Salonen attended Great Falls High School, where he was an All-state football player that played on offense and defense (linebacker).
He accepted a football scholarship from the University of Montana, where he played as a tight end and also served as team's long snapper.
He was also selected by the Houston Gamblers of the United States Football League in the ninth round (188th overall) of the 1984 USFL Draft.
He was the backup to Mike Hegman, but still remained a reserve at tight end and as a core special teams player.
[4] He retired on May 15, 1988, after failing to recover from a shoulder injury he suffered in November 1986 and spending two years on the injured reserve.