Athletic Hall of Fame
The Gustavus Adolphus College Hall of Fame was established in 1978 at which time 19 "Charter Members" were inducted either as coaches or as athletes. As of the fall of 2022, 348 individuals (321 athletes, 16 coaches and 11 benefactors) have been elected to the Hall of Fame.
The former Hall of Fame room on the second floor of the Lund Center was originally partially endowed by the families of both Dwight Holcombe's (the only father/son combination holding membership in the Hall). The hardwood plaque upon which the individual plates are permanently displayed, now in the Hall of Champions, was donated by the family of former football coach and Hall of Fame member Jocko Nelson, who passed away in 1978.
Erik Hendrikson
Football and Hockey
Inducted: 2010
A quiet, but fierce competitor on the football field and the hockey rink, Erik Hendrikson was a hard-hitting linebacker on the football team and punishing defenseman on the hockey team from 1990 to 1994. One of only a handful of athletes in the 100-year history of the Gustavus Athletics Program to play every contest in two sports for four years, Hendrikson was a three-time All-Conference performer in football and a two-time All-Conference selection in hockey. In football, he finished his career ranked second all-time in solo tackles with 119 as well as second in total tackles with 266. In his senior season, Hendrikson set the school record for tackles in a season with 122, which led the MIAC, and ranked 10th in Division III. In hockey, the savvy defenseman played in 107 games scoring 31 goals and registering 36 assists for 67 points. In his junior season (1992-93), Hendrickson tied the school record for goals by a defenseman with 15 and helped the Gusties win the MIAC title with a record of 13-2-1. He was named a Second Team All-America selection after the 1992-93 season. A natural leader, who was highly regarded by his teammates, Hendrikson served as captain of both the football and hockey teams his senior year.
After graduating cum laude in 1994 with a major in financial economics, Hendrikson accepted a position in mortgage lending with Norwest Bank in the Twin Cities Metro area. He remained with Norwest for four years before joining with a group to start the company Tradition Mortgage in 1998. Hendrikson serves as the President of the company, while also overseeing the land development, and business construction areas of the business. Erik and his wife Leah, live in Edina, with their daughters, Eva, Gwen and Lily.