Juan Diego senior wins Sports Faith International award

Photo courtesy of ShootingStar Photography

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Thomas Linton, who wrestles at 171 pounds, finished second in the region the last two years. In 2009 he finished fourth in state; this year he took sixth despite a torn pectoral muscle, which typically ends a wrestler's season. John Gavin, his coach at Juan Diego Catholic High School, called Linton ?a really tough kid.?

DRAPER —Thomas Linton is lucky to be alive. His birth mother considered abortion before deciding to bear him to term and give him up for adoption.

Now a senior at Juan Diego Catholic High School, Linton is a Utah All-Star wrestler – the first from Juan Diego to achieve this honor. He was a member of the 2009 state championship football team and went to state in wrestling two years in a row, finishing sixth this year despite a torn pectoral muscle. He runs a pro-life contest for Saint John the Baptist Middle School, regularly prays at abortion centers and has trekked across Utah with Cross Roads Pro-Life Walkers.

"This is a remarkable young man," said Patrick McCaskey, owner of the Chicago Bears and chairman of Sports Faith International, which presented Linton with its 2010 Prayers for Life Pro-Life Award. "He is a very good athlete and a very good citizen and a very good Catholic."

Sports Faith International created The Sports Faith Hall of Fame in 2008 to recognize professional, college and high school athletes who are role models not only for their achievements on the field but also in faith. "We want to recognize people who win with sportsmanship," McCaskey said. This year’s inductees were Bill Bidwill, owner of the Arizona Cardinals and founder of Cardinals’ Charities and Tom Monaghan, former owner of the Detroit Tigers, who founded The Thomas More Law Center, Legatus and Ave Maria University. A posthumous award was give to former Chicago Bear’s fullback Brian Piccolo. Coach John Gaglardi of St. John’s College was inducted as College Coach of the Year.

Linton’s excellence in athletics, citizenry and faith made him stand out from others who were nominated for the Pro-Life award, McCaskey said.

In his application for the award, Linton wrote, "Being adopted and not aborted has made me pro-life. The more pro-life I become, the more Catholic I become. I have personal proof that God places babies in the right home for them."

Linton now holds a 3.11 gpa but it wasn’t until he transferred to Juan Diego in his junior year that he began to apply himself to the books. Before that, "I was kind of slacking on academics, but when I came to Juan Diego I was like, ‘I’ve really got to step up so I can get accepted to college.’ So I started studying harder, paying attention in class, taking notes."

Academics don’t come easily for Linton, said John Gavin, Juan Diego’s head wrestling coach, adding that Linton is a hard worker both as an athlete and in the classroom. "As an athlete, he not only works hard himself in the room but he motivates other kids verbally and by being a good role model. In the classroom … he has to work sometimes harder than other kids in his class but he always gets his assignments turned in and he does 100 percent in the classroom."

Linton commutes 45 miles to school from his home in Mapleton, and he attends San Andreas Catholic Church. "I always try to get my friends together to go to church because after confirmation they pretty much just left," he said, adding that they also go for walks and pray the rosary.

Linton attends Mass regularly, said Father Joseph Rooney, pastor at San Andreas. "He is a very pleasant young man to deal with. He is very committed to his faith. He’s always willing to lend a hand and help out around the church." For example, Linton often provides others who live in Mapleton a ride to the church, which is about a 12-mile drive, Fr. Rooney said.

After graduating from Juan Diego, Linton plans to attend Marion Military Institute in Alabama, and continue with a career as a military officer.