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Notre Dame Football Recruiting

Coach | Work Ethic Sets 2022 Notre Dame OL Target Collin Sadler Apart

June 25, 2020
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Collin Sadler‍ has been blessed with physical gifts and talent, but his trainer believes there’s one simple thing that sets the 2022 South Carolina offensive lineman apart.

“Attitude,” says Amos Lamb of Train Built Performance, who also doubles as Greenville High School’s strength and offensive line coach.

“It’s something he set his mind to as an eighth-grader in regard to just wanting to be the best at his position. Once he stated that’s what he wanted to do and that his goal was to play Power-Five football, he instilled that he’s on borrowed time.”

Sadler seems to have done plenty of catching up in the interim.

“He’s relentless,” Lamb says. “He’s transformed his body, transformed his mentality and has been 100 percent locked in on his fundamentals and techniques of the position.”

Lamb earned All-American status as an offensive lineman at North Greenville University before playing eight seasons professionally, one with the Washington Redskins and five in the Arena League. Between his 12 years as a high school coach and three years running Train Built, has helped dozens of kids achieve their goal of playing college football.

Sadler has been piling up scholarship offers from schools like Notre Dame, Clemson, Georgia, LSU, Duke, Michigan, Penn State, Tennessee and Oregon among several others.

“As a coach, you want guys to truly dream big and trust you enough to put them in position and go through the goods and the bads, scrutinizing everything he does to make sure he gets it right,” says Lamb. “To have it happen this way, I’m humbled. I’m not surprised because of how hard he’s worked and how hard he works now.”

In addition to the attitude, Sadler has other attributes that have caught the eye of some of the nation’s top college programs.

“He has an incredible blend of power and athleticism,” says Lamb. “He’s very strong, very, very athletic. One thing you question sometimes with guys his size are, ‘Can you bend? Are you twitchy?’

“This guy can do the splits. He speed-trains. He’s just naturally very, very athletic.”

Sadler & Lamb's relationship extends beyond just coach and player.

But it’s that work ethic that stands out to Lamb, who has trouble explaining Sadler’s unique mentality.

“It’s to the point where he doesn’t even look at himself as a top prospect,” the coach says. “He trains three times a day and none of that stuff changed. He works extremely hard. He weight-trains by himself. Sometimes we have athletes come by for performance, he’ll train with us. He has a schedule and he trains three times a day, every day, seven days a week.

“It’s to the point where I’ve said, ‘Collin, you have to take a day off and just be a good kid.’ He’s like, ‘Coach, I’m hungry, man. I’m not great enough. I don’t have time to relax.’ That’s the kind of kid he is. He wants to be the best version of himself.”

Lamb encourages Sadler to enjoy the recruiting process, but that’s not at the forefront of Sadler’s attention right now.

“He doesn’t even focus on it,” says Lamb. “He’s just like, ‘Coach, I’ve got to work. I’ve got to work. I’ve got to work. I’ve got to work. It’s cool, but I have to work right now. I have no favorites. I just want the opportunity to play football.’

“Just from my experience of playing ball and being recruited coming out of high school, I just tell him to be patient, focus on relationships, get with the coaches and don’t be so overwhelmed and really find somebody who can really develop you and continue to grow you with the prospect of playing ball at the next level.”

There’s no doubt Sadler trusts and values, not only Lamb’s advice, but his friendship.

“Collin is my godson,” Lamb says. “We’ve been going through this process together and became real close. Three or four years ago, his mom and dad sat me down and said, ‘We could never find anybody or trust anybody to be a man in Collin’s life other than his dad who could speak life into him the way you do. We just want to ask you if you’d be willing to be his godfather?’

“I almost started crying.

“We just click. We’re close. I just really love the kid and I’m just thankful he’s in this position right now.”

 
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