Linderbaum honored by U.S. Army All-American selection

Before kicking off the first round of the playoffs, defensive tackle Tyler Linderbaum was presented with his U.S. Army All-American Bowl jersey in a ceremony today at Solon High School. For the 6-foot-2, 270-pound Linderbaum, who is headed to the University of Iowa next year, it was a tremendous honor and one that he shares with his teammates and community.

“I thought it was an awesome opportunity to be able to represent my community, Solon, and the Hawkeyes at the bowl,” said Linderbaum. “I couldn’t have done it without my teammates, especially all of the accolades we’ve had. It’s pretty awesome.”

Finishing the regular season undefeated, Solon heads into the playoffs against Decorah tonight having only allowed a total of 21 points through nine games this year. To have a defense that dominant, it all starts upfront with Linderbaum, according to head coach Kevin Miller.

“He’s been the catalyst, no doubt about it,” Miller said. “He demands a double team and takes a lot of pressure off our other defensive linemen and our inside linebackers. It’s a total team approach.”

Also a standout wrestler, Linderbaum is tough and physical on both sides of the ball for Solon, but what really takes him to the next level is the high motor that he plays with.

“He’s tough, he’s hard-nosed, and he’s physical, but I think the thing that really stands out is that he doesn’t ever take a play off,” said Miller. “I know that sounds pretty basic, but it’s really the truth. He’s relentless on every snap and it’s definitely evident on tape because he gets after it. That high motor and toughness kind of makes him the total package.”

Now, Linderbaum will get a chance to see how he stacks up against some of the top high school players in the country at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. The game will take place in San Antonio on January 6, 2018, and be televised live by NBC at 12 PM Central Time.

“It should be an awesome experience just to see where I stand with all those other good guys,” Linderbaum said. “It should be fun.”

A year ago, Iowa offensive lineman Tristan Wirfs, who is from Mount Vernon, performed well in the Army Bowl, and is someone that Linderbaum has gone head to head with both on the football field and the wrestling mat over the years.

“He’s played against Tristan Wirfs and some other quality competition, so he understands what’s going to happen when he gets down to San Antonio,” Miller said. “I think whether he’s playing center or defensive tackle, he’s going to do just fine. I have no question about that.”

Meanwhile, the task at hand is the state playoffs for Linderbaum and his No. 1 ranked Solon team as they look to run the table in Class 3A this year.

“Just keep playing hard,” Linderbaum said of his team’s approach. “I think we’ve been doing that so far. We can’t look down on any team and we’ve just got to go out and play our game.”