Free Agent Facts: Get to know C Tyler Linderbaum

The Raiders put pen to paper with Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum on Thursday morning.

Get to know more about the big addition to the Silver and Black's offensive line.

Iowa's finest

While Tyler Linderbaum was in both sides of the trenches in high school, he initially put himself on the map as a defensive tackle at Solen High School in Iowa.

Per 247 Sports, he was the best player in the state of Iowa and the 18th-highest ranked defensive tackle in the Class of 2018. He was named a U.S. Army All-American and Iowa High School Male Athlete of the Year as a senior by the Des Moines Register. In his senior season, he recorded 37 total tackles, three tackles for loss and two quarterback sacks.

"He's quick, he's athletic. He's just an exceptional athlete that has great balance and coordination," said Kevin Miller, former Solen High school football coach. "It's the other things that really separate him. Just his work ethic, the way he prepares. I've coached a lot of great players, but the thing that really stands out about Tyler is his ability to play so hard all the time, whether it's practice or a game. He just gives maximum effort on a consistent basis."

Athlete of many talents

Linderbaum wasn't just an exceptional football player in high school, but also dominated on the wrestling mat.

After playing basketball as an underclassman, he transitioned to wrestling. In two seasons, he racked up 122 career victories and placed in the Iowa state tournament both years. In the process, he also engaged in an rivalry with future college teammate and now NFL All-Pro tackle Tristan Wirfs.

"I wrestled Tristan a lot in high school, but it didn't go in my favor," Linderbaum said in 2022. "I got my butt whooped a lot."

Wirfs was victorious by pinfall in their first two matches, but Linderbaum settled the score in their third and final encounter. At the regional tournament, in a match Linderbaum needed to win to qualify for the state tournament, he pulled out an upset over Wirfs in overtime with a sudden death takedown and pinfall.

In addition to playing football, basketball and wrestling, he was a varsity letterman in track and field and baseball.

"I just like doing all the sports," Linderbaum told the Des Moines Register. "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."

Elite Hawkeye

After being recruited to play at the University of Iowa as a defensive tackle, he made the full-time switch to center as a sophomore.

He proceeded to start 40 consecutive games at the position, was named First-team All-Big Ten twice, and earned All-American and Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year in 2021.

He's also now the second Rimington Trophy winner, given annually to the best center in college football, on the Raiders roster, joining Jackson Powers-Johnson

Setting the standard in Baltimore

The Baltimore Ravens selected Linderbaum with the No. 25 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft and immediately lined him up as the team's starting center.

Having played 66 out of 68 possible career games, he's one of three offensive lineman in Ravens franchise history to be selected to three consecutive Pro Bowls (All-Pro tackle Marshal Yanda and Pro Football Hall of Famer Jonathan Ogden). During his time in Baltimore, the Ravens finished with a top two ranked rushing offense in the NFL for four straight seasons.