2023 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Cameron Sorenson, WR, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse

• Name: Cameron Sorenson
• Position: WR
• College: University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
• Height: 6’3″
• Weight: 208 lbs
• Twitter: @DirtyDelicious
• Instagram: @cameronsorenson

What made you decide you wanted to be a football player?

Ever since I was young, sports have always been a huge part of my life. Football was one of the main sports that I grew up playing the most and immediately fell in love with. I would say sometime early in my high school career, I knew for sure football was something I wanted to do beyond high school and into college. I wouldn’t say anything specific made me want to be become a football player other than the overall rush and enjoyment I get out of doing it, whether that’s from a game or at practice.

What are your favorite moments from your football life?

Overall, I would just say the relationships I’ve formed with past and present teammates. There’s just a special bond you have with your teammates, even if you aren’t the closest of friends. The experiences you share with those guys are just special. Whether that’s the time you spend together at hotels on away trips, working together in the off season, or during fall camp, you never forget those memories you make and you know you can always count on those guys for the rest of your life. It’s truly all the little things that go into a football season that create the best memories and moments, rather than the games themselves. I think the vast majority of my favorite football moments come from times off the field. When thinking back to high school, I remember one of my favorite things to do was going to Perkins after games with all my teammates and hanging out there until after midnight. Or after away games, we would all just sit there on the bus singing songs and roasting each other. As for college, although fall camp is a grind and it sucks in the moment, once you’re done with it, you just sit there and realize how much fun it all really was. There’s nothing more memorable and more exciting than showing up in August and being solely committed to football for a whole month with your closest friends. If I had to rank my top three specific moments though, this is what they’d be: 1. Beating UW Oshkosh in 2019 for the first time. I feel like that was definitely a huge turning point for UW La Crosse football and our team. 2. Setting the school record for receiving yards in a game against UW River Falls with 297 yards. 3. Going to Albion last year and winning that Playoff game the way we did. That whole trip was just an experience, especially for our program.

What sets you apart from other wide receivers?

I would say what separates me from other receivers is my combination of size and athleticism. I believe what has helped separate me the most comes from my track background as well. Going from competing in track straight into off season training during the summers, I feel as I’ve been able to gain an advantage over other guys when it comes to my speed and explosiveness. Because of this, I also feel like I have a competitive edge when I step onto the field, allowing me to have an unmatched confidence over the guys I face.

What type of energy do you bring onto the football field?

Overall, I would say I have the ability to be a spark of energy at any moment on the field with my playmaking ability. Personally, I don’t feel like I ever get too high or too low during a game and keep a pretty calm demeanor. Although I feel like I’m fairly levelheaded throughout the game, there’s always a positive and fun energy around me. For me, the most important thing is to be having fun on the field, and there’s nothing I love more than when I can just be myself around my teammates and coaches during the game.

If you could hang out with any football player past or present for a day who and why?

If I could hang out with any football player for a day, it would definitely be Will Compton and Taylor Lewan from Bussin with the Boys. I love watching their podcast and just the type of energy they bring to every episode and life. They just seem like some dudes that would be a blast to be around. If I had to pick someone else to hang out with though, it would most definitely be Zach Wilson. He’s just got that DAWG in him, and I respect that.

How do you prepare for games?

So starting the night before game, I usually stick to the exact same routine every week, unless the team is travelling. I’m a little superstitious when it comes to my routine too, so I try not to stray away from it. After meetings on Friday nights, I would go out to my girlfriend’s parents house with her and have dinner there. Shout out to Mrs. Gamoke for always cooking up something awesome for us and getting me right before games! Before I go to bed on Fridays, I also always drink a peach mango body armor to get a little extra hydrated. On gamedays, I usually keep it pretty simple. For home games, once walkthroughs are done, I usually go and order some French toast from a breakfast place and have that at home. When I get to the locker room, whether that’s a home or away game, I usually put my headphones on start listening to whatever music I’m feeling that day. Before we go out and start warmups, I crack open a Raze energy drink, and start pounding that. Other than the raze, I make sure to have two bananas, one before warmups, and then one before we take the field. Those are really the only two things I make sure to do, otherwise I keep it pretty simple. In other ways I prepare for the game, I make sure to watch a little bit of film almost every night of the week, even if that’s only like 5-10 minutes before I fall asleep. I like to roll out and do a lot of stretching throughout the week as well so I can stay healthy and minimize soreness.

What should we know about Cameron Sorenson the person?

I am a hard working dedicated person who strives to be the best person I can be, and someone who recognizes I can always be better at the end of the day. I’m not one that’s big on cliches to live my life by, other than I try not to stress about the little things. No matter what it is in life, I try to just put in the work and time and things will sort themselves out. I try not to get too worried about the small stuff in life, and usually keep the bigger picture in sight. I would say I’m good at brushing off the small stuff, both in life and on the field, and handle times of adversity better than most. As someone who is majoring in both Sociology and Political Science, I care deeply about many issues we face today, and my dream is to be able to be in a position to help as many people as possible when I’m older. Outside of football this summer, I’ve also been studying for the LSAT and plan to attend law school once I finally hang up the cleats.

What is your favorite route and why?

I think my favorite route has to be a comeback. I mean I obviously love the deep routes and home run plays as well, but there’s just something about running the crispiest comeback and bringing in a huge first down. I just love the variations you can add to it as well, whether that’s off the release, in the middle of route, or at the top of the route, there’s just so much you can do with it.

How do you handle challenges both in life and on the football field?

As I briefly mentioned before, I try not to stress about the small things in life and maintain my focus on what truly matters in a situation. I control what I can control and try not to let the other things bother me, even though that’s often easier said than done. I often look to my past experiences in life and in football to help me solve current and future issues. You can always learn from the past, and that’s a beautiful thing when you’re able to implement new strategies and techniques you’ve learned from previous situations.

What would a team get in a player like you?

A team would get one of the hardest working and dedicated people in the world. I feel like I’ve always been overlooked when it comes to football, so I’ve just let that chip on my shoulder drive me. A team would get someone who loves being around others who are also hard working and determined and would get everything out of me. I love being around dedicated people that push the people around them as well. Overall, a team would get a great teammate who is committed to creating positive relationships with the ones around him.

What are you looking forward to in your upcoming season?

Most importantly, I’m just excited to be able to play my final season after everything that’s gone on over the past two years. I’m so grateful to have the opportunity to play my fourth season on the field, even after getting a year taken away. There’s also nothing better than playing falls games in the WIAC. The competitiveness of the WIAC is unmatched and as Coach Janus says, there’s no better place in the world than a WIAC gameday in Wisconsin. Overall, I’m looking most forward to spending this coming season with my teammates and coaches and making memories one last time. We got a special group of guys at UWL this year, and I couldn’t be more excited!

Who is the most underrated player you’ve played with and why?

The most underrated player I’ve ever played with is definitely Jake Simuncak, or “Shmoney” as I like to call him. That’s a guy that was overlooked purely because of his height. The things he could do on the field were unreal at times, and pound for pound one the strongest people out there. I’ve never seen a more shifty person in my life, and his ability to change direction and get up to speed and make guys miss was unmatched. He is by far the most electric player I’ve ever watched in person, and someone who could make a play at literally any moment. That is a guy that could’ve easily played at the highest level of football but was severely underrated in many people’s eyes because of his height. Also, he’s the best golfer I know too!