McGill University Athletics

Born May 13, 1976 in Fredericton, N.B, Shawn Linden went on to star on the football gridiron for Fredericton high school and was then recruited by McGill, where he served as co-captain and achieved Academic All-Canadian status before graduating in 1998 with a science degree, majoring in biochemistry.

A six-foot, 216-pound running back, Linden played with the Redmen from 1994 through the 1997 season. Nicknamed "Soapy" because he was extremely difficult to tackle, he established the team's career rushing record with 2,323 yards on 438 carries, averaging 5.4 yards per carry. He tallied 21 touchdowns in 32 career regular season games, 19 on them on the ground and two in the air.

Linden's numbers could have been much higher but he battled numerous injuries over his collegiate career. He played his entire freshman campaign with a cast on his hand after breaking his hand in a pre-training camp canoeing accident. In 1994, he won the team's Fred Dupre Trophy as rookie of the year and was also voted the league's top freshman in the OQIFC. He missed most of his sophomore season with a serious knee injury and subsequently received the Dr. Mac Teskey Award, presented to a McGill student-athlete for overcoming significant adversity and serving as an inspiration to others.

In his junior year, Linden won the Students' Society Trophy as team MVP and received the Alouettes Alumni Trophy as the most outstanding player in Quebec university football. He was also voted as a conference all-star and merited CIAU All-Canadian second-team honours.

Linden's personal best game was a 225-yard rushing performance on 25 carries with a pair of TDs.

After graduation, he entered the Canadian Armed Forces, earning the rank of major, and is currently posted in Ottawa as an air traffic controller with the air force.