Chris Jensen, a 1984 graduate of the College, was named Forester Athlete of the Week on Thursday for his accomplishments during the 1982 and 1983 season openers.
Jensen transferred to Lake Forest from Harper Junior College in 1982 and made an immediate impact on the field by catching touchdown passes of 31 and 22 yards in the first half of the season opener, a 28-6 victory over Eureka College on September 11. He had three receptions for 63 yards and added a 21-yard kickoff return in the contest. Jensen was a First Team All-Midwest Collegiate Athletic Conference North Division selection after finishing the season with a team-high 41 catches and 734 receiving yards.
The 1983 season started in similar fashion, as Lake Forest defeated Eureka College 23-7 on September 10. Jensen had eight receptions for 127 yards and a touchdown en route to a 48-catch, 787-yard senior season. He also set program records with a dozen touchdowns and 78 points on the year. Lake Forest went on to capture the MCAC championship, the program's first league title since 1957, and Jensen was voted First Team All-MCAC North and the Foresters' Most Valuable Player.
Despite playing just two seasons at the College, Jensen graduated ranked second in school history with 1,521 career receiving yards and 16 receiving touchdowns. Both marks still rank among the top 10 in team annals.
In January of 1984 Jensen was an 11th-round draft pick of the Michigan Panthers of the USFL but turned down the opportunity to finish earning his Lake Forest degree. He signed a free agent contract with the NFL's Chicago Bears after the college draft but did not make the team.
Since all Lake Forest College sporting events during the fall semester have been postponed, the Athletic Department is utilizing its archives to continue the weekly recognition of high-level performances by Foresters. The department has selected a Forester Athlete of the Week since 1996, so the honorees for the rest of 2020 will have earned the distinction at least 25 years ago.
A note of gratitude goes out to Mike Dau '58, whose tireless efforts as the department's historian has made this fall's Forester Athlete of the Week research possible.
