Ricky Stromberg was one of the best offensive linemen in college football - and he is ready to test his physical game against the best of the NFL.
Stromberg started all 12 games in a senior season where he became the third Arkansas Razorback to win the SEC’s Jacobs Blocking Trophy, awarded annually to the league’s best offensive lineman. The center was also named First-Team All-SEC by the Associated Press, Coaches, PFF and USA Today after he did not allow a sack or a hit on the quarterback.
When the NFL Draft begins this week, 259 players will be selected by the 32 franchises with hundreds of dreams turning into reality. For Stromberg, reaching the NFL is a dream that has been brewing for as long as he can remember.
“I’ve had a dream ever since I was a kid and it started really young,” Stromberg exclusively told Mirror Sport. “Kindergarten is when I wanted to go to the league. I’ve spoken to the Jets, the Jaguars, the Steelers, the Bills, the Commanders and the Browns, and I took a visit to the Bears. I'm going to New York and Washington [before the NFL Draft]. I grew up as a Chicago Bears fan, so that'd be pretty cool - but I'm grateful for wherever I go.”
Stromberg believes he has developed into a lineman who effortlessly blends physicality with smarts after watching a tape on Kansas City Chiefs star center Creed Humphrey. He added: “I was always taught to play hard and physically as the number one thing and then the football IQ would come from watching the game. I’ve developed a sense for the game just by being around it, watching it and playing it while growing up.”
Stromberg also developed a nose for reading the game due to his experience playing on the opposing side of the ball. He was a defensive lineman growing up, with his dad also playing center and defensive tackle - which meant Stromberg was shown the ropes at a young age.
His time playing defensive tackle has ensured Stromberg understands the game differently from others: “Depending on the scheme, playing defensive tackle helped me know for certain which gap I would have to protect. It was something I truly understood; if I can keep this guy out of this gap, there’s going to be a hole in the defence.
“It’s what I learned from playing on defence in high school, and I think it holds true to college and the NFL.”
Stromberg - who admitted he would stream Fortnite and Rocket League if he wasn't a football player - signed with Arkansas from Oklahoma’s Union High School in 2019 and he allowed just four sacks during his four-year tenure with the Razorbacks (although he quipped he ‘wishes he could make it zero’). He enjoyed his time at college and while he may not have enjoyed as much success on the field as he would have liked, it has undoubtedly shaped his mentality.
“Playing well wasn’t the number one thing for me - I wanted to win,” Stromberg said with a serious look on his face. “I wanted to go to the National Championship. Obviously, that didn’t pan out but that was my mindset because winning brings me so much joy.
“Arkansas and Texas are big rivals, so beating Texas in my junior year is my highlight. It was a sold-out game in front of a pumped-up crowd, and it was awesome - we beat the c*** out of them. It was a really fun game.”
Ultimately, Stromberg knew he was ready to make the step up to the NFL as he competed throughout the 2022 season. The center enjoyed a dominant campaign despite playing in the SEC - considered by many to be the toughest conference in college football featuring the likes of Alabama, Georgia and LSU.
“I knew I was going to go to the draft after my senior year, so I wanted to put on my best film possible but I knew in my heart I was ready for the NFL,” Stromberg said. “I would say playing in the SEC definitely helped - it’s like the mini NFL. It’s not the NFL, but a lot of people from the SEC get drafted.”
When asked who was the best opponent he faced while playing in the SEC, Stomberg quickly declared: “Derrick Brown. He plays for the Carolina Panthers, but he was really, really good at Auburn. He got taken in first round and I was like, ‘yeah, that makes total sense!’ He was an animal.”
The Carolina Panthers selected Derrick Brown seventh overall in the 2020 NFL Draft - and Stromberg has developed into something of an animal himself after not allowing a single hit or sack in 2022. A dream brewing from kindergarten to college is set to turn into reality for the center - and it is well deserved.
