Des Moines Sun

Iowa Hawkeyes center Tyler Linderbaum, winner of the Rimington Trophy, will forego his senior season and enter the 2022 NFL draft, he announced on Twitter.

"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," the Solon native tweeted. "... 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 an even better man."

Linderbaum is a cinch to be drafted in the first round of the upcoming NFL Draft, Hawk Central reported. He's a two-time all-Big Ten first-team selection, and this season was a unanimous All-American, Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year, the Rimington Trophy winner for the nation's best center, and a finalist for the Outland Trophy, given to the nation's top interior lineman.

Linderbaum — at 6-foot-3, 290-pounds — started 34 consecutive games at center for the Hawkeyes after playing as a defensive lineman as a true freshman. Iowa was 26-8 during that span. He was among three finalists for the Outland Trophy and voted first-team All-Big Ten by league coaches and media.

“These last four years have been nothing short of amazing,” Linderbaum wrote on Twitter. “To be able to play the game I love with the best teammates and coaches and in front of the best fan base in the world has been a dream come true.”

Linderbaum endeared himself to Hawkeye fans off the field as well. He used the newly implemented name, image and likeness rules to raise $30,000 he donated to the Iowa Children's Hospital that overlooks Kinnick Stadium, Hawk Central reported.