Kurt Ploeger

Kurt Ploeger
No. 71, 73, 63
Position: Defensive end
Personal information
Date of birth: (1962-12-01) December 1, 1962
Place of birth: Iowa Falls, Iowa
Height: 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Weight: 259 lb (117 kg)
Career information
High school: Le Sueur
College: Gustavus Adolphus
NFL Draft: 1985 / Round: 4 / Pick: 144
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Games: 5
Player stats at NFL.com
Player stats at PFR

Kurt Ploeger (born December 1, 1962) is a former defensive end and defensive end in the National Football League. He currently serves on the staff of an Evangelical Free Church in Mesa, AZ called Grace Church.

Early years

Ploeger attended LeSueur High School, where he practiced football, basketball, and track. He accepted a football scholarship from Gustavus Adolphus College, where he was moved to defensive tackle.

He was named the starter at right defensive tackle as a junior and finished with 96 tackles, 7 quarterback sacks, 6 blocked passes, one fumble recovery and a blocked punt. He received NAIA Division II All-American, All-MIAC and All-District 13 honors.

Ploeger improved his production as a senior, registering 113 tackles (45 solos and 11 for loss), 8 quarterback sacks, 4 blocked passes, and one fumble recovery. He earned Division III All-American and All-MIAC honors.

In 2002, he was inducted into the Gustavus Adolphus College Athletics Hall of Fame.[1]

Professional career

Dallas Cowboys

Ploeger was drafted in the sixth round (144th overall) of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys. He was placed on the injured reserve list with a thigh injury in August, 1985. He was originally waived on September first, 1986, but was re-signed on September 9 and played in 3 games,[2] before being released again to make room for Mike Renfro, who was activated from the injured reserve list.

Green Bay Packers

He was signed as a free agent by the Green Bay Packers on October 13, 1986.[3] He was cut on October 21.[4]

Buffalo Bills

On December 17, 1986, he signed with the Buffalo Bills.[5] He was waived on August 31, 1987.[6]

Minnesota Vikings

After the players went on a strike on the third week of the 1987 season, those games were canceled (reducing the 16 game season to 15) and the NFL decided that the games would be played with replacement players. Ploeger was signed to be a part of the Minnesota Vikings replacement team.[7] He played in one game, but suffered a career ending back injury.

Personal life

After serving as a church planter in Minnesota for 17 years,[8] He now pastors a church in Mesa, AZ with the Evangelical Free Church of America. He holds an MDiv from Bethel Theological Seminary in St. Paul, MN and a B.A. from Gustavus Adolphus College. He and his wife Stacy have been married for 26 years. They have 2 adult children, Kelsey and Brett (B.J.).

References

  1. ↑ https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1023&dat=20021016&id=CjglAAAAIBAJ&sjid=hBIGAAAAIBAJ&pg=751,2008344
  2. ↑ https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1696&dat=19860910&id=kvAaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=a0cEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1879,1928785
  3. ↑ https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1499&dat=19861014&id=i2MaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=dioEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4110,6275956
  4. ↑ https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1320&dat=19861022&id=Go8RAAAAIBAJ&sjid=8-kDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5898,2056658
  5. ↑ https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1696&dat=19860910&id=kvAaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=a0cEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1879,1928785
  6. ↑ https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1734&dat=19870901&id=FzseAAAAIBAJ&sjid=AL8EAAAAIBAJ&pg=2881,55352
  7. ↑ http://www.foxsports.com/north/story/ex-viking-lewis-it-was-a-different-time-092412
  8. ↑ https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=967&dat=20051005&id=FtQ8AAAAIBAJ&sjid=AvcFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1145,29940506
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