The 1978 Terrier football media guide listed freshman Chris Lindstrom as a 6-foot-6, 220-pounder.
"He was a gangly colt," former head coach Rick Taylor recently recalled of the young Lindstrom.
Four years later, Lindstrom had grown an inch and added 25 pounds as he developed into one of the dominant defensive linemen in the Yankee Conference. His senior year of 1981, he was Honorable Mention All-American, First Team All-East, Second Team All-Conference, Third Team All-New England, Second Team All-Conference, the team's outstanding senior lineman and was an eighth round selection of the NFL's St. Louis Cardinals.
The growth and development didn't happen by accident, though.
Genes certainly helped as Lindstrom's older brother, Dave, had been an All-American defensive end for the Terriers during the early 70s. He went on to enjoy an outstanding career in the NFL, and was inducted into the Terrier Hall of Fame in 1993.
Taylor was quick to point out, though, that it took more than genes for Chris to develop into a lineman, who finished his career with a total of 110 tackles and 11 sacks.
"He had a very strong work ethic," said Taylor. "He made himself into a force in the Yankee Conference, and was very instrumental in our success those years."
During Lindstrom's four-year career, the Terriers compiled an overall record of 29-12-1. They won the conference title outright in 1980 and shared the championship with UMass in 1979.
He went on to compete with the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the USFL's Chicago Blitz.
"Chris was a product of a great upbringing," said Taylor. "His father worked at the University, and he would come to practice everyday. He was a great guy. But, the person who was the glue of the family was his mom. They were terrific people. They were great fans, and you never heard a peep from them. Chris was the apple that didn't fall far from the tree."
