Green Bay Packers “Fan of the Year” has ties to Colfax and Elk Mound
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PACKER FANS — In this family photo from a few years ago, Anna Linberg (right) is shown with her father Trevor Linberg during a Green Bay Packers road game in Washington D.C. Anna Linberg was named this yeseason’s Packers “Fan of the Year”! —photo sumbitted
Although she was born and raised in San Diego, California, Erica Linberg was recently named the Green Bay Packers Fan of the Year. The NFL Fan of the Year contest is presented to one fan of each NFL team by Captain Morgan “to celebrate extraordinary fans who Spice Up the game through their love of football.” (Captain Morgan is a brand of spiced rum in case some of you are not familiar with the name.)
It turns out Anna’s father is Trevor Linberg, a 1995 graduate of Elk Mound High School and her mother is Erika Linberg, formerly Uselmann, a 1995 graduate of Colfax High School. In addition, Anna’s grandfather Oliver Linberg graduated from Elk Mound in 1966 and her grandmother Joyce Price (Hayden) graduated from Elk Mound in 1971. Joyce and Anna’s great grandmother Marie Hayden live in the Elk Mound area along with several relatives on the Hayden, Price and Linberg sides of the family.
Anna has visited Elk Mound several times throughout her life, in fact almost yearly, as she grew up. Anna is currently attending the University of Wisconsin -Madison. Apparently, her love for the Packers came from family members who are die hard fans.
“My father nominated me for the Packer Fan of the Year on the Packer Perks website,” Anna Lindberg told the Messenger in an email message. “He had to write why he thought I should be the fan of the year on the submission. The Packers then made their selection for Fan of the Year from the nominations.”
“It is an incredible honor to be named the Green Bay Packers Fan of the Year,” stated Linberg. “I’m the fifth generation Packer fan in my family.”
“The Packers have been something my family has bonded over each gameday. We also try to attend at least one game every season, which involves traveling since I grew up in San Diego, California,” she continued.
“I have seen the Packers play in New York, Washington D.C., Arizona, San Diego, and several times at Lambeau field. The Packers have been a big part of my family experience and has given us a lot of memories through the years. Thus, when I got the notification that I was being selected as the Fan of the Year it was a huge honor. It has been an incredible experience so far and am excited for the rest to come,” Linberg concluded.
Linberg will attend Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, February 12, at the NFL’s expense, as she is in the running, along with 31 other top team fans, for the NFL Fan of the Year which will be announced during the NFL Honors which will be held February 9th during Super Bowl week. The prize is $20,000.
Anna’s biography from the NFL website is as follows:
Anna Linberg was born and raised in San Diego, California, but both of her parents are from small towns near Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
The first thing she learned as a baby was to shoot both arms straight up in the air when she heard “Touchdown, Packers!” Her deep Wisconsin roots have helped immerse her into Packers history and culture throughout her life.
Her family tries to take a vacation to attend at least one game a season and they are grateful for the countless memories and love of football they share.
They withstood a downpour in New York against the Giants and endured a bone-cutting windchill in Washington, D.C. She and her dad celebrated the Rodgers-to-Rodgers Hail Mary on top of a sports bar’s table, paying no mind to how they may have embarrassed themselves. She was bundled up for the freezing temperatures this last January at Lambeau Field against the Vikings and enjoyed the entire experience of attending one of the coldest games in Lambeau history, especially when AJ Dillon did the Lambeau Leap directly in front of their seats!
Anna says it has been a wonderful journey, from watching games at a beachfront bar in San Diego to enjoying the best fried cheese curds ever outside of Lambeau.
She has traveled to various European countries and multiple NFL stadiums and the atmosphere and energy in Green Bay is like nowhere else. She is grateful for what the organization has done for her and her family. The Packers are the one thing they all agree on, contributing to memories that will last a lifetime!
Currently, Anna is a senior at the University of Wisconsin – Madison graduating a year early with a Personal Finance degree.
She has a passion for learning, trying new things and being involved in the community. Starting in high school, she participated in several community outreach events and mentored the growing local elementary and middle school robotics teams. As the president of the robotics teams, she was able to cultivate relationships in the community that are still in place today.
Being a part of NJROTC Community Service Club opened her eyes to how a small act of kindness can create a large ripple effect in the community. These gratifying experiences continue to motivate her to help others and volunteer whenever possible. She currently volunteers at the Food Recovery Network, which helps fight against food insecurities and food waste, and at the Habitat for Humanity UW-Madison chapter, which helps build affordable homes for Madison residents through community outreach events and fundraising efforts.
Beyond football, she enjoys concerts, comedy shows and theater. Her love for trying new things and traveling introduced her to K-pop, which inspired her to learn Korean, first on her own and then through classes at school. She’s also fluent in ASL, which she learned in high school, and she’s studying Spanish in her free time, as well.