University of Northern Iowa Athletics
Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 2025
- Class:
- 2007
A talented receiver on the field and bright student in the classroom, James Lindgren is the 2025 winner of the Merlin Taylor Academic Excellence Award.
A native of Odebolt, Iowa, Lindgren saw action in four seasons for the Panthers from 2004 to 2007 as a wide receiver, while also shining as a student-athlete off the field. Picking up three First Team Gateway Conference Scholar-Team nods, he earned First Team Academic All-American honors in 2006 from the College Sports Information Directors of American (CoSIDA), along with three CoSIDA Academic All-District Team selections.
A UNI Presidential Scholar and construction management major, Lindgren was named a semifinalist for the 2006 William V. Campbell Trophy, given to the top college football player with the best combination of academics, leadership and on-field performance, widely considered to be the academic equivalent of the Heisman Trophy. He also was named that season an FCS Athletic Directors' Academic All-Star, a finalist for the FCS ADA Postgraduate Scholarship and a member of the National Football Foundation's Hampshire Society, becoming one of the first two players in UNI history to receive the honor. Lindgren was also named a Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) President's Academic Excellence Award recipient following his senior season.
On the field, Lindgren appeared in 29 games for Northern Iowa under head coach Mark Farley, recording 70 career catches for 862 yards and nine touchdown receptions, as well as a pair of rushing scores. Earning Second Team All-Gateway honors in 2006, he caught a touchdown pass in each of his first five games and notably pulled in 73 receiving yards against both Iowa State and Missouri State.
As a junior, Lindgren caught a pass in all 12 games of the 2005 season, including a career-high 92 yards against Illinois State. In the postseason, he caught a career playoff-high 64 yards on only two catches in the semifinal round at Texas State, helping propel the Panthers to their first national championship game appearance.
Lindgren currently resides in Ida Grove, Iowa, with his spouse, Tisha and their four children, Knox, Beckham, Ava and Jude. Â
