Michael Iver Stensrud (February 19, 1956 – August 23, 2024) was an American professional football player who was a defensive lineman for five teams in 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He wrestled for Lake Mills High School, winning the unlimited heavyweight bracket in the state tournament.[1] He played college football for the Iowa State Cyclones, also tried out for the Cyclones wrestling team,[2] and was selected in the second round of the 1979 NFL draft.[3][4]
No. 67, 74, 94, 75 | |||||||
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Position: | Defensive end Defensive tackle | ||||||
Personal information | |||||||
Born: | Forest City, Iowa, U.S. | February 19, 1956||||||
Died: | August 23, 2024 Lake Mills, Iowa, U.S. | (aged 68)||||||
Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||
Weight: | 280 lb (127 kg) | ||||||
Career information | |||||||
High school: | Lake Mills (IA) | ||||||
College: | Iowa State | ||||||
NFL draft: | 1979 / Round: 2 / Pick: 31 | ||||||
Career history | |||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||
Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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Player stats at PFR |
After retiring from professional football, Stensrud lived in Houston, Texas. At his wife Laura's urging, Stensrud moved back to his hometown of Lake Mills, Iowa, where he worked at a lumber yard.[5] In 2000, Stensrud was inducted into the Iowa State Cyclones Hall of Fame.[6]
Stensrud coached the Lake Mills High football team while his son Andy played.[5] Andy was also recruited by Iowa State University as a basketball player.[7] During Andy's stint on the Iowa State Cyclones football team, he roomed with J. J. Moses.[8] Andy Stensrud was not selected in the 2001 NFL draft, signed with the Arizona Cardinals as a free agent,[9] joined the New York Giants for training camp the following season,[10][11] and was signed by the Houston Texans in 2003.[12]
Stensrud had two other sons, Kevin and Michael.[13]
Stensrud served on the Winnebago County Board of Supervisors from 2009 to 2020.[14][15] Stensrud, a Republican, was unopposed in his 2012 reelection bid,[16] faced Gary Ludwig in the 2016 Republican Party primary and Democratic candidate Mike Huan in the subsequent general election,[17][18] then defeated Huan again in 2020.[19]
Stensrud died in Lake Mills, Iowa, on August 23, 2024, at the age of 68.[20][21]
References
edit- ^ Goodwin, Cody (August 30, 2018). "The Des Moines Register's 50 greatest Iowa high school football players". Des Moines Register. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
Mike Stensrud, DL, Lake Mills All-state pick in 1973. Stensrud won a state wrestling title in the unlimited heavyweight division as a senior in 1974. He went on to play for Iowa State and then played 11 years in the National Football League.
- ^ Bye, Dale (July 5, 1975). "'Really not much to do'". Globe Gazette.
Next year will be different for the younger Stensrud. He's not only going to play football, but he's planning on going out for the Cyclone wrestling team as well. "I never like wrestling until my senior year in high school," the 270-pounder grinned. "I guess I quit the team at least three times when I was a junior, but I always went back. But I sort of missed not wrestling last year."
- ^ "Mike Stensrud". NFL.com. Retrieved December 14, 2010.
- ^ "Mike Stensrud". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved December 14, 2010.
- ^ a b "Iowa farm boy turned pro-football player returns to rural roots". Post Bulletin. Associated Press. December 29, 1994. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
- ^ "Mike Stensrud". Iowa State Cyclones. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
- ^ Wolf, Sarah (February 12, 1997). "One recruit for two ISU sports". Iowa State Daily. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
- ^ Kopatich, Bill (September 10, 1997). "Family tradition continues". Iowa State Daily. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
- ^ "Stensrud signs with Cardinals". Albert Lea Tribune. April 24, 2001. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
- ^ Hardcastle, Kirk (July 7, 2002). "Pro football: Stensrud looks to cash in on second chance". Globe Gazette. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
- ^ Olney, Buster (August 31, 2002). "PRO FOOTBALL; Containing Owens Is Just One of the Giants' Concerns". The New York Times. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
- ^ "Texans Sign Son of Former Oiler". The Edwardsville Intelligencer. January 13, 2003. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
- ^ "Tink-Stensrud". Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier. February 27, 2005. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
- ^ "Ex-NFL player sentenced for being drunk, armed at Iowa county's board of supervisors meeting". Des Moines Register. Associated Press. February 10, 2020. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
- ^ Shea, Caden (August 24, 2024). "Former Lake Mills, ISU and NFL star Mike Stensrud passes away at 68". Globe Gazette. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
- ^ "Iowa primary election results". Albert Lea Tribune. June 7, 2012. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
- ^ "Unofficial primary results". Lake Mills Graphic. June 2016. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
- ^ Fiorini, Courtney (June 4, 2016). "Several contested races in Tuesday primary election". Globe Gazette. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
- ^ "Peterson wins reelection in close race for Winnebago County Sheriff". Buffalo Center Tribune. June 22, 2020. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
- ^ "ISU Mourns Loss of Hall of Famer Mike Stensrud". Iowa State Cyclones. August 23, 2024. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
- ^ Jacobs, John. "Michael "Mike" Iver Stensrud". KIOW. Retrieved August 26, 2024.