he needs to pump fake more often? It will do wonders for opening up his receivers. If he pumps to the left while Randy Moss is streaking down the right, it will make it much more difficult for the safety to get over to help the corner on Randy. I have watched the Vikings all season long and have only seen him pump fake a handful of times, if that. Thanks and good luck!
Jim Kleinsasser: I will run that by Daunte first thing tomorrow.

From CNash: You said you hang out with the running backs off the field -- what's your impression of rookie Doug Chapman?
Jim Kleinsasser: Doug's a great guy. He's a little ball of excitement, just like Randy. He's going to be a great player when he gets his shot

From chickenman: Did any of your Viking teammates call the Saints to thank them for eliminating the Rams from the playoffs?
Jim Kleinsasser: No, I don't think anybody did that. The Saints are a tough team, and they had to be tough to beat the Rams, so we're just going to have to go out and play hard against them.

From Chris: Cris Carter is such a leader on the field. What influence has he had on your life personally?
Jim Kleinsasser: He's such a competitive guy. I think what you get from him is just that sense of wanting to win that whole thing so badly. And he does it the right way. He sets a good example with his life, and that goes for football and his life in general.

From Marty: Hello Jim, what will it take for the Vikings to defeat the Saints this weekend?
Jim Kleinsasser: Well, we've got to come out there and run the ball successfully. Right away we're got to start out with the spark that we haven't had, and we play some smash-mouth football, we should be OK.

CNNSI Host: That's all the time we have today with Minnesota Vikings fullback Jim Kleinsasser. Thanks for your time, Jim. Good luck against the Saints.
Jim Kleinsasser: Thanks for having me on. Thanks for all the great questions, and I hope to talk to you guys soon.

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