Ellendale native Brian Brekke was one of nine individuals elected into the Gustavus Athletics Hall of Fame on Saturday, Sept. 29th in Alumni Hall.
The first Gustavus football player to surpass 2,000 all-purpose yards in a season, Brian Brekke did it all for the Gustavus football team from 1991 to 1994. Whether it was taking handoffs, returning kicks, fielding punts, catching passes, or on one occasion, throwing a touchdown pass, Brekke's presence was felt in nearly every facet of the game.
A two-time all-conference performer (1992 and 1994), Brekke's punishing running style and ability to always fall forward helped him to gain 2,556 rushing yards on 532 carries over his four-year career — ranking him sixth on the all-time rushing leaders list at Gustavus. A sincere leader and fierce competitor with a complete skill set, Brian led the MIAC in rushing with 1,054 yards on 208 carries (5.1 ypc) in 1994. He also caught 20 passes for 239 yards, returned 34 kicks for 637 yards, brought back 10 punts for 134 yards, and threw one pass for 52 yards his senior year, bringing his single-season school record to 2,116 all-purpose yards.In a game that best displayed the drive and persistence of the 6-foot-1 220-pounder, Brekke led the Gusties to a 38-31 victory over St. Thomas in the final game of his college football career. The senior ran the ball a school-record 37 times for a total of 229 yards, which ranks sixth on the all-time single-game list. Brekke finished his career with 21 career touchdowns and a 4.8-yards per carry average.
After graduating with a degree in business management, Brekke worked briefly as a fitness professional in Chicago before accepting a contract to play professional football in Finland. Following one season overseas, Brian returned to Minnesota and resumed his career in the fitness industry. For the past seven years, Brekke has served in the medical device industry, working in various sales and marketing roles. Brian and his wife Jennifer live in Apple Valley. They have four children, Tayler, Tamika, Ahna and Max.