Noel Jenke
Encyclopedia
Noel Jenke is a former linebacker
in the National Football League
and minor league
baseball player in the Boston Red Sox
organization.
. He attended Owatonna High School, where he lettered each of his three high school years in three sports, football, basketball, and baseball, captaining each in his senior year. He also played on a local hockey team that won state championships and played in national tournaments.
He attended the University of Minnesota
, where he again lettered in three sports, three times in football, three in hockey, and one in baseball. Honors included captaincy of the football team, AP All Big Ten 1st Team and All Bit Ten Academic 1st team in football, among others. He was the first athlete in university history to letter in three sports. He also was the first to be drafted by professional teams in all three sports.
. He would play three seasons of professional baseball with the Louisville Colonels
(AAA), Winston-Salem Red Sox (A), and the Pawtucket Red Sox
(AA).
by the Minnesota Vikings
and played that season with the team. He was a member of the Atlanta Falcons
the following season before playing two seasons with the Green Bay Packers
.
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
and minor league
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
baseball player in the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
organization.
Boyhood and collegiate career
Jenke was born Noel Charles Jenke on December 17, 1946 in Owatonna, MinnesotaOwatonna, Minnesota
Owatonna is a city in Steele County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 25,599 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Steele County. Owatonna is home to the Steele County Fairgrounds, which hosts the Steele County Free Fair in August....
. He attended Owatonna High School, where he lettered each of his three high school years in three sports, football, basketball, and baseball, captaining each in his senior year. He also played on a local hockey team that won state championships and played in national tournaments.
He attended the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
, where he again lettered in three sports, three times in football, three in hockey, and one in baseball. Honors included captaincy of the football team, AP All Big Ten 1st Team and All Bit Ten Academic 1st team in football, among others. He was the first athlete in university history to letter in three sports. He also was the first to be drafted by professional teams in all three sports.
Baseball career
Jenke was drafted in the first round of the 1969 Major League Baseball Draft1969 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1969 Major League Baseball draft.* Did not sign- Background :The Washington Senators tabbed slugging outfielder Jeff Burroughs of Wilson High School in Long Beach, CA as the nation's number one pick...
. He would play three seasons of professional baseball with the Louisville Colonels
Louisville Colonels
The Louisville Colonels were a Major League Baseball team that played in the American Association throughout that league's ten-year existence from 1882 until 1891, first as the Louisville Eclipse and later as the Louisville Colonels , the latter name derived from the historic Kentucky colonels...
(AAA), Winston-Salem Red Sox (A), and the Pawtucket Red Sox
Pawtucket Red Sox
The Pawtucket Red Sox are the minor league baseball Triple-A affiliates of the Boston Red Sox and belong to the International League...
(AA).
Football career
Jenke was drafted in the twelfth round of the 1969 NFL Draft1969 NFL Draft
The 1969 National Football League Draft was part of the Common Draft, the third and final year in which the NFL and American Football League held a joint draft of college players. The draft took place on January 28–29, 1969....
by the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
and played that season with the team. He was a member of the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
the following season before playing two seasons with the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
.