Former UND football player Tom Biolo dies at 61

UND quarterback Tom Biolo runs for yardage against Montana State in a 1980 game at Memorial Stadium. Photo submitted by UND Athletics.

By Tom Miller

October 17, 2019 at 11:55 PM

Former UND quarterback, punter and kicker Tom Biolo, 61, died this week from an apparent heart attack at his lake cabin in northern Wisconsin, according to the radio station Biolo worked at in Fond du Lac, Wis.

Biolo, who earned all-North Central Conference honors while playing for UND from 1977 through 1980, led the then-Fighting Sioux to a 10-2 record in 1979.

A native of Green Bay, Wis., Biolo was recruited by Minnesota and Wisconsin as a kicker but UND offered the opportunity to play quarterback, too.

In career punts, Biolo is No. 1 all-time at UND with 226.

Biolo was married (Lynn) with two adult sons (Bobbie and Brian). Less than two years ago, his son Paul died in a traffic crash.

Biolo started in radio in Fond du Lac in 1986.

By Tom Miller

Miller has covered sports at the Grand Forks Herald since 2004 and was the state sportswriter of the year in 2019 and 2022.

His primary beat is UND football but also reports on a variety of UND sports and local preps.

He can be reached at (701) 780-1121, tmiller@gfherald.com or on Twitter at @tommillergf.