Sports > Schools
Reaching higher: Somborn commits to Cornell
By Richard C. White, rwhite@starlocalnews.com
It's every high school football player's dream to play on Saturdays in the fall.
McKinney Lions quarterback Robert Somborn will not only achieve that dream this autumn, he'll also be doing it at one of the finest academic institutions in the country at Cornell University, a member of the prestigious Ivy League.
"It's funny because I didn't think I'd be getting the best of both worlds," Somborn said. "Getting to go to a top school in the nation and getting to play Division I football. It's a perfect fit."
Somborn recently decided to accept an offer to play college football at Cornell. Located in Ithaca, New York, Cornell plays in the NCAA's Football Championship Subdivision, the second classification of Division I.
"That's always been my dream to play college football," Somborn said. "That's been my goal since I was in the fourth grade when I started playing football. I never thought I'd be in the Ivy Leagues. It's a huge experience and it's just a dream come true. There's no way to express how it feels. All the hard work has paid off."
Cornell showed great interest in the Lions senior quarterback since last spring. Somborn traveled up north and attended the program's summer camp last year. Months later he had a more extensive encounter as he got more familiar with the coaching staff and the program's facilities on his first official visit.
"The whole experience I went through really shaped my decision-making and made me feel right at home," he said. "Everything just kept getting better as the weekend went on. I felt like Cornell was the right fit and the education was just too good to pass up."
McKinney head coach Jeff Smith said he believes Somborn will flourish both on the Division I field and in the Ivy League classroom.
"After his visit he told me he liked the coaching staff and liked their philosophy," Smith said. "They do throw the ball a lot and do a lot of things that I think Robert will excel at. And he also knows a great education is important. Robert is a great student. He has always done a great job in the classroom. It'll be a great fit for him both on the field and off."
Somborn agrees with Smith that the value of a good education has the potential to take him far after his college playing days are over, especially an education from an Ivy League institution.
"I'm extremely excited," Somborn said. "The education I'm going to be getting is going to be unbelievable. I know that after my football career is over, there will be a lot more opportunities available because of the hard work and effort I will put in to my education there."
Cornell wasn't the only college that valued Somborn's football talents. Stephen F. Austin and UT San Antonio also expressed interest in Somborn's skills, something Smith said extends far beyond just knowing how to read a playbook.
"There was a lot of interest in him," Smith said. "I know for a fact when the Cornell coaches sat him down and talked football with him, that was one of the things they saw immediately. He has a high football IQ. He's like a coach on the field. He understands and sees things very well on the field and knows how to best communicate that to his teammates."
Somborn has been the starting quarterback for the Lions since his sophomore season. His senior season last fall produced his best effort yet. His stats included completing 196 of 309 attempts, passing for 2,858 yards and 31 touchdowns.
"This year he really stepped it up," Smith said. "His senior year was tremendous. His numbers speak for themselves and he also led in the locker room. He did everything and more that we asked of him. He went above and beyond."
While he's excited to begin his college career, Somborn freely admits he will miss his McKinney teammates and coaches, but will always carry with him the lasting memories they shared.
"It's going to be hard," he said. "It's already been pretty bittersweet, knowing that it's over. Being able to play for McKinney on the varsity over the past three years has been unbelievable. The times I had I'll remember forever."
Commitments are not binding until National Signing Day in February, but given the perfect fit he feels Cornell is for him, Somborn said there's no chance he will waver in his steadfast commitment to his bright future.
"It's a really fun and exciting time and I can't wait to see what happens," he said. "It's a whole new chapter in my life and it's going to be a good one."
McKinney Lions quarterback Robert Somborn will not only achieve that dream this autumn, he'll also be doing it at one of the finest academic institutions in the country at Cornell University, a member of the prestigious Ivy League.
"It's funny because I didn't think I'd be getting the best of both worlds," Somborn said. "Getting to go to a top school in the nation and getting to play Division I football. It's a perfect fit."
Somborn recently decided to accept an offer to play college football at Cornell. Located in Ithaca, New York, Cornell plays in the NCAA's Football Championship Subdivision, the second classification of Division I.
"That's always been my dream to play college football," Somborn said. "That's been my goal since I was in the fourth grade when I started playing football. I never thought I'd be in the Ivy Leagues. It's a huge experience and it's just a dream come true. There's no way to express how it feels. All the hard work has paid off."
Cornell showed great interest in the Lions senior quarterback since last spring. Somborn traveled up north and attended the program's summer camp last year. Months later he had a more extensive encounter as he got more familiar with the coaching staff and the program's facilities on his first official visit.
"The whole experience I went through really shaped my decision-making and made me feel right at home," he said. "Everything just kept getting better as the weekend went on. I felt like Cornell was the right fit and the education was just too good to pass up."
McKinney head coach Jeff Smith said he believes Somborn will flourish both on the Division I field and in the Ivy League classroom.
"After his visit he told me he liked the coaching staff and liked their philosophy," Smith said. "They do throw the ball a lot and do a lot of things that I think Robert will excel at. And he also knows a great education is important. Robert is a great student. He has always done a great job in the classroom. It'll be a great fit for him both on the field and off."
Somborn agrees with Smith that the value of a good education has the potential to take him far after his college playing days are over, especially an education from an Ivy League institution.
"I'm extremely excited," Somborn said. "The education I'm going to be getting is going to be unbelievable. I know that after my football career is over, there will be a lot more opportunities available because of the hard work and effort I will put in to my education there."
Cornell wasn't the only college that valued Somborn's football talents. Stephen F. Austin and UT San Antonio also expressed interest in Somborn's skills, something Smith said extends far beyond just knowing how to read a playbook.
"There was a lot of interest in him," Smith said. "I know for a fact when the Cornell coaches sat him down and talked football with him, that was one of the things they saw immediately. He has a high football IQ. He's like a coach on the field. He understands and sees things very well on the field and knows how to best communicate that to his teammates."
Somborn has been the starting quarterback for the Lions since his sophomore season. His senior season last fall produced his best effort yet. His stats included completing 196 of 309 attempts, passing for 2,858 yards and 31 touchdowns.
"This year he really stepped it up," Smith said. "His senior year was tremendous. His numbers speak for themselves and he also led in the locker room. He did everything and more that we asked of him. He went above and beyond."
While he's excited to begin his college career, Somborn freely admits he will miss his McKinney teammates and coaches, but will always carry with him the lasting memories they shared.
"It's going to be hard," he said. "It's already been pretty bittersweet, knowing that it's over. Being able to play for McKinney on the varsity over the past three years has been unbelievable. The times I had I'll remember forever."
Commitments are not binding until National Signing Day in February, but given the perfect fit he feels Cornell is for him, Somborn said there's no chance he will waver in his steadfast commitment to his bright future.
"It's a really fun and exciting time and I can't wait to see what happens," he said. "It's a whole new chapter in my life and it's going to be a good one."
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