Solon's Tyler Linderbaum named All-Iowa Boys' Athlete of the Year

Tyler Linderbaum is a throwback.

In an era during which teenagers sit inside and stare at computer and phone screens for hours on end, Linderbaum and his core group of friends go old school …

They play outside.

What a concept, right?

When it’s football season, they play football. When it’s baseball season, they play baseball. They play basketball, they play golf, they wrestle. Pick-up games all year round.

"It doesn’t matter what sport," said Keith McSweeney, Linderbaum’s baseball coach at Solon. "They’re always playing."

That pure love for competition is one of many reason Linderbaum, currently a freshman defensive tackle on Iowa's football team, became a dominant force in Iowa high school sports for the past two years. He was a four-sport athlete, standing among the state’s best in football, wrestling, baseball and track and field.

As a senior, Linderbaum amassed 34.5 tackles, three solo tackles for loss, four fumble recoveries and a pick-six for Solon's Class 3A state runner-up football team. He was named to the All-Iowa Elite Team. In wrestling, he placed third in the Class 2A heavyweight division at state. In track and field, he finished third in 3A boys' discus and second in boys' shot put at state. And last summer, he hit .346 with 28 RBI for Solon's baseball team.

For his across-the-board success in four sports from fall through summer, Linderbaum has been named the 2018 All-Iowa Boys' Athlete of the Year.

"I just like doing all the sports," Linderbaum said. "Since a young age, that’s all I’ve been doing — just playing year-round. Just trying out new things and enjoying all the sports I’ve been playing. So I tried to do as many as I could."

Physically, Linderbaum is a daunting presence. He checks in at 6-foot-2 and 270 pounds. He routinely wrecked offensive linemen on the gridiron and he demonstrated his raw strength at the state track meet.

But this is a kid who grew up playing skill positions in football — a kid who could’ve played wide receiver or tight end in high school, Solon football coach Kevin Miller said. He especially showed off his nimbleness and agility on the wrestling mat and baseball diamond. 

Beyond his physical prowess, though, Linderbaum’s high school coaches said he elevates to elite status thanks to his one-of-a-kind competitive spirit.

"It’s second to none," Miller said. "I’ve coached a lot of players, and just his ability to compete each and every play and each and every minute — I mean, he’s just a player that never takes plays off. I don’t care what the sport is. He’s invested and he competes at the highest level with each and every opportunity. And that’s rare these days — to find an athlete that’s willing to compete to the max, 100 percent of the time."

Added Spartans wrestling coach Blake Williams: "No matter what he is doing he expects to win. In the 21 years that I have coached, Tyler’s will to win is unmatched."

Mark Sovers, Solon’s track coach, said Linderbaum competes at the same level in practice as he does in a game or track meet.

"He never takes a play off. Ever," Sovers said. "Part of it, too, is the relationships he builds with the people around him. Especially the friends that he’s had here in high school. He invests so much in them that part of it, I believe, is he doesn’t want to have that situation where he lets his teammates down.

"He just has his own set of standards that he always tries to live up to."

Linderbaum is still playing baseball for Solon this summer. His Iowa football schedule has made him miss a few games. But, for the most part, Linderbaum works out with the Hawkeyes during the day and drives to Solon for baseball at night.

McSweeney said, beyond Linderbaum’s elite athleticism, he’ll miss his star third baseman’s selfless nature.

"Typically, you always wait for this little bit of arrogance to come out of (top-end athletes)," he said. "For him, it’s just never happened. He just always continues to impress me with his maturity and his humbleness.

"The fact that he doesn't take anything for granted — even though he probably could and nobody would blame him. We’re going to miss that."

Ankeny Centennial's Riley Moss (football, track and field) and North Linn's Jake Hilmer (basketball, baseball, track and field) were also named finalists for Boys' Athlete of the Year.

Matthew Bain covers college football and basketball recruiting for the Des Moines Register. He also helps out with Iowa and Iowa State football and basketball coverage for HawkCentral and Cyclone Insider. Contact him at mbain@dmreg.com and follow him on Twitter @MatthewBain_.