Former Utes were honored at halftime of Arizona State game
When Nate Orchard got a call from Utah athletic director Mark Harlan, he wasn’t quite sure what to think at the onset of the conversation.
By the end, the former Utah football star was tearing up.
“It was a memorable experience. I was just flooded the emotions. I think I started tearing up at one point, just the gratitude that I have and through the grace of God to be able to have the career that I had and then to now be recognized for it, just a huge honor,” Orchard told the Deseret News ahead of Utah’s Saturday night game against Arizona State.
Orchard was one of seven inductees to the Utah Athletics Hall of Fame this year, joining football’s Star Lotulelei, baseball’s C.J. Cron, gymnastics’ Georgia Dabritz, men’s skiing’s Bernt Lund, women’s soccer’s Ashley Mason and donor Kem Gardner.
Orchard, who played defensive end at Utah from 2011-14, earning All-American honors in his senior year when he totaled 84 tackles, 21 tackles for loss, 18.5 sacks and three forced fumbles.
His propensity to sack opposing teams’ quarterbacks earned him the nickname “Mayor of Sack Lake City.”
Wearing a shirt with that phrase, Orchard shared his thoughts on the current “mayor,” John Henry Daley, who leads the nation in sacks with 6.5.
“Yeah, I admire his play. He seems to be doing well. He’s got great technique, good hands, good motor, is a great leader out there, from what I’m seeing from afar,” Orchard said.
Following his career in Salt Lake City, Orchard enjoyed a seven-year NFL career after being drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
He credited Utah and coach Kyle Whittingham with helping prepare him for the league.
“There’s a lot that I am forever indebted to when it comes to this staff and the organization here at the University of Utah and how they’ve allowed me to prepare for my seven-year career in the NFL,” Orchard said.
Orchard’s teammate along the defensive line, Star Lotulelei, was also honored on Saturday.
Lotulelei, who played defensive tackle from 2010-2012, earned All-American honors in his junior season after totaling 41 tackles, five sacks and a forced fumble.
He was a first-round draft pick, selected No. 14 by the Carolina Panthers in the 2013 draft.
“Coach Whitt, he’s a tough coach. I think anybody that’s played for Coach Whitt can attest to that. He’s a tough coach. He demands a lot from his players, so that transition from here to the league, it was pretty smooth,” Lotulelei said.
“I think … I was a pretty easy, somewhat, guy to coach because of what I’ve been through here at Utah, and then also it’s hard here at Utah, right? The workouts, running and all that. So again, physically and mentally I was prepared to go to the NFL.”
Lotulelei played eight seasons in the NFL — the majority with Carolina and the last three with Buffalo.
Now retired from the NFL, he lives in Salt Lake City and is still connected to the program. He stops by the football facility occasionally, checking in with Whittingham, defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley and defensive line coach Lewis Powell.
“I try not to be around too much. I’d like these guys here, the players now, to kind of have their moment, their time. So yeah, not too often,” Lotulelei said.
Utah didn’t have a ton of team success in that time period as it transitioned to the Pac-12, but Lotulelei was an individual bright spot and one of the most dominant defensive linemen to come through the program.
Lotulelei said one of the highlights of his career was beating BYU three times.
“Every time we beat BYU, those are always my favorite games. I never lost to BYU while I was here. Three years. I played them, 3-0,” Lotulelei said.
“Every time we played BYU, whether it’s here or it’s in Provo, the atmosphere is tough to beat. Even when I got to the league, that kind of atmosphere of the Holy War is real tough to beat, so those were my favorite moments.”
Cron, who played baseball at Utah from 2009-2011, became Utah’s first-ever first-round Major League Baseball draft selection, going No. 17 to the Los Angeles Angels after a two-time All-American career in Salt Lake City.
Cron played in the majors for 10 seasons, making an All-Star game in 2022. He finished his MLB career with 953 hits, 187 home runs and a .260 batting average.
“It was exciting for sure,” Cron said of being honored by Utah. “I guess you don’t really think about that kind of stuff until you get the call and then you take some time to kind of reflect on my years here and you realize just how special this place was and how big of an impact it had on my career.
“So yeah, it was a special phone call and this weekend’s been great. It’s been an honor.”
Cron took a tour of Utah’s new on-campus ballpark, slated for opening this spring, and was impressed with how far the program has come since his time.
“I know the baseball players are going to love it,” he said. “It’s something special that I think they’re really going to enjoy. It’s kind of a one-stop shop now. They don’t have to go to the indoor facility, go to the weight room, go to the baseball field.
“It’s all right there and it’s just less you have to worry about, more focus on baseball and academics and I think it’s going to be great for the baseball program.”
Dabritz, who was at Utah from 2012-2015, is one of the most notable gymnasts in a storied program. She was a 16-time All-American and was the 2015 NCAA uneven bar champion.
During her career, Dabritz won every major Pac-12 award, including Gymnast of the Year in 2015.
“I was in shock to say the least, because my career here, it seems like so long ago to me now, but it was just 10 years ago,” Dabritz said of being honored.
“And to get that recognition after just 10 years is really amazing, and my coaches, especially Tom Farden, told me at the time, after I graduated, he said, ‘You’re going to make it in the Hall of Fame one day,’ and I didn’t believe him, and I still didn’t believe it when it happened, so it was pretty amazing.”
Category: General Sports
