Longshot Makes the Bills Roster
Jon Corto’s journey to make the Buffalo Bills squad has finally come to an end. The good news came on Saturday when Corto made the final 53 man roster for the Buffalo Bills. This comes a year after the undrafted linebacker was on the Bills practice squad. When Corto first joined the team during training camp of the 2007 season, he was moved to safety, where he wasn’t quite comfortable. The Bills coaching staff decided to make the move with him because of his size. He stands at 6’1’’ and 195 lbs. He was viewed as being too small of a player to play the physically demanding linebacker position. At the safety position, Corto blended in with the rest of the Bills secondary, not really standing out. Obviously he was cut from the team but was signed on the practice squad for the season.
Halfway through the 2008 training camp, Corto was asked by Bills coach Dick Jauron if he wanted to move back to his natural position. Of course he jumped on to the idea. He was a Division I-AA All American linebacker at his college of Sacred Heart. Of course he excelled during the preseason, back at his old spot. In the last preseason game he was even given the starting spot at linebacker, on a Thursday night game in front of the Bills home crowd at Ralph Wilson Stadium.
Now you might be saying to yourselves, “So What?”. Well it just happens that Corto was born and raised in Orchard Park, New York. He went to Orchard Park High School, where he earned All Western New York honors in both football and lacrosse.
Corto is now entering his second year in the NFL, and is one of 6 Bills linebackers on the squad.
It is unclear what role Jon will have on the team. It looks like he will play special teams and will add some depth to the linebacker position. He is currently behind Kawika Mitchell on the depth chart at the weak-side linebacker position.
The kid has heart too. During the last Bills preseason game against the Detroit Lions, Corto suffered a concussion during the game but no one knew until after it was all over. Jon ended the preseason with 8 tackles.
Now the young linebacker can return home and play in front of his family and friends. I know we will all be rooting for the hometown kid.
