Nick Sorensen
Encyclopedia
Nick Sorensen is an American football
safety for the Cleveland Browns
of the National Football League
. He was originally signed by the Miami Dolphins
as an undrafted free agent in 2001. He played college football
at Virginia Tech
.
, Virginia
and attended George C. Marshall High School
. Lettered three seasons, each, in football, basketball and baseball. Threw for 1,925 yards and 23 TDs during his football career and rushed for 604 yards and 10 TDs. Was inducted into the George C. Marshall Athletic Hall of Fame, which includes other NFL players Keith Lyle
and Mike McCrary
.
and started
at safety and linebacker
during his final two seasons where he posted 117 tackles, ten tackles for losses, four sacks and an interception. He began his college career as a quarterback
, and completed 42 of 80 passes for 446 yards with four touchdowns and nine interceptions. At 19 years,
3 months of age, Sorensen made a mid-season start replacing the injured Al Clark against UAB going making 11 of 21 passes including a 22-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Gildersleeve. Sorensen was named Virginia Tech's Player of the Game in the 1998 Gator Bowl
loss to North Carolina
. In 1999, Sorensen moved from quarterback to defense, turning over the quarterback duties to the team's talented freshman, Michael Vick
. That year Vick took the Hokies to a national championship game and a No. 2 national ranking. Sorensen finished fourth on the team with 70 tackles, one less than future Brown Ben Taylor. He graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in marketing.
as an undrafted rookie free agent on April 27, 2001 but was waived before the season started. He joined the St. Louis Rams
, also in 2001, where he played for two seasons—including the Rams' appearance in Super Bowl XXXVI
.
Following that Super Bowl season, the Rams cut Sorensen, who was then picked up by the Jacksonville Jaguars
. In Jacksonville, Sorensen played four seasons in the defensive backfield and as a standout on special teams. All four years he was the special teams captain. In 2006, Sorensen suffered a significant injury, and the Jaguars cut him prior to the start of the 2007 season
.
On October 24, 2007 he signed with the Cleveland Browns
, and on February 29, 2008, the first day of free agency, he re-signed with the Browns.
On October 26, 2008, Sorensen returned to Jacksonville for the first time after being cut by Coach Jack Del Rio in August 2007. Sorensen broke up the final play of the game (a pass from Garrard to Jones) with 13 seconds left in the game. The Browns won the game 23-17 thanks to Sorensen's effort.
As of the end of the 2009 season, Sorensen has not missed any of the 41 games since joining the Browns, but has also not made a start. Going into the 2010 season, Sorensen was scheduled to earn $774,340 and was third on the Brown's depth chart behind rookies T.J. Ward and Larry Asante. The presence of the newly-drafted rookies meant that Sorensen faced being cut after training camp. He was not in fact cut and went on to have a great season on the special teams squad.
On August 28, 2010 he was carted off the field with a possible neck injury during an exhibition game versus the Detroit Lions
.
Sorensen's cousin, James Augustine, played forward/center
in the National Basketball Association
. Sorensen's father, Dick, played football for the University of Miami
Hurricanes from 1965-1969. Sorensen and his brother, Derek, are charter members of the Old Courthouse Club, a small social club with limited membership in the Vienna, Virginia area.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
safety for the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was originally signed by the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
as an undrafted free agent in 2001. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech Hokies football
The Virginia Tech Hokies football team is a college football program that competes in NCAA Division I-FBS, in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They have more wins in team history than any other program in the ACC. Their home games are played at Lane Stadium which seats over...
.
High school years
Sorensen lived in ViennaVienna, Virginia
Vienna is a town in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, it had a population of 15,687. Significantly more people live in zip codes with the Vienna postal addresses bordered approximately by Interstate 66 on the south, Interstate 495 on the east, Route 7 to...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
and attended George C. Marshall High School
George C. Marshall High School
George C. Marshall High School is a public school in Idylwood, unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, and part of Fairfax County Public Schools . Newsweek ranked Marshall 159th on its 2009 list of the top U.S. high schools.-Name:...
. Lettered three seasons, each, in football, basketball and baseball. Threw for 1,925 yards and 23 TDs during his football career and rushed for 604 yards and 10 TDs. Was inducted into the George C. Marshall Athletic Hall of Fame, which includes other NFL players Keith Lyle
Keith Lyle
Keith Allen Lyle is a former American football safety in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the third round of the 1994 NFL Draft...
and Mike McCrary
Michael McCrary
Michael Curtis McCrary is a former American Football defensive end who played for the Seattle Seahawks and the Baltimore Ravens for ten seasons in the NFL between 1993 and 2002. McCrary was a two time Pro Bowler in 1998 and 1999. McCrary was inducted to the Ravens' Ring of Honor in 2004...
.
College career
Sorensen was a four-year letterman for the Virginia Tech HokiesVirginia Tech Hokies football
The Virginia Tech Hokies football team is a college football program that competes in NCAA Division I-FBS, in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They have more wins in team history than any other program in the ACC. Their home games are played at Lane Stadium which seats over...
and started
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
at safety and linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
during his final two seasons where he posted 117 tackles, ten tackles for losses, four sacks and an interception. He began his college career as a quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
, and completed 42 of 80 passes for 446 yards with four touchdowns and nine interceptions. At 19 years,
3 months of age, Sorensen made a mid-season start replacing the injured Al Clark against UAB going making 11 of 21 passes including a 22-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Gildersleeve. Sorensen was named Virginia Tech's Player of the Game in the 1998 Gator Bowl
1998 Gator Bowl
The 1998 Gator Bowl was a post-season American college football bowl game between the and the Tar Heels from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida on January 1, 1998...
loss to North Carolina
1998 North Carolina Tar Heels football team
-Schedule:-References:...
. In 1999, Sorensen moved from quarterback to defense, turning over the quarterback duties to the team's talented freshman, Michael Vick
Michael Vick
Michael Dwayne Vick is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League...
. That year Vick took the Hokies to a national championship game and a No. 2 national ranking. Sorensen finished fourth on the team with 70 tackles, one less than future Brown Ben Taylor. He graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in marketing.
Professional career
Sorensen was signed by the Miami DolphinsMiami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
as an undrafted rookie free agent on April 27, 2001 but was waived before the season started. He joined the St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
, also in 2001, where he played for two seasons—including the Rams' appearance in Super Bowl XXXVI
Super Bowl XXXVI
Super Bowl XXXVI was an American football game played on February 3, 2002 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 2001 regular season. The American Football Conference champion New England Patriots won their first Super...
.
Following that Super Bowl season, the Rams cut Sorensen, who was then picked up by the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. In Jacksonville, Sorensen played four seasons in the defensive backfield and as a standout on special teams. All four years he was the special teams captain. In 2006, Sorensen suffered a significant injury, and the Jaguars cut him prior to the start of the 2007 season
2007 NFL season
The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30....
.
On October 24, 2007 he signed with the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and on February 29, 2008, the first day of free agency, he re-signed with the Browns.
On October 26, 2008, Sorensen returned to Jacksonville for the first time after being cut by Coach Jack Del Rio in August 2007. Sorensen broke up the final play of the game (a pass from Garrard to Jones) with 13 seconds left in the game. The Browns won the game 23-17 thanks to Sorensen's effort.
As of the end of the 2009 season, Sorensen has not missed any of the 41 games since joining the Browns, but has also not made a start. Going into the 2010 season, Sorensen was scheduled to earn $774,340 and was third on the Brown's depth chart behind rookies T.J. Ward and Larry Asante. The presence of the newly-drafted rookies meant that Sorensen faced being cut after training camp. He was not in fact cut and went on to have a great season on the special teams squad.
On August 28, 2010 he was carted off the field with a possible neck injury during an exhibition game versus the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
.
Family
On Feb. 27, 2010, Sorensen wed http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/04/AR2010030405741.html?hpid=artslot Danielle Berry before 120 guests at St. Aloysius Church in the District of Columbia. His brother Derek was his best man.Sorensen's cousin, James Augustine, played forward/center
Center (basketball)
The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
in the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
. Sorensen's father, Dick, played football for the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
Hurricanes from 1965-1969. Sorensen and his brother, Derek, are charter members of the Old Courthouse Club, a small social club with limited membership in the Vienna, Virginia area.