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Future Pros: Canadian Justin Sorensen

By Michael Preston

Offensive tackle Justin Sorensen has already played for two coaching greats during his college football career and is only in his junior year at South Carolina. The lineman from Vancouver Island, BC, began life south of the border under the legendary Lou Holtz and is now learning from the wisdom of Steve Spurrier.

“It is awesome,” admits Sorensen, who played at Ballenas High School where he was named MVP. “Everything thing about being at South Carolina is fantastic. The people down here are so gung ho about football and it is a really cool atmosphere to be around.

“Coach Spurrier has been a great coach and I’m blessed to play under him. When I came here I coach Lou Holtz was in charge, so that was fantastic.

“Spurrier is more of a player’s coach and Holtz was all old school. There are two drastic differences in that now we play with a west coach offense and while Holtz was a motivator, Suprrier is a great coach in general.”

Sorensen has been a regular starter on the Gamecocks offensive line that has been under increasing pressure since South Carolina lost 17-6 to Vanderbilt and in overtime at Tennessee, slipping down to 23rd spot in the BSC Top 25 rankings as a result. Despite some reports that the Gamecocks’ weakness is in the trenches, Sorensen does not let such reports affect his game and prefers to focus on his own strengths.

“I don’t let it bother me,” he said. “The media are always going to jump on people for something. I just try to get better and play my best and I know that sometimes they misconstrue stuff.

“We started off really good and we were among the contenders, even though we lost to LSU. We can still go to the SEC championship, so that is the goal.

“Personally, I definitely think that if I can start at South Carolina I can probably start at most schools in country. My greatest strength is my intelligence. I’m really strong but I’m also smart enough to do well.”

Like most Canadian high school graduates looking to break into NCAA football, Sorensen gained exposure at Ron Diaz Pro Camps and was recruited by schools such as Toledo and Western Michigan before jumping at the chance to play at South Carolina. Having been redshirted his freshman year, the 6-7 and 323-pound tackle saw action in three games in 2005 and played in every game the following year, during which time he earned his first start. Sorensen’s junior year has seen him start every game at right tackle, making him hungry for success beyond South Carolina.

“I started the last six games of last year and every game of this year so that is 15 in a row,” he explained. “I hope to make it as far as I can whether it be in the NFL or CFL and I don’t think I’m done playing football, so wherever I can play will be where I go.

“I should be drafted by a CFL team this year and while it is strange having that happen while I’m still in college, it is also a relief because I’ll try for the NFL draft but if I don’t make it I know I have something to fall back on. I think that coming out of college a lot more people will know me, but nobody did coming out of high school.

“I would love to play for the BC Lions because Vancouver is a great city, I know people there and I have lots of family out there. Plus BC is usually a contender for the Grey Cup each year.”

Sorensen is not the only Canadian on the Gamecocks roster. Fellow tackle Gurminder Thind and tight end Robert Pavlovic, who are both from Mississauga, also line up in South Carolina. But there is no bond between the three simply because they are compatriots.

“I don’t really hang out with them a lot,” he explained. “My best friends are my two roommates who are from South Carolina and North Carolina. They (Thind and Pavlovic) always drive home together because they’re from the east coast, but I have to fly home because it is too far to drive and in the opposite direction.”

Sorensen and the Gamecocks face SEC Western divisional foe Arkansas live on ESPN, kickoff 8pm ET.

HIGH SCHOOL: Graduated from Ballenas High School in Vancouver Island, B.C. in 2004... played offensive tackle for Coach Hines... was named his team's Most Valuable Player.

PERSONAL: Justin Sorensen was born June 8, 1986... pursuing a degree in retailing.