The finger over the ear was the first indication this call was serious.

After spending all of Day 2 and the first hour of Day 3 of the NFL Draft in the green room, Saylaina Givens learned to concentrate less on which team was on the clock and more on who was coming up next on the broadcast ticker.

Around the time it was announced the Pittsburgh Steelers were drafting Ohio State defensive end Jack Sawyer with their fourth-round pick (No. 123 overall), Givens' youngest son Barryn Sorrell first saw his phone light up and then his face.

Givens locked eyes with Barryn, who jumped in excitement. As Sorrell lifted his phone to one ear and covered the other to muffle the cheers, Givens glanced up at the screen.

"The Green Bay Packers are now on the clock."

There's no way. It couldn't be. The Packers? In Green Bay? The team across the parking lot from where Sorrell and his family were sitting inside the Resch Expo?

"'Oh my goodness' that's all I was thinking to myself," Givens said. "I'm looking at him the entire time, and at this point, I know it's the call. The tears start flowing for me. His dream is now turning into a reality."

Joy filled an otherwise empty room as soon as Sorrell put his phone down and started embracing Givens, his father Barry Sorrell Sr., agent Chris Cabott and all the family that joined him on this great Green Bay adventure.

Because football isn't just a sport to Barryn Sorrell. It's his compass. It's what's driven the 22-year-old native of New Orleans to excel in anything he does for as long as he can remember.

While most Gen Z kids want video games or iPhones for birthdays and Christmas, Sorrell asked for speed ladders and helmets equipped with the latest technology to prevent head injuries.

There's a running joke in the Sorrell family how Barryn had no Plan B other than football, even though he maintained a 4.6 GPA in high school and graduated from the University of Texas in 3 years. Success or failure, whatever the outcome, Sorrell was damn sure gonna find out how far he could take this thing.

"I definitely was paying attention to stuff off the field, but in my mind, I definitely wanted to embrace what my dream was," Sorrell said. "That's one of the things that really took off for me."

So, prior to his senior year with the Longhorns, Sorrell made it his personal goal to attend the NFL Draft, by any means necessary. He probably wasn't gonna go Day 1. Maybe not even Day 2. But Sorrell had a plan and everyone took notice.

"It's not shocking because you kind of know who the person is and how (he) worked to get there," General Manager Brian Gutekunst said. "When you put the time in like he has, particularly, and overcome some of the things he's overcome, you understand why that emotion's coming out, which was cool to see."

Not paying for Cs

This kid was either going to be a football player or a gymnast. Nine months carrying the future Barryn Sorrell in the womb told Givens as much.

Her older son, Avery Theard, was born eight years prior to Sorrell and little of that pregnancy compared to this internal racquetball game she felt throughout 2002.

"It was literally like someone's in there doing acrobats," Givens said. "You could see it. Like my stomach would look (distorted). He'd go from one side to the other and just crazy things happening. I was like, I have no idea what this is, but OK."

Sorrell brought that activity with him into the world. By the time he could walk, he was in sports soccer, baseball, swimming, basketball and of course football. If a youth program or sports camp was available, Sorrell was enrolled.

He was competitive about it, too, all the way down to family board games and video games against his dad and older brothers.

It applied to athletics, as well. Barry Sr. and Givens recognized early on they had an athlete on their hands. What no one expected was Sorrell sprouting to 6-3, a growth spurt that hit in earnest between seventh and eighth grade.

"It seemed he was gonna be shorter because I'm only 5-4. His dad is 6 feet," Givens said. "Somewhere along the way, when he passed dad up, we thought about how the grandfathers, mine and his dad's, were 6-3, 6-4, and apparently that's where his height came from."

Being an athlete is fine and everything, but academics weren't going to take a backseat. As Sorrell approached middle school, his parents made a financially challenging but otherwise easy decision to send him to Holy Cross School.

After getting drafted by the Packers, Sorrell grew emotional at his news conference while recounting the sacrifices his parents made for him to fulfill his dream. That started at Holy Cross, a private school in New Orleans that turned out several NFL players in addition to being a strong academic school.

The agreement came with conditions, though: "As and Bs mom and dad were not paying for Cs," Givens said. Sorrell made sure they never had to, even if it meant studying late or waking up an extra hour early to prepare for an exam.

"They sacrificed so much for me to be here and I'm just happy that I get to share this opportunity with them because they deserve it," said Sorrell on draft day. "They deserve it so much. I'm just thankful to have them as my parents and I'm thankful that they're here."

Trusting the process

As it did for many teenagers in 2020, the COVID pandemic came at a tough time for Sorrell.

He looked like a genuine Division I prospect after switching from tight end to defensive end. Why? Because he told his parents he wanted to hit rather than be hit.

As a junior, Sorrell recorded 44 tackles and four sacks in his first year as a defensive end, but it wasn't certain he'd even get the chance to play football during his senior year due to the pandemic.

In the end, Holy Cross played and Sorrell helped lead the Tigers to the Division 1 playoffs. However, COVID wiped out any chance of Sorrell taking official visits anywhere. That led to a virtual game of recruiting darts to hit on the right opportunity.

Before the country shut down in March 2020, Sorrell was fortunate enough to attend one Rivals camp. That exposure, his prototypical size for a pass rusher and one year of defensive game film was enough to earn him a three-star ranking and more than 25 Division I scholarship offers.

His strong academics garnered Sorrell interest from both Northwestern and Duke, eventually committing to the former despite Evanston, Ill., being nearly 1,000 miles from home.

"He had a lot of offers but again we didn't get the opportunity to go to any of these places in-person," Givens said. "We're just doing Zooms, phone conversations. The coaches are explaining to him how he would fit into their scheme."

Academically, Northwestern checked every box, but distance began to weigh on Sorrell as his senior year began. A native of the fertile Southeastern Conference hotbed, he also aspired to play for a national championship contender.

In October, Sorrell told his mom he wanted to de-commit. Givens was incredulous her son gave his word, and their family kept their word. Sorrell politely interrupted.

"I know mom, but I don't want to be that far away from home," Sorrell told her. "I just feel like there's something better out there for me."

A few weeks later, Texas called. Sorrell's family was comfortable with UT-Austin's academics. While it wasn't the SEC, the Longhorns' football program had a storied tradition.

Sorrell found his home.

"I knew I wanted to be a great player," Sorrell said. "At Texas, I really learned what it takes. At that point, once you figure out the recipe, you go all-in on it. That's really all it was for me. Just learning how to trust the process and then work hard."

"That's Barryn!"

These days, Mike Brandl fills his mornings walking his dogs before the Texas heat sets in. It's one thing the retired economics professor and Kenosha, Wis., native never fully acclimated to after moving south.

Brandl is a Packers fan from birth, which he wears like a badge of honor after growing up during the lean 1970s and '80s. A first-generation college student, Brandl earned his undergrad degree in economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison before getting his master's from UW-Milwaukee.

By the time the Packers' fortunes began to change in the early '90s, Brandl was working towards his PhD from the University of Houston. He spent a bulk of his teaching career in Texas before retiring from UT-Austin last August.

No longer in the classroom but still very much engrained in the world of data and economics, Brandl was scrolling on his computer last month when he received an alert about the "Best story at this year's NFL Draft in Green Bay."

Intrigued, Brandl clicked the link to reveal a story on a Texas defensive lineman who was in attendance when the Packers drafted him in the fourth round.

"I see the picture and I'm like, '(Expletive)! That's Barryn!'" said Brandl with a laugh. "'I'll be damned.'"

Brandl knew Sorrell, the student, well before being introduced to Sorrell, the Texas defensive lineman. In 2022, Brandl was administering an Introduction to Macroeconomics course with more than 400 students between two sections.

Known as a caring but old-school professor, Brandl and his classes had a reputation for difficulty and the first round of exams lived up to that billing. He maintained an open-door policy, though, to anyone who needed help with the material.

After the first exam of the semester, Sorrell emailed him asking for help on the course material after not performing as well as hoped.

"When people don't do well in the class, they usually wait till the end of the semester and are like, 'Is there anything I can do to improve my grade"' and the answer is no," said Brandl with a laugh. "He reached out right after the first exam."

There was a catch. Sorrell had a busy schedule and couldn't make it to Brandl's office hours or study groups. A former bank teller during his time at UW-Madison, Brandl understood and arranged to meet with the student on a weekly basis over Zoom.

This is how Sorrell learned the nuances of macroeconomics, meeting with Brandl usually 45 minutes to an hour once a week.

Sorrell never pulled the athlete card with Brandl. In fact, it wasn't until well into their discussions it came up that Sorrell even played for the Texas football team. He never talked about the NFL or getting drafted, only mentioning his desire to help his community back in Louisiana.

Brandl didn't know much about Longhorn football, but he had a way of connecting with students. One of Brandl's preferred teaching tools was equating his love of economics to a student's favorite hobbies or interests.

Before diving into the subject matter, Brandl talked with Sorrell about what he enjoyed outside of football or school. Sorrell started to talk freely about music until Brandl interjected.

"You see what we just did? We talked about music. Did you memorize that stuff about music? No. Ahh, but you know you can talk about it, right?" Brandl told him. "I want you to be able to do the same thing about economics and be able to talk your way through it. Get to the point where you can talk about it, and you could see the light bulb going off."

Sorrell worked his tail off at it, too. He was a fixture in the classroom and turned in every piece of assigned homework on time. Gradually, Sorrell's grades improved.

After Sorrell was drafted, Brandl praised Sorrell's work ethic and diligence in a Facebook post while also sending his former student an email.

"I said I don't know if you remember me mentioning this in lecture but I'm a lifelong Packer fan," Brandl said. "Hell of a nice kid and he responded back 'Oh yeah, thank you so much for all that you did.' I'm like 'Dude, I didn't do anything. It's all your hard work. I just taught econ. Hell, that's my hobby in addition to my job.'"

Doing it his way

Fate has a way of bringing life full circle.

In Sorrell's case, the decision to go to Texas led to the New Orleans native not only playing a College Football Playoff semifinal in his hometown during his junior year but also achieving his dream of competing in the SEC as a senior.

A three-year starter, Sorrell was tabbed by defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski as the leader of the edge/defensive line room heading into the 2024 season and the 6-foot-3, 256-pound edge rusher did not disappoint.

Sorrell registered 10 tackles for a loss, 5 sacks and was the only Longhorn defensive player to be credited with double-digit quarterback hurries (12). During the season, Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian credited Sorrell for his "metamorphosis" as both a leader and a playmaker.

Sorrell was a catalyst for a Texas team that won 13 games in 2024, advanced to a second consecutive CFP and saw a program-record 12 players get drafted into the NFL. Givens was there for all of it.

"Traveled every Friday, attended the game on Saturday and back home on Sunday every weekend," said Givens, who attended all Sorrell's games during his three years as a starter. "People ask, 'How did you do that? Surely you were tired.' I never felt tired. It was so exciting, so fun being there and seeing his face at the end of every game whether it was a win or a loss."

That final year in Austin introduced Sorrell to a new teammate who became a close friend in Matthew Golden, a lightning-quick receiver who transferred to Texas after spending two seasons at Houston.

The two played different sides of the ball, but Sorrell felt drawn to the wideout just based on Golden's maturity and how he conducted himself in the locker room.

"The way he came in and worked from Day 1, that's why me and him clicked so well at Texas. It just happened naturally," Sorrell said. "In the beginning he wasn't a priority, but for us to be taking the field in the semifinals, we gotta get '2' the ball."

The ball found Golden in prolific fashion down the stretch, as he led the Longhorns with 987 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. Golden clocked a 4.29 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine to establish himself as a bona-fide first-round pick.

Still, it wasn't until the week leading up to the draft Golden decided to fly into Green Bay to be present for his selection. To the best of everyone's knowledge, Golden would be UT's only representative at the draftuntil Sorrell showed up.

The two met up the night before the draft in Sorrell's hotel room, reflecting on their journey. Soon enough, the two would again become teammates after the Packers drafted Golden 23rd overall and Sorrell in the fourth round.

"We were talking and looking outside the city from where his room was and just talking about football," Golden said. "For us to get drafted on the same team, man, it is crazy. I ain't gonna lie. It's crazy."

'I'll wait for you'

So how exactly does a defensive end with a Day 2-3 projection end up at first-ever NFL Draft in Green Bay? The short answer is by asking nicely.

Sorrell coming to Green Bay was the culmination of his own ambition, his family's support and his agent's NFL connections. The league told Sorrell he and his family were more than welcome at the draft. Givens was "shocked but happy."

A mini-frenzy ensued as Givens tried to figure out what to wear, when to show up and the logistics around traveling to Green Bay. There wasn't much to worry about, though, as the NFL treated her son and family like any other top prospect.

"Throughout the process, you didn't know a difference," Givens said. "They hosted us just as they hosted any Day 1, Round 1 projected prospects. It was beautiful because I didn't feel any different. We were at the same hotel as the players. We got all the same experiences."

There was a question, though, about when Sorrell would get drafted. The family's itinerary ran from Wednesday to Saturday, presumably flying home after a Day 2 selection.

Cabott warned Sorrell the NFL Draft can be a rollercoaster, and those words of caution proved prophetic after he sat inside the green room Friday evening waiting for a call that never came.

As the third round entered the home stretch, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell came in to talk with Sorrell. Prior to that moment, Sorrell was uncertain if he would, or even should, stick around for the final day.

Goodell's words made that decision easy for him.

"Mr. Goodell, we couldn't have been more grateful. Just the way he handled it, it was a class act," Givens said. "He wanted to congratulate Barryn and tell him your name will get called. If you want to be here, I'll be here for you. I'll wait for you."

The commissioner was a man of his word. Sorrell, out of clothes and wearing the same short-sleeved shirt and shorts he wore to the legends event earlier in the week, returned to the green room on Saturday morning with his family.

The Day 3 wait wasn't nearly as long, as Gutekunst placed the call Sorrell waited for his entire life. Little did Gutekunst or anyone in Green Bay's personnel department know they were calling their fourth-round pick from across the parking lot.

After congratulating Sorrell on his selection, Gutekunst handed the phone off to Packers director of football logistics/team travel Matt Klein, who talked with Sorrell about flying in for rookie minicamp the following week. The rookie told Klein he needed to go home first.

"No one thought to ask him, 'Well, where are flying from?' We just figured he was somewhere else," Gutekunst said. "To find out that he was here was a complete shock when we saw him on TV walking down the runway."

A man of his word, Goodell emerged on the draft stage for Sorrell's selection. Trading in his trademark suit and tie for a polo and cap, the NFL commissioner readied the Green Bay crowd for an important announcement.

The Packers made their pick No. 124 overall and he's here to celebrate with you all. After walking on stage and hugging the commissioner, Sorrell engaged with Packers fans before walking over to Lambeau Field to meet the coaches and staff.

In midst of that excursion, President/CEO Mark Murphy invited Sorrell down to Lambeau Field itself where the rookie made his first leap into the stands.

"I definitely didn't plan it, didn't expect it," Sorrell said. "Everything just happens so fast. You're back there waiting. You get the call and then it's like everything else goes out the window. It's like a dream comes to reality."

Smelling the roses

As part of Sorrell's draft-day experience, the NFL media department asked Givens to record a congratulatory video for her son to be played once he was selected.

Twenty-two years of emotions rushed to the surface. After collecting her thoughts, Givens chose to open with the notion of Sorrell never having a true "Plan B" if football didn't work out.

It used to be a sensitive topic, but now it all made sense. It's not that her son didn't have a backup plan. He was just focused on achieving his goals. In this case, it just happened to be football.

Givens' prayers were never steeped in her son's fame or fortune but simply him finding his place in the world. After an unexpected four-day introduction to Sorrell's new home during draft week, Givens is confident he's found that with the Packers.

"Just to see the way it ultimately ended for him, we could not have asked for it to go any better. We couldn't," Given said. "I tell you from what I saw, from what I hear, my prayer and my hope has definitely been answered and realized in that he definitely seems to be in an amazing organization."

Brandl hasn't stopped smiling since the Packers drafted Sorrell nearly a month ago and not because his favorite team has a new pass rusher. It's because Sorrell is a prime example of good people who work hard having success.

It's everything a college professor could hope for in a student.

"He's gonna fit into Wisconsin and Green Bay just fantastically," Brandl said. "Fans are gonna love him because they'll be able to identify with him and how hard he works.

"Because let's face it, in the grand scheme of things, macroeconomics was not his biggest priority, but he still was willing to bust his ass in that. Imagine how hard he will work in things that are really important to him."

One other thing about Sorrell is he has a propensity for moving on quickly, particularly when it comes to success. Givens calls it his ability to "start over from scratch."

After the draft, Sorrell already was talking about rookie minicamp and everything he still needed to accomplish. The day after he was picked, Sorrell flew back to Austin to continue with his training.

"With this process, I told him, 'Son, listen, this is beautiful. This is a wonderful experience,'" Givens said. "'You should take time to smell the roses.' He looks at me and goes, 'I've smelled them, mom. Now it's time to get to work.'"

Givens nodded with quiet approval. She gets it. The goal her son has chased all his life is directly in front of himand it doesn't matter that he's now in the NFL unless he makes it count.

As a child, Sorrell once told his mother he was going to make her a millionaire someday. Of course, Sorrell paused, that was unless Avery made her one first.

But it's not about money. It never has been. It's about living life to the fullest and fulfilling one's true potential. Sorrell did that on draft weekend and he fully intends to do it on the football field in Green Bay. While there may not have been a formal Plan B, there definitely was a Plan Barryn.

"It was a dream for me," said Sorrell of the draft. "I would encourage everybody to follow your dreams, don't let anybody put you in a box and tell you what you can or can't do. If you have a dream and that's something you always wanted to do, go for it."

back to top