The description of Lynn Thomsen’s college football career is simple, yet profound. He started every game for four years and he never once tasted defeat. From the first day he set foot on the Augustana campus in August of 1983 until the time he graduated in 1987, he was the epitome of what the Vikings were about. He was a winner in every sense of the word.
When he walked off the field after Augustana defeated Salisbury State by a score of 31-3 in the 1986 Stagg Bowl in Phenix City, Alabama, he left with a personal record that can never be topped. He started all 50 games in his career and the Vikings went 49-0-1 during that time, winning four consecutive NCAA Division III national titles. There were no cumulative tackle statistics kept by the school in those days but the only thing that mattered was the scoreboard. In that category, Thomsen always came out on top.
During his freshman season he played middle guard but prior to his sophomore campaign he switched over to defensive tackle where he made his home for the next three years. He never missed a start and he rarely missed a single play. During that time he helped anchor a defense that was the catalyst for the Vikings’ incredible run of success.
Head coach Bob Reade always focused on stopping the run and Thomsen’s presence certainly made that possible. During the four year stint that he patrolled the middle, the Augustana defense produced some eye-popping numbers. In 50 games, opponents scored a grand total of 416 points, which is an average of 8.3 per game. In those same 50 games, the Viking defense allowed a total of 2,544 yards rushing for an average of 50.8 per game. It took the opponents 1,554 carries to reach that yardage total, an average of just 1.6 yards per carry. With Thomsen and company on patrol, those carries were without a doubt painful.
The finest hour for the Augustana defense had to be in 1986 when it compiled numbers that seem to be fictional. With a unit that boasted of six players who would earn NCAA Division III All-America honors – either that year or the next – poised and ready, the opponents gained ground in inches and feet, not yards. The 1986 team went 12-0-1, with the lone tie being a 0-0 game in the season opener against Elmhurst. In 11 of the 13 games the Vikings held their opponents to seven points or less. They allowed an average of just 5.6 points per game and 25.5 yards per game rushing. It took 13 opponents 398 attempts to gain a grand total of 331 yards for the season. That averages out to 0.8 yards per attempt or less than 29 inches each time the opposition tried to run the football.
Thomsen possessed good size for his day (6’ 2”, 243 pounds as a senior) but he was mobile and athletic and as a former high school wrestler, he had tremendous balance. He was a three time first team all-conference performer and was an NCAA Division III All-American in 1985 and 1986. In 1986 he was named to every All-America team available and was named the Most Valuable Defensive Player in the CCIW. His teammates chose him as the Augustana defensive MVP as well.
One of his finest accomplishments, however, came 10 years after his playing career ended when he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Indiana in the summer of 1997.
He married his classmate, the former Amy Johnson and the couple has a daughter Emily (19) and a son Jacob (16). They currently reside in Alpharetta, Georgia. Lynn is a manager with State Farm Insurance and recently celebrated 20 years with the company.
His comment on his Augustana years says it all. “Priceless!! Wonderful memories and beautiful people. I am thankful for this honor.”
