IOWA CITY, Iowa — EDITOR'S NOTE: The video above is from Dec. 13, 2021.
Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum is skipping his senior season and entering the NFL draft.
The consensus All-American was the Big Ten’s offensive lineman of the year and received the Rimington Trophy as the nation’s top center.
He also was a finalist for the Lombardi Award and Outland Trophy. Linderbaum started 35 consecutive games at center. He is projected to be a first-round draft pick and the first center selected.
Linderbaum tweeted the announcement Friday morning, thanking Iowa for its support:
"These last four years have been nothing short of amazing. Being able to play the game I love with the best teammates and coaches in front of the best fan base in the world has been a dream come true. I will forever be thankful for all the love and support I have received over the last four years and truly could not imagine my time anywhere else.
"To my teammates, this could not be possible without every single one of you. You have pushed me to be the player I am today and I am forever grateful for that. The lifelong friendships I have made are ones that I will cherish forever.
"To my coaches, thank you for taking a chance on a small town Iowa kid. Thank you for pushing me to be a great football player, but even a better man."