Nine-man star commits to play at University of South Dakota

There will be a day soon when Lincoln Gibbs looks across the line at the defense and sees two more guys trying to tackle him than he does now. It might sound like a running back’s nightmare, but Gibbs is looking forward to it.

One of the best nine-man football players in the state in several years, Gibbs, who will be a senior at Langford High School, verbally committed to play football at the University of South Dakota on Monday.

Gibbs, a 5-11, 205-pound running back who gained a state-championship record 350 yards in Langford’s 52-28 win over Harding County at the DakotaDome last November, originally intended to play at North Dakota State as a preferred walk-on, but reassessed the situation and made a new decision.

“I have nothing but the utmost respect for the NDSU coaching staff,” Gibbs said Monday. “It’s too bad that the circumstances didn’t work out, but after I thought about it, it seemed like it was smarter to take the scholarship money. But financials weren’t the only thing. Playing in the Dome was an unbelievable experience for me. It’s going to be crazy being able to do it every week. And Coach Nielson’s a great coach – just look at his record.”

Lincoln Gibbs shatters record in Langford's 9B championship win

Gibbs expects he’ll be redshirted his first year at USD and hopes to be good enough to get on the field in some capacity for the Coyotes in his second year in the program.

That’s a long ways off, however. There’s a senior year at Langford to think about – Langford will again be a Class 9B power – and then a lot of adjusting as he tries to adapt his skills both to a higher level of play and a few more guys on the field.

Gibbs’ family lived in Louisville – his dad, Iver, is a pilot for the United Parcel Service and played college football and baseball – when he began playing football, and that was with 11 guys on the field. Hardly a college experience, but at least a taste.

“I know it doesn’t relate to college football,” Gibbs said, “but I have played 11-man. I’d like to think I’m a quick learner and that it won’t take too long to adjust for me to 11-man. The speed of the game is going to be where I’ll have to make the biggest adjustments.”

Gibbs ran a 4.5 40 at an NDSU camp and ran a 10.8 100 meters last year for the Langford track team. He has spent the summer working out, preparing for the fall football season and working shifts at The Front Porch, a restaurant that opened last summer in Langford.

“We’re fortunate to have a place like this in town,” Gibbs said, giving his employer a plug, adding,  “I’m glad we moved back to this area when we did – Langford is all one big family.”