Meet the UW-Madison Student Up for NFL Fan of the Year

By Christina Lorey

November 23, 2022

Even though the Packers (most likely) won’t make Super Bowl LVII, Anna Linberg will still be repping Green Bay at the Big Game– as the youngest nominee in this season’s fan contest. Vote for her today!

Anna Linberg was quite literally born for this. One of the first things she learned as a kid, raised 2,177 miles from Lambeau in sunny San Diego, was to shoot both arms straight up in the air whenever she heard “Touchdown, Packers!”

“Both my parents were born and raised in the Eau Claire area,” Anna told the Green Bay Press-Gazette. “They moved to San Diego 25 years ago. My dad is a huge football fan and huge Packers fan. That’s just been imbedded in me since birth.”

Now a senior studying personal finance at the University of Wisconsin, Anna is the Packers’ representative in the 2022 NFL Fan of the Year contest and the youngest nominee by more than a decade!

“I didn’t find out until I got the call that I won. I was really shocked,” she said. As it turns out, Anna’s dad, Trevor, had been quietly nominating his daughter for the past four years.

“He likes to rave about how I’m very involved in my community here at Madison,” she said. “I think he’s just proud of the fact that I’m trying to do many things [while still attending school].”

Community involvement is a factor in the contest. Linberg volunteers with Habitat for Humanity as well as the UW’s Food Recovery Network. But Anna also loves her role as part of the Packers’ community.

“The Packers logo is an instant conversation starter. It’s such a nice way to meet people and be part of a [fandom] that’s bigger than football,” she said.

The winner will be announced February 11th, the night before Super Bowl LVII. But win or lose, as a perk of the contest, Anna will join the 31 other top fans in Glendale, Arizona for the big game. Even though her team won’t be there, she’s excited for the experience.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We all have that same passion and love and support no matter how we are doing, whether we’re 14-0 or 0-17.”

Click here to help Anna win NFL Fan of the Year! Voting ends February 11th, 2023. The winner will be presented with a trophy at the Super Bowl.

Good luck, Anna!

Author

Christina Lorey

Christina Lorey is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist and former UpNorthNews newsletter editor. She previously worked as a producer, reporter, and TV anchor for stations in Madison and Moline. When she’s not writing or asking questions, Christina volunteers with Girls on the Run, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, and several mental health organizations.

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