Orchard Park's Corto living out football dream
by MATT KRUEGER Reporter

Orchard Park native Jon Corto is making the most of his first training camp with the Buffalo Bills. The 2003 graduate of Orchard Park High School is looking to lock down a safety position or a special teams slot. Photo by Patrick McPartland

Jon Corto and Cody Williams, former teammates at Orchard Park High School, stood on the sidelines of the practice field at St. John Fisher College last year, envisioning how cool it would be to get involved in the drills the Buffalo Bills ran in front of them.

They looked at each other and said "this is where I want to be."

Fast forward 12 months and you find Corto doing exactly what he dreamed. A non-drafted free agent, Corto is one of many young faces looking to catch on at Bills training camp this summer. He's running, catching, hitting and jumping through two-a-days in sweltering heat, hoping to find his way onto the season roster.

Williams will have to wait one more year before trying to make his dream a reality. He'll play his senior year at Colgate University this fall.

Corto signed with the Bills after impressing the coaching staff in rookie camp this past May. Now, he's shoulder to shoulder with the players he's watched for years. He's got that rookie smile on his face that couldn't be removed by sandblasting.

"I actually looked forward to putting on the pads," Corto said. "And when we finally did, that's what I love. I love being physical. I love playing this game because of how physical it is. So I was excited about that."

The 2003 Orchard Park graduate is still finding his way in the NFL. Training camp is worlds away from rookie camp or anything he saw at Sacred Heart University.

At 6-foot, 208 pounds, Corto is a big man when he goes back to say hi to high school coach Gene Tundo, but on the field at St. John Fisher, he is the new fish dropped in the ocean with 350-pound sharks.

"There's a big difference," he said. "The intensity really picks up. You got to know what you're doing. In mini-camp, they're a little more lenient on you making mistakes, because everything was new to you. But now, they expect you to know where you're going and your responsibilities."

The growth rate for Corto is astounding. In class, he's learning formations, plays and tackling assignments. On the field he's learning cut-off routes, defensive angles and analyzing offensive schemes.

That's a lot to take in for one person. Add to it that Corto is switching from linebacker to safety, and you have an all new learning curve.

"There's a lot to know about playing in the NFL," he admitted. "There's a ton of formations and different alignments you got to be in, so when I come in each day I'm more comfortable with what I have to do."

The good news for Corto, is that he's a Buffalo Bill, a member of the team he cheered as a child living just five minutes away from Ralph Wilson Stadium. The bad news is that he's trying to earn a roster spot where the Bills are already solid.

Buffalo started two rookies at safety last year. Donte Whitner and Ko Simpson make for a dominating duo in the defensive backfield. Replacing one of them will be a tall task for Corto.

Right now, his best option is to land a spot on special teams, a focal point of the Bills.

"They emphasize special teams a lot here, and that's a major aspect of making this team, to do well on special teams," Corto said. "So I'm going to give my best effort on everything I do. But don't think I'm going to take any plays off on special teams, because that's a major factor."

But you have to be a little crazy to play special teams. To charge down the field at full speed and collide with some hulk, who is himself charging at full speed, takes a special kind of courage.

"I think I'm a little bit crazy," Corto said. "I don't mind going in there, just running full speed and running into someone. That's what I love about this game."

e-mail: mkrueger@beenews.com