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Stadiums at a Glance: Ollie Bakken Field

By David La Vaque, Star Tribune, 09/08/11, 11:05PM CDT

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3rd Street East, four blocks west of White Bear Avenue

 

Ollie Bakken Field at St. Paul Harding

Location: 3rd Street East, four blocks west of White Bear Avenue

Tonight's game: 7 p.m. against Aitkin

Namesake: Ollie Bakken, a 1971 graduate of Harding, was a three-sport standout in football (fullback and linebacker), hockey (goaltender) and baseball (catcher). He remains the school's only All-America selection in football.

"We were undefeated [in the conference] in 1969 because of Ollie," former Knights football coach Tim Kiemel said. "When he put on a helmet he was a different type of person. He always wanted to run over people."

Bakken played linebacker for the Gophers and served as a team captain in 1974. The Vikings drafted him in the 15th round in 1975. But his future in pro football took him to Canada, where he played with Calgary and British Columbia from 1975-80.

He died in January 1985 from a brain tumor. He was 31. Bakken Field, converted to artificial turf last season, is also home to Harding's chief rival, St. Paul Johnson.

"He's a great example to our kids that you should do the right things all the time," Kiemel said. 

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