Lance Olberding
American football player (born 1971)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lance Olberding (born March 1, 1971) is an American former football offensive lineman who was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the seventh round of the 1992 NFL draft. He is notable for being drafted despite never playing a snap in a college football game.
Rochester, Minnesota, U.S.
| Profile | |
|---|---|
| Position | Offensive tackle |
| Personal information | |
| Born | March 1, 1971 Rochester, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
| Listed weight | 298 lb (135 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Apple Valley (MN) |
| College | Iowa Kirkwood CC |
| NFL draft | 1992: 7th round, 172nd overall pick |
| Career history | |
| |
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
Amateur career
Olberding was a member of the Iowa Hawkeyes traveling team as a freshman, but did not see any playing time.[1] After the season, he transferred to Kirkwood Community College.[2] In 1992, Olberding joined the Randolph Oilers of the Eastern Football League (EFL), an amateur football team in Randolph, Massachusetts. While with Randolph, he was coached by former National Football League (NFL) offensive lineman Jim Rourke.[1]
Professional career
Despite having very limited college football experience, NFL draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. ranked Olberding the eighth best offensive tackle in the 1992 NFL draft.[3] At the 1992 NFL scouting combine, Olberding ran a 5.4 second 40-yard dash and bench pressed 22 reps.[4]
Cincinnati Bengals
Olberding was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals with the 172nd overall pick in the 1992 NFL draft.[5][6] He was the first player ever drafted from the Eastern Football League.[7] First-year Bengals head coach Dave Shula had high praise for Olberding's work ethic, saying, "Lance [Olberding] has a good mix of athletic ability and size. We don't expect him to in and start right away, but we do expect him to come in and compete for a spot on the roster."[8]
Minnesota Vikings
Olberding was a practice squad player for the Minnesota Vikings in 1992.
New England Patriots
In 1993, Olberding spent the preseason with the New England Patriots.[9]
