MEMPHIS, Tenn. (May 5, 2025) – Everyone knows the cliché of a kid taking over the family business after proving they’re capable and responsible. Usually, it happens after college or a few years of hard work. Then the keys are handed over and the legacy continues. But what if that family business is professional football?
That’s exactly the case for Memphis Showboats starting center Alec Lindstrom.
His father, Chris Lindstrom, Sr., was a collegiate lineman at Boston University before playing professionally with the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers and later the USFL’s Chicago Blitz. Football didn’t stop there for the Lindstroms. Alec’s uncle, Dave Lindstrom, started at BU and went on to play eight seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs. Another uncle, Eric Lindstrom played at Boston College before he took his talents to NFL Europe and the Canadian Football League.
“You always look up to parents and family members as your idols and heroes growing up,” Alec remarked. “Having my dad and two of my uncles play professional football was awesome… It’s just kind of what I always wanted to do.”
As kids, Alec and his older brother, Chris, were around football as often as they could be. Whether they were going to games with their father and uncles, watching on TV or following their dad to local high school practices where he coached, football was woven into their everyday lives.
“We were building forts with all the agility pads and stuff,” he said. “We were just always around football.”
As the brothers grew older, they both realized they wanted to continue the family legacy. Having a father and uncles who knew what it would take to reach the highest level was invaluable — but it also meant Alec and Chris were working toward their goal under watchful eyes from the start.
“Every day before school started, at five in the morning, we were in the weight room of our high school training every day,” Alec said. “Then after school, [we were] training again… [It was great] having someone as a resource like that telling you, ‘Hey, this is what you’ve got to do. I know you’re a 16-year-old kid and you don’t want to wake up at 4:30 in the morning to go work out before school, but you have these dreams and aspirations. Do you want to really be about it, or do you just want to say you’re about it?”
From there, the rest was history.
Chris, Jr. picked up the mantle and ran with it. He played at Boston College from 2015 to 2018, starting 49 of 52 games. An elite guard, Chris was drafted as the 14th overall pick in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons, where he is signed through 2028.
Then there’s Alec – the youngest of the bunch – who, like his uncle and brother, also chose Boston College.
“My brother, Chris, has always been a huge influence in my life. Watching him go to BC and have the success he had… I kind of wanted that,” Alec said.
Wearing the maroon and gold, Alec played in 46 games and started 36. He earned Third team All-ACC honors as a sophomore and was a back-to-back First Team All-ACC selection as a junior and senior, along with being recognized as an All-American. Consistency, grit and football IQ clearly run deep in the Lindstrom bloodline.
“Going there, being with him – how many people can say they played next to their brother playing Division I college football?” he said. “It’s pretty cool.”
After college, Alec signed with the Dallas Cowboys’ practice squad, spending some time there through 2022 and 2023. He later joined the New York Jets and saw some in-game action before moving to the Los Angeles Rams during the preseason. Eventually, he landed in Memphis, where he has become a fixture on the Showboats’ offensive line.
“Now, I’ve been in high-level college [football], I’ve been in the NFL and I’ve been in the UFL,” Alec said. “It’s kind of cool to hear that stuff growing up and then also living through it myself, like your dreams are coming true.”
Now, in the heart of the UFL season, Alec is proving that the family business is in good hands. Week after week, Alec is anchoring the O-line with the same poise and power that’s made the Lindstrom name synonymous with toughness and reliability in the trenches.
“I play for myself and I play for my family,” Alec said. “[It’s about] going out there and playing for the guys next to you… I know what I’m capable of, I know the type of player I am.”
