06-30-2024, 10:10 AM
(This post was last modified: 06-30-2024, 08:36 PM by wetwilleh. Edited 1 time in total.)
If you asked him I'm sure he'd be humble, probably give you some non-answer like "a hard worker" or "just someone doing his best." That's just the type of guy Linz is, seemingly lacking in ego, not a braggadocious bone in his body. On the weekends he stays home and reads, often catching up on the latest financial times or perusing some obscure Monty Python-esque philosophical satire. If you ask what he loves he'd say his cat, if you asked him what he might do for a career he'd say "Accounting seems interesting." The picture he'd paint is one of a quiet, maybe even boring young man who prefers to surround himself with a quiet day of literature than be out playing some violent sport. With that said I'll spill a secret that any team should take to heart, and I really mean it here, **DON'T. BE. FOOLED.**
His stoic manner shields a fiery competitive spirit like none I've ever seen. Off the field he's a guy you may barely be able to pick out of a crowd, let alone peg as a superstar safety. Yet the second he's on the field it's as if a demon straight from hells been unleashed, and he's ready to steal your soul (and the football along with it). That's what Linz does best, put into more realistic terms, he'll destroy every last ounce of confidence your team has. He'll make them second-guess every choice they have, every thought they think.
Your quarterbacks eyes will miss him just once and that's enough, Linz will appear seemingly from thin air with the ball in his hands.
Your running back will cut to the A-gap, make a linebacker miss, and think he's home free, but just as that thought hits so does Linz.
Without asking him I probably could have known it to be true, but still I had to be sure, who inspired him to play safety in such a dynamic manner, where did his seemingly brutal life-sucking style of play come from. Finally on a sunny day during a pre-game interview I asked him just that, and his response was exactly what I, and what most Virginia football fans would have expected. He grew up watching the late great Sean Taylor rule the field, as a young Washington sports fan how could you not be inspired seeing the way Taylor sparked fear in the hearts of every opponent. That feeling of impact that only a great Safety could give. From the moment he first saw number 21 speed across the field like a runaway freight train Linz knew what he had to do.
I've had the pleasure to witness the growth of this kid year after year, from high school through college, and he's been a true superstar in every spot. I've been lucky enough to commentate at least 50 games throughout his career so far and each and everyone of them has shown me momentous plays I never could have imagined seeing with my own eyes. The decisions and awareness this kid has put on display for the last few years would be envied even by some already in the league. His speed and intellect align for a deadly combo the likes of which rarely appear at the safety position anymore.
Even still with all that said, if you asked me right now for one truth about him I'd honestly tell you only this - The best years of Linz O'Fare have yet to come, so don't lose track of him, or he may just appear where you least expect it.
- NoVA Daily Sports - Richard Jensen
His stoic manner shields a fiery competitive spirit like none I've ever seen. Off the field he's a guy you may barely be able to pick out of a crowd, let alone peg as a superstar safety. Yet the second he's on the field it's as if a demon straight from hells been unleashed, and he's ready to steal your soul (and the football along with it). That's what Linz does best, put into more realistic terms, he'll destroy every last ounce of confidence your team has. He'll make them second-guess every choice they have, every thought they think.
Your quarterbacks eyes will miss him just once and that's enough, Linz will appear seemingly from thin air with the ball in his hands.
Your running back will cut to the A-gap, make a linebacker miss, and think he's home free, but just as that thought hits so does Linz.
Without asking him I probably could have known it to be true, but still I had to be sure, who inspired him to play safety in such a dynamic manner, where did his seemingly brutal life-sucking style of play come from. Finally on a sunny day during a pre-game interview I asked him just that, and his response was exactly what I, and what most Virginia football fans would have expected. He grew up watching the late great Sean Taylor rule the field, as a young Washington sports fan how could you not be inspired seeing the way Taylor sparked fear in the hearts of every opponent. That feeling of impact that only a great Safety could give. From the moment he first saw number 21 speed across the field like a runaway freight train Linz knew what he had to do.
I've had the pleasure to witness the growth of this kid year after year, from high school through college, and he's been a true superstar in every spot. I've been lucky enough to commentate at least 50 games throughout his career so far and each and everyone of them has shown me momentous plays I never could have imagined seeing with my own eyes. The decisions and awareness this kid has put on display for the last few years would be envied even by some already in the league. His speed and intellect align for a deadly combo the likes of which rarely appear at the safety position anymore.
Even still with all that said, if you asked me right now for one truth about him I'd honestly tell you only this - The best years of Linz O'Fare have yet to come, so don't lose track of him, or he may just appear where you least expect it.
- NoVA Daily Sports - Richard Jensen