Minnesota Scene: Gordy Soltau, ex-Gopher, 49ers football star, dies at 89

Former Gophers football star Gordy Soltau, who played nine NFL seasons and was a three-time All-Pro with the San Francisco 49ers, died Sunday in Santa Clara, Calif., at age 89.

Soltau, an end and placekicker, played with the Gophers from 1946 to '49. Some longtime Gophers followers consider the 1949 team to be the most talented in school history. It finished 7-2, losing to Michigan and Purdue by a combined 13 points, but had a school-record 12 players selected in the 1950 NFL draft.

The Gophers had three first-round selections — Clayton Tonnemaker, Leo Nomellini and Bud Grant. Soltau was taken next, selected in the third round.

Soltau, who was born on Jan. 25, 1925, in Duluth, came to the Gophers after serving in the Navy during World War II, where he was part of the Navy's first class of frogmen, known today as the Navy Seals.

Soltau had 249 receptions for 3,487 yards and 25 touchdowns during his NFL career. He also kicked 70 field goals and 284 PATs. He remains one of only three players in NFL history to score 25 touchdowns and make 70 field goals in their careers.

He was named the 23rd member of the 49ers Hall of Fame in 2012.

A third-round draft pick by Green Bay in 1950, Soltau was traded to the Browns before coach Paul Brown offered to send him to San Francisco for an opportunity to start.

Soltau missed only two games during his career, becoming the first player in franchise history to surpass 100 games played. The 49ers called him "one of the league's original ironmen" in their release on Tuesday announcing his death.

He is survived by his wife, Nancy; his daughter, Jill; his two sons, John and Mark; daughters-in-law, Sarah and Valerie; and granddaughters Susie and Shelby.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions be made to the San Francisco 49ers Foundation or the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame.

The St. Paul Saints' new ballpark, CHS Field in Lowertown, will open on May 21 next spring.

They will play the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, a North Division rival in the American Association, at 7:05 p.m.

The Saints will remain with the traditional 7:05 p.m. game time for most Monday-Friday games, but Sunday game times will now be at 5:05 p.m. All promotions, fireworks nights and weekday afternoon games will be announced at a later date.

Indiana rallied to beat the Gophers 18-25, 25-20, 25-20 and 35-33 on Wednesday night in a Big Ten volleyball match in Bloomington, Ind.

Four players for the Hoosiers (14-9, 5-6) had at least 10 kills, led by Amelia Anderson with 15.

Daly Santana had 14 kills and 14 digs for the Gophers (14-8, 4-7). Hannah Tapp added 13 kills and hit .478.

Celia Kuenster, a Gophers freshman from Mendota Heights, was named the Big Ten women's golfer of the week. She shot a 4-under 212 — the second-best, 54-hole total in program history — to lead Minnesota to a share of first place at the Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown.

Gophers senior Leandro Toledo received a wild-card bid to compete in the USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships on Nov. 7-10 in Flushing Meadows, N.Y.

The native of Hamburg, Germany, is ranked 22nd in the nation in singles. He is 7-2 this fall.