Grit makes former Mt. Lebanon lineman an NFL draft pick
Colby Sorsdal
Colby Sorsdal demonstrates the blocking technique he developed at William and Mary and rendered the former Mt. Lebanon standout a fifth-round position in the NFL draft. He was chosen by the Detroit Lions.
Colby Sorsdal is a 6-6, 301-pound offensive lineman celebrates with fans after helping William and Mary to a big win in the Colonial Athletic Association. The former Mt. Lebanon standout was drafted by the Detroit Lions.
Colby Sorsdal is a 6-6, 301-pound offensive lineman that excelled at William and Mary. The former Mt. Lebanon tackle turned pro when he was selected by the Detroit Lions in the fifth round of the NFL Draft.
During his playing days at Mt. Lebanon, Colby Sorsdal learned a powerful lesson that made him a fifth-round pick by the Detroit Lions during the NFL Draft held April 27-29 in Kansas City.
“Grit,” said the 6-6, 301-pound offensive tackle. “Lebo taught me that it takes grit to be great.”
Sorsdal added how he toiled at Mt. Lebanon. He did not make the varsity until he served his time on the freshman team then the sophomore squad.
“I had to prove myself,” Sorsdal said. “So, I put my head down and worked. That’s always been my mentality. It’s carried my career. Lebo was a great program and it built the foundation or working hard for me.”
After garnering all-conference accolades as well as the Mr. Football Award his senior season, Sorsdal continued working toward his dream of playing in the NFL while competing at the College of William & Mary.
He was an instant success for the Tribe, starting every game his freshman year. In fact, he became just the second true freshman offensive lineman to start for W&M dating back to 1983.
By his junior year, he had the Tribe ranked 16th nationally in rushing yards per game and tied for the league’s top rushing TD totals. As a senior, he captained the Tribe to the Colonial Athletic Association championship with a 37-26 victory over arch rival Richmond, another national ranking, a playoff berth and an 11-2 overall record while garnering All-America acclaim among his many laurels.
“William & Mary was another level of challenges and overcoming adversity,” Sorsdal said.
He noted as a freshman, he was an 18-year-old kid going against grown men as well as managing to steer a squad from the throes of a 4-6 losing season to championship banners under the leadership of three different coaches.
“People don’t like change but I saw it all as an opportunity to learn,” he said. “I took what I learned at Lebo and tried to absorb everything. I learned the chess game behind the scenes and all the techniques. I felt I did great with that and left a legacy (at W&M) with my closest friends. Being a leader (as captain) meant the world to me.
“I will never forget what we accomplished as brothers. Beating Richmond in 2022 and winning the Capital Cup in the second-longest rivalry is something I will never forget and the highlight of my collegiate career.”
One of the lower moments occurred prior to the NFL draft.
For all his fame and glory, not to mention size, dimension and skill, Sorsdal did not garner an invitation to the NFL Combine. The week-long showcase held every February at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis has college players performing physical and mental tests in front of the NFL coaches, GMs and scouts.
Instead, Sorsdal attended a Pro Day held in front of more than two dozen scouts on the William & Mary campus.
“Not being invited to the NFL Combine was a snub, for sure. It motivated me,” Sorsdal said.
During his Pro Day, Sorsdal was determined and driven as he performed all the drills and was evaluated in the same manner as if he had attended the combine. He clocked 5.15 seconds in the 40-yard dash, 7.76 in the three-cone drill and had 21 reps in the bench press.
“That was the most of I have done,” he said of pressing the 225-pound standard. “It was exhausting but I had so much to prove.”
Sorsdal’s performance particularly impressed the scouts and onlookers, which included Detroit offensive line coach Hank Fraley.
“At that point, I was pretty sure that I was going to get drafted because teams really seemed interested in me.”
On April 29, the Detroit Lions announced Sorsdal as their fifth-round pick. He was the 152nd player selected.
“This was exactly where I expect to be but I was still on edge until I got the call,” said Sorsdal. “I was sitting on the couch surrounded by my family. When the call came in. My heart dropped. It was unbelievable. Something that I will not forget as long as I live.”
For the past two years, Sorsdal has lived in Dallas. He was born in Houston, but moved to Mt. Lebanon when his father’s work brought him to Pittsburgh. His younger brother, Casey, kicked for the Mt. Lebanon football team before heading to Texas A&M to study computing. Another brother, Toby, 14, played basketball and football at Jefferson Middle School.
“We loved it (at Mt. Lebanon). So we stayed,” said the 23-year-old son of Cory and Toni Sorsdal. “We became big Steelers fans, too.”
The Lions will not play the Steelers in 2023, but they will visit Dallas.
“Because I grew up as a Steelers fan, I was never a fan of the Texans or the Cowboys. I will look forward to those game days though, the travel and coming home,” Sorsdal said. “Whenever I get to play the Steelers, I know it will be a show.
“To play the Steelers would be awesome. It’s always been a dream of mine. When I played at Mt. Lebanon, we did not get the chance to play at Heinz Field, now Acrisure Stadium. We wanted to play there. Now, I know I will be waiting for my moment.”
Sorsdal embarks on his professional career May 12 when the Lions start mini-camp. He says his immediate goal is to make the team’s 53-man roster.
“When you get drafted, there is a certain level of belief that you will make the team. I want to prove them right,” he said. “I have the mentality that this is my job now and I am going to work hard at it.
“Being from Mt. Lebanon, I have that blue-collar, work hard mentality. To go after it. Put the pedal to the medal,” Sorsdal continued. “At W&M, I learned a lot about the game. There is an intelligence to it and knowing what to do at the right time. I’m excited and ready to learn a NFL offense. Learn it so I can teach it.”
In the classroom, Sorsdal learned some principals while majoring in kinesiology, that will help him transition to becoming a professional football player. He also gained wisdom from streaming episodes of Ted Lasso.
“To get to this level, the players are all elite, talented, fast and strong,” Sorsdal noted. “When it comes down to it, football is a physical game. There is something magical about moving a man against his will and that’s what I do, move people from point A to point B.”
Sorsdal acknowledge that there is going to be an adjustment period and his ability to adapt will key his success.
“I’m going to have to have a short-term memory because I know when I go up against the best athletes in the world, I’ll mess up.”
For example, if he gives up a sack to Cleveland defensive end Myles Garrett, he must move on.
“I have to have the memory of a goldfish,” he said. “Ted Lasso’s says that they are the animal with the shortest ones. So I’ve got to have a 10-second memory. Be always ready for the next play.
“I’m taking nothing for granted. Keeping my head down and working hard. I’m ready to come in and make a difference where needed on the team. I’m really excited about this opportunity. I want to play, eventually earn a starting spot, stay in the NFL as long as I possibly can and leave a legacy.”
As a youth growing up in Mt. Lebanon, Colby Sorsdal fantasized about playing in the NFL, and the recently drafted Detroit Lion had advice for today’s youngsters dreaming of a professional sports career.
Trust the process and believe, he recommends. Write down goals and post them in plain sight. Sorsdal pinned his on the mirror on the dresser in his bedroom.
“When times are hard, believe in yourself and the program you are doing. Anyone who has had a dream encountered somebody who doubted them. You have to trust yourself.
“I knew in my heart, not matter what anybody said, that I was going to get there. I didn’t care how but I knew I was going to work as hard as I could for my goal.”
Sorsdal reminds people that he did not start varsity football at Mt. Lebanon until his junior year. He paid his dues on the freshman team before being promoted to the sophomore squad.
Eventually, he earned a scholarship to William and Mary. Academics, not just athletics, earned him admission to the prestigious college, dubbed the Harvard of the South.
While he was an All-American for the Tribe, Sorsdal also earned acclaim on the Colonial Athletic Association’s Commissioner’s academic honor roll while majoring in kinesiology and health sciences. He was an honor roll student, as well, during his four-year tenure at Mt. Lebanon.
Noting that those who participate in collegiate sports are referred to as student-athletes, Sorsdal said, “Student comes first and you had to get into college on grades. Coaches say that ‘if you love football, then you love school.’ It’s true. There is a direct correlations.”
Through football, Sorsdal has also been able to develop his personality. A gentle giant, he volunteered as a Link Leader at Mt. Lebanon, helping freshmen adjust to high school challenges. At William and Mary, he partnered with Reps for Rare Diseases, raising $300 for the cause when he benched pressed 225 pounds, 21 times during Pro-Day.
“People talk about using football as a tool. NIL and all that stuff,” Sorsdal said, “but I have used it to get to people and talk to them. I’m basically a kind-hard working soul that wants to put a smile on people’s faces.