In an era of sport specialization, Nick Linne was an aberration: the rare three-sport athlete. An 8-time letterman, Nick capped off his stellar high school career as the 2010 Chicago Sun Times Male Athlete of the Year. His performance on the football field, basketball court, and baseball diamond also earned him the 2010 Naperville Central Male Athlete of the Year honor. He reflects, “I could never fathom dropping even one sport because I loved each of them and had so much fun bouncing from one season to the next.”
During the fall, Nick quarterbacked the Redhawks in his junior and senior years. He was a two-time DVC All-Conference selection, earning Conference Player of the Year honors in 2009. During his senior season, he was also named the Daily Herald and Walter Payton’s Roundhouse Player of the Year. Under Nick’s leadership and definitive example, the Redhawks qualified for the State playoffs in both 2008 and 2009. Nick cites the calm and powerful influences of Coach Mike Stine and Coach JR Rexilius as integral to his success and confidence, both on and off the gridiron, in high school, college and adult life. The joy of competing and playing with friends remains the center point of Linne’s fondest memories.
Winter found Linne in the gym, where he played 3 years of varsity basketball. The consummate teammate, he was a member of one of Naperville Central’s most successful teams in school history. The 2008-2009 Redhawks finished the year as undefeated Conference champions and Sectional finalists with a record of 27-3. Nick was named to the DVC All-Conference team that season. While the achievements of those seasons shine bright, Linne counts the impact of his relationships as the best gifts of the experience. He remembers, “Coach Kramer had that rare ability to understand his players on an individual level and he knew that what motivates one guy might not motivate the next. He knew which guys needed a little push and which guys needed an arm around their shoulder. That is a skill I learned through watching Coach Kramer, and I’m thankful that is applicable to many aspects of life beyond basketball.”
The turn to spring meant baseball, where Nick was a 3 year varsity starter, earning DVC All-Conference honors during the 2009 and 2010 seasons. In a fitting way to close out a storied high school career, Nick hit .385 for the 38-4 Redhawks and helped his teammates win the 2010 IHSA class 4A Baseball State Championship. Nick recalls that highlight as a special gift for head coach and fellow Hall of Fame member, Bill Seiple, who “eats, sleeps, and breathes baseball. He taught all of us how to play the game the right way. I’m thankful that we got to send him out on a high note and win him a State Championship in his last year of coaching.”
Reflecting on the entirety of his high school athletic experiences, Nick adds, “I’m very grateful that I was surrounded by like-minded individuals who shared a deep drive to be successful and to have fun doing it. The bonds that I built with my teammates can never be broken, and I’m lucky to say that those guys are still my best friends today. We always had each other’s backs, and that remains true to this day. Playing three sports year round may sound like a chore to some people, but for me it was always fun because I was genuinely just having the time of my life hanging out with my best buddies.”
An accomplished and dedicated Naperville Central student, inspired by his parents and driven by a genuine enjoyment for learning new things, Linne has especially fond memories of his time in Mrs. Adamatis’ Adapted PE classes: “The friendships we built with those kids were unlike anything else, and you couldn’t help but smile at their endlessly positive energy. The program Mrs. A led had a profound impact on me, and today I work closely with Special Olympics Chicago and even helped raise money for them while running the 2022 Chicago Marathon.”
Upon graduation, Nick continued his baseball career at Northwestern University where he started 170 games over his college career. In typical Linne fashion, Nick’s versatility allowed him to see action at every position on the diamond, except pitcher and catcher during his time playing for the Wildcats. Nick is married to Meg, a former All-American collegiate tennis player, whom he asserts is a much better athlete than him. This past September, Meg and Nick celebrated the birth of their daughter, Ellie. It is easy to imagine the young athlete Ellie will become, but Nick says, “Regardless of the path she chooses, we cannot wait to watch her grow up and take on life’s adventures together.”
Professionally, Nick began his career in the baseball department at the Wilson Sporting Goods HQ in Chicago. Linne shared, “It was the perfect first job out of college and a great way for me to stay close to sports.” For the past 7 years, Nick has been involved in technology sales, where he explains, “I learned how to take my competitive instincts from sports and relay that into a sales career that I can say I am very proud of, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds.”
From star high school athlete to proud husband and father, Nick Linne has learned a great deal from athletics. “Sports are an amazing platform that helped bring me places in life that I could’ve never imagined and in a lot of ways they helped shape me into the person I am today,” he reflects. “In sports, it’s about going to battle with your teammates and doing absolutely anything for each other. In life, it’s no different except now my wife and daughter are my teammates, and everything I do is for them.”