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Despite playing in an era where freshmen were not eligible for varsity competition, Ole Gunderson remains the most prolific ball carrier in the history of St. Olaf football.

Over his three-year varsity career, Gunderson carried the ball 639 times for 4,060 yards and 55 touchdowns – all school records – making him the fourth man in the history of college football to surpass 4,000 yards in a three-year career.

Gunderson was named to the All-Midwest Conference First Team in each of his three seasons, including being the only unanimous selection in 1969 and 1970, and was selected to the 1969 All-Lutheran College squad as well.

Gunderson helped lead St. Olaf to a 25-2 record in his career and three-straight conference titles, including the program’s first outright title since 1961 in 1969. The 1970 team that went 9-0 was St. Olaf’s first perfect season since 1953 and the third in program history.

Today, Gunderson ranks fifth in conference history in rushing touchdowns (55) and fifth in points (360), while his 1,591 yards and 19 touchdowns in 1969 rank in the top 10 in single-season conference history. His 1,591 rushing yards and 22 total touchdowns both led the NCAA College Division in 1969.

On Oct. 11, 1969, Gunderson ran for a school-record 356 yards against Monmouth, a total bettered only by four men in all-time NCAA college division records at the time, leading to the sophomore halfback being named in Sports Illustrated’s “Faces in the Crowd” for the effort.

Gunderson was inducted into the St. Olaf Athletic Hall of Fame in 1998 and had his number 25 retired on Oct. 19, 2002. Following his career at St. Olaf, Gunderson spent training camp with the Saskatchewan Roughriders before returning to Minnesota to raise a family and make a career in teaching and the construction trades. He passed away at his home in Morristown on March 17, 2019.