University of Minnesota Athletics
Francis 'Pug' Lund - M Club Hall of Fame
Francis "Pug" Lund
Football, 1932-34
Men’s Track & Field, 1932-34
HOF Class of 1991
Born and raised in Rice Lake, WI, Francis "Pug" Lund headed west to the University of Minnesota in 1931, where he played football and ran track for the Gophers.
On the gridiron, Lund was an All-American in 1933 and 1934, earning Big Ten MVP honors those same years. The speedy halfback was also captain of the 1934 national championship team, averaging almost six yards per carry that season.
In perhaps his most memorable 1934 game, against the University of Pittsburgh, Lund took a lateral and then threw a touchdown pass to Robert Tenner late in the fourth quarter to give the Gophers a 13-7 win and their first undefeated national title.
Lund rejected many offers to play pro football, choosing instead a career in automotive insurance.
He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1958.