Hall of Fame
Thelen earned three letters as a fullback and played on two MAC championship teams under charter member of Miami's Athletic Hall of Fame in coaches Ara Parseghian and John Pont from 1955-57. Selected first-team all-MAC in his last two years, he led Miami in rushing with 635 yards and six touchdowns in 1956 and 755 yards and nine touchdowns in 1957.
He played professional football in the Canadian Football League with the Ottawa Rough Riders and Toronto Argonauts. Thelen played in four CFL All-Star games in 1959, 1960, 1963 and 1964. In CFL history, he ranks fourth in carries with 1,530 and fifth in rushing yardage with 8,463. He rushed for 100 or more yards in 30 games, which ranks third in CFL history.
