Dave Klemic, Class of 2001, has been elected to the Northeastern University Hall of Fame for excellence in the sports of football and track.
He is arguably one of the 10 most talented Huskies of all time.
Klemic was a standout athlete at Mainland High School in Somers Point, N.J. In football, he set school records for pass receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns, and was voted All-State as a senior in 1995. In track, he set school records in long jump and 400 hurdles.
In 1997, he made his presence known on Huntington Avenue. He was named NU’s Offensive Rookie of the Year, setting a freshman record for receiving yards with 632 and scoring 10 touchdowns. The team went 8-3. In track, he won the America East indoor long jump and was second in New England.
His sophomore season was sensational. He caught 65 passes for 1175 yards, which still stands as an NU record, and scored 15 touchdowns, also an NU record. He was voted All-Conference and All-New England. The team went 5-6. In track, he won both the America East indoor and outdoor long jump.
As a junior, he had 58 pass receptions for 766 yards and seven TDs. The team slumped to 2-9, but he was again voted All-Atlantic 10. In track, he again won the conference indoor long jump title. Outdoors, he captured the long jump and 200 meter dash and was named America East Outdoor Performer of the Year.
Senior year he bounced back with 65 catches to equal his career mark of 65 set in 1998. Klemic’s 65 catches in a season is second only to the great Dan Ross, who had 68 in 1978. He had 846 receiving yards for nine scores. Against UMass he had 11 catches to equal the Husky record. For the third straight year he was All-Conference and for the second time All-New England, plus he was voted the team’s offensive MVP. In track, he won the conference indoor 55-meter dash and the long jump and was voted Performer of the Year. Outdoors, he won the long jump and scored in the 100, 200, high jump and 4x100 relay and was named Performer of the Year.
Upon graduation, he had made a serious impact on the NU record books. In football, he holds career records for most pass catches, 217, most receiving yards, 3419, most touchdown receptions, 41, and second in points scored, 262. In track, he won eight conference championships, and still holds the school record for the outdoor long jump (24’9-3/4) and while competing, set records in the indoor 60-meter dash, 200-meter dash and 60-meter hurdles.
Klemic spent three years as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs and in 2002, served as team captain in a game versus the Patriots.
