Coplan, Burdell
Born Jan. 13, 1928 in Watertown. 1946 Watertown HS grad. 1952 USD grad. Coplan was the football coach at Canton High School for 35 years (1955-89), compiling a 228-82-9 record. Seven times his teams were undefeated (1959, ’61, ’63, ’70, ’71, ’75, ’86) and five times the C-Hawks were ranked No. 1. His 1986 team […]
Thune, Harold
A Murdo High and University of Minnesota grad, Thune was one of the state’s greatest basketball players in the 1930s. He led Murdo to the 1937 state Class B tournament finals, where he was named captain of the all-tourney team. He was the top scorer in the tourney with 35 points. After one year at […]
Tiefenthaler, Jeff
Jeff Tiefenthaler, a 1981 graduate of Armour High School and 1986 graduate of South Dakota State University (SDSU), played a pivotal role in helping Armour win seven state titles—three in track & field and two each in baseball and basketball. At SDSU, he excelled in both football and track & field. Initially attending on a […]
Tiefenthaler, Denis
Dennis Tiefenthaler was born on May 17, 1962, and now resides in Dewey (AZ). In the words of hall of fame member Greg Hanson, “Athletic versatility did not originate with Dennis Tiefenthaler, he has simply refined it to an art seldom seen before in the state of South Dakota. In a time when two out […]
Torve, Kelvin
Kelvin Torve attended Rapid City Stevens and graduated in 1978. He lettered in basketball and football during his last two high school years. As a senior, he was first-team All-State in basketball and was also named the Rapid City High School Athlete of the Year for his outstanding football, basketball, and Post 22 baseball careers. […]
Trudeau, Joe
The 1969 Jefferson High and University of South Dakota grad starred on one of the most famous prep football teams in state history. Trudeau was a four-year, two-way starter at end on a Jefferson team that went 35-1 with a 33-game win streak under Coach Matt Mottice. As a junior, he scored 20 touchdowns and […]
Vidal, Gene
Born April 13, 1895, in Madison. 1912 Madison HS grad. 1916 USD grad. 1918 West Point grad. He participated in the 1920 and ’24 Olympic Games. At Antwerp in 1920, he finished seventh in the decathlon. He had sprained his right wrist in a car accident just before the Olympics, and any event that required […]
Vinatieri, Adam
1991 Rapid City Central/1995 SDSU graduate. Most agree, Vinatieri is the greatest kicker in NFL history. Played for New England Patriots (1996-2005) and Indianapolis Colts (2006-19). Became the all-time leading scorer in NFL history in his 24 seasons. Was a four-time Super Bowl champion and three-time pro bowler. Named to the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team, […]
Weber, Dale
Dale Weber was a 1957 Delmont High School and 1961 Yankton College graduate. He was a multiple sport athlete in high school and college. Weber retired from high school basketball officiating in 1995 after a 30-year career and working more than 2,000 games, including a combined 34 boys’ and girls’ state tournaments and 21 state […]
Whisler, Bill
Yankton High School. 1962 Iowa grad. Drafted in ninth round by Washington Redskins in 1961 but never played in NFL. Played 10 years as a 6-3, 245-pound defensive lineman in the CFL, mostly for Coach Bud Grant and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Whisler was often an all-CFL pick and he played on a Grey Cup […]