Concordia-St. Paul Athletic Hall of Fame
A St. Paul native, George Alterndorfer was a key member of a Concordia Comets football team that captured three conference championships in a row in 1976, 1977 and 1978. His work on the 1977 team helped the Comets establish the school record for season winning percentage (.900) with a 9-1 overall finish, a mark that still stands 40 years after his graduation.
While Altendorfer was great on the field, it was his ability to excel in all facets of the game that set him apart, earning All-Conference honors on both sides of the ball.
Offensively, the Comets ran an isolation offense which relied on the fullback to make key blocks, helping to pave the way for record-breaking rushers like LeRoy McBrayer and fellow 2019 inductee Mark Marxhausen. As a ball carrier, he compiled 338 yards at a 5.2 average and a pair of touchdowns, as well. In the 1977 campaign, he gashed Maranatha Baptist for 120 yards on 18 carries in a memorable 57-29 win to improve the club to 7-1 (4-1 UMAC), clinching at least a share of the conference title.
As a defender, Altendorfer was a defensive lineman who was credited with three sacks each as a sophomore and senior as well as 45 tackles and a pair of forced fumbles during his 1976 sophomore campaign. His strong all-around play was also utilized on special teams, putting him on the field for much of the Comets’ four quarters each Saturday.
In that memorable 1977 season, Altendorfer’s junior year, the Comets outscored the opposition 286-to-129 with the offense averaging 425 yards per game.
He was elected a tri-captain as a senior and had the rare distinction of not only starting every game, but playing nearly every snap throughout his four year college career that was culminated with three conference titles.
He earned All-Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) and All-Twin River Conference First Team honors in 1978 and voted the team’s Most Valuable Defensive Lineman. He was All-UMAC as a fullback in his junior year in 1977 and earned All-Twin River Second Team honors as a sophomore in 1976.
He completed his degree at CSP in social sciences and would also earn a law enforcement degree from Lakewood (Century) Community College. In 1995, he earned law enforcement degree accreditation through the University of Virginia at the FBI National Academy.
He worked 32 years with the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office as a Deputy, Sergeant, Commander and Undersheriff. He’s now working with Walden Security / US Marshals Service where he provides security for all Presidential District Court Judges and staff at St. Paul Federal Courthouse. He was deputized as a special deputy with the US Marshals Service beginning in 2014.
A lifelong resident of Ramsey County, Altendorfer and his wife, Kathryn, live in North Oaks and have two grown children, Ann (Kerry) and Mark (Amber), and three grandchildren. They are members of Saint Andrew’s Lutheran Church in Mahtomedi and enjoy spending time at their lake home in Northern Minnesota with family and friends.
