WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (Courtesy of William & Mary Athletics) — Former William & Mary All-America defensive lineman Nate Lynn signed a free agent contract with the Detroit Lions on Saturday evening.
Lynn joins an impressive list of former Tribe standouts who are currently on NFL rosters – Bill Murray (Chicago Bears), Luke Rhodes (Indianapolis Colts), Colby Sorsdal (Detroit Lions) and Owen Wright (Baltimore Ravens).
One of the most outstanding players in school history, Lynn earned 10 postseason All-America honors from various organizations during his final three seasons. A two-time Buck Buchanan Award Finalist for FCS National Defensive Player of the Year, he finished his career ranked second in school history in sacks (28) and TFL (40). Additionally, the three-time first-team All-CAA selection set a school record with 12 forced fumbles.
In addition to his record-setting totals, Lynn also finished his career with 192 tackles, three passes defended and two fumble recoveries.
Lynn’s breakout campaign came during his sophomore season when he equaled a single-season school record for sacks (12) in just 10 games and finished ninth in the final voting for the Buck Buchanan Award. Additionally, he was honored as the Virginia Defensive Player of the Year by VaSID after leading the nation (FCS) in forced fumbles per game (.6) and ranking third in sacks per game (1.2).