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2023 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Robert Soderholm III, LS, VMI

Robert Soderholm III is a very athletic longsnapper from VMI that has NFL potential. He is one of the toughest longsnappers I've ever interviewed.
Robert Soderholm III is a very athletic longsnapper from VMI that has NFL potential. He is one of the toughest longsnappers I’ve ever interviewed. Check out this interview with NFL Draft Diamonds owner Damond Talbot
  • Name: Robert “Rob Sod” Soderholm III
  • Position: Long Snapper
  • College: Virginia Military Institute D1 FCS
  • Height: 6′ 1″
  • Weight: 240
  • Twitter: @RobertSoderholm
  • Instagram: @rob_sod_30

What makes you a top prospect at your position in the 2023 NFL Draft?

Experience, Athleticism, and consistency. VMI has a prostyle punt scheme that requires the Longsnapper to be able to pick up cross-face blocks and demonstrate flexibility in protection. This means that I have had 4 years of experience in prostyle blocking schemes and have demonstrated consistency as an ALL AMERICAN for 3 of those years. As far as Athleticism, if you have taken any look at the many different lifts and workouts I post across my social media platforms you would find that I’m stronger than above average Division 1 players of all types of positions. I have also demonstrated athleticism with a few touch-down saving tackles some of which were against Montrell Washington who was a top returner for the FCS level most of his career.

At what age were you first interested in the sport of football?

I’ve been playing football since I was 9 years old. I saw some of the greats playing on TV and always looked up to them in awe. 

What is one thing that NFL teams should know about you?

My Work ethic is unmatched. Many teammates could vouch that I would often spend extra time after practice or even on the weekends training both in and out of season.

If you could donate to one cause in the world, what would it be?

Leukemia & Lymphoma Society because I lost an Aunt to Leukemia a while back.

What is the best advice you have ever received?

The best advice I have ever received was actually from a poster my buddy had when we did summer sales in 2020. It said “Wolves Don’t Sleep Over the Opinions of Sheep” I felt this was essential to my underdog mentality coming from a smaller D1 FCS school that is not known for producing NFL talent.

Who was your childhood hero?

Drew Brees. I’ve always looked up to him because of the fact he was smaller and underrated but never failed to impress everyone around him despite what they might have said or thought about him 

Who is the most underrated teammate in your locker room at your school?

Marshall Gill. He is very athletic and mobile for his size and never fails to impress.

What is your biggest pet peeve?

When a getting food and the restaurant or fast-food place doesn’t have hot sauce. I’m a big hot sauce guy I put it on everything

Overcoming adversity is what defines character, what was the hardest moment in your life to overcome?

Thus far the hardest thing I have overcome is the “Ratline” at VMI. It is basically a long difficult military initiation to the very traditional Virginia school that goes on during the entire first semester for freshman cadets. I had to deal with a full course load and basic military training that consumed all if not most of my free time while traveling for the first season of my NCAA football Career. Often times you would lose sleep or be forced to do physical activity in order to simply go about your day. This adversity is what helped me become a more disciplined individual and without it, I wouldn’t have been able to have the success I have had thus far at VMI.

Tell me something about your school and why it is so special to you?

As I mentioned before VMI is an old traditional Military college with rich roots in civil war history. We go through more rigors the even the military academies, so naturally, a bond amongst all the athletes across all the teams is created and it is this inseparable bond created with your fellow teammates that makes VMI a very Unique place. I love all my teammates and I would do anything for any of those guys. 

What is your favorite snack food?

Chocolate Rice cakes with peanut butter, cut bananas, drizzled in honey 

What is the best part of football?

The comradery. No other sport has such a wide array hyperspecific of athletes working together to achieve one goal…winning. It brings together people from all walks of life and that diversity is what makes the sport so special.
If you could sell yourself in one sentence what would you say?

I am a 3X All American Longsnapper going into my 5th year starting who has done a prostyle scheme for all 4 years.

If you could compare your play to one player in the NFL who would it be?

Joe Cardona. Just like Joe Cardona, I plan on commissioning into the service. Just like him, the plan is to do Army reserves strictly in the offseason and be a professional athlete during the football season.

If you could have dinner with three people dead or alive, who would it be and why?

Drew Brees because he is my childhood hero, Elon Musk because he is one of the greatest entrepreneurs of all time, and Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson because it’s about to drive and power and I got to know how to stay hungry so I can devourer. 

Damond Talbot

NFL Draft Diamonds was created to assist the underdogs playing the sport. We call them diamonds in the rough. My name is Damond Talbot, I have worked extremely hard to help hundreds of small school players over the past several years, and will continue my mission. We have several contributors on this site, and if they contribute their name and contact will be in the piece above. You can email me at nfldraftdiamonds@gmail.com

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