Delby Lemieux ’26 is no stranger to the spotlight, but he has a unique opportunity to fulfill a dream every young football player has: Being drafted into the NFL. Lemieux, a senior captain and former All-Ivy offensive lineman, was selected to compete in the Senior Bowl, a national, annual showcase for the best senior football players. This selection is a step toward being drafted into the NFL. Despite the accompanying pressure as well as a position change from left tackle to center, Lemieux approached the rigorous week with optimism and an open mind, leaving with an impressive performance according to several accounts. The Dartmouth sat down with Lemieux to talk about the process leading up to this game as well as how he feels heading into the home stretch, with the NFL Draft scheduled for late April.
Congratulations on being selected to compete in the Senior Bowl! Every year, hundreds of NFL scouts make the trip to Mobile, Ala. to evaluate roughly 140 of the top senior prospects from top FBS and FCS teams. Tell us about your experience.
DL: It was a fantastic experience and an honor to get to represent our school alongside some of the biggest schools in the country football-wise. It was absolutely a blessing to be there. I got to meet a bunch of great guys, and I was down there with a few of the guys who I was training with already.
The general slogan this time of year is “the draft starts in Mobile,” so when you’re there, you’re in it. It was really special. And being able to experience the culture around it, such as the volunteers who take part in the event, some of them who’ve been doing it for over several decades and working with an NFL coaching staff for each team, it was really just super special, a ton of fun. I’m really glad I got to be a part of it.
As a relatively undersized tackle compared to FBS players, changing positions in preparation for the draft made a lot of sense. What was the adjustment like switching from left tackle to center?
DL: It was definitely something new. My whole career at Dartmouth I had played tackle. Playing center has the added element of snapping the ball to get the play going. So during the season, well before I knew that I’d be going [to the Senior Bowl], I just started taking a couple snaps sometimes with the quarterbacks before or after practice just to try and get comfortable with it, so that when I got down here for this winter and I started training I would have that box checked, or I would at least be somewhat comfortable with the motion of it. That definitely helped going into the week at Alabama. I felt like I had that squared away and I didn’t have to think about that part of it in the moment. I could just go out there and do my job.
What specifically do you think allowed you to succeed at Dartmouth and in preparation for the Senior Bowl?
DL: Being coached by an excellent staff, specifically our line coach, Keith Clark. He’s been in the business for forever now. He’s an incredibly intelligent football mind and an incredible mentor to guys on our team.
What happens next in terms of the pre-draft process?
DL: For me it’s going to be to continue training up until my Pro Day, which is towards the end of March. Hopefully I’ll go out there and do a great job and put all the work together that I’ve been putting in over these last couple months down here in Florida. Then you play a little bit of the waiting game, so we’ll see.
As a Patriots fan, how special would it be to stay in New England, close to home and close to Dartmouth, and have the opportunity to suit up for the Pats?
DL: I mean, it’s kind of like a childhood dream. You know what I mean? At the end of the day, it would be the coolest thing. I love the Pats big time, I’m a big Pats fan and love Drake Maye. It’s a funny feeling, not really knowing what the future holds yet. Just trying to go into it open-minded and excited and ready to work hard for, hopefully, any team that comes along.
What are you going to miss the most about Dartmouth?
DL: It’s a loaded question. It really has been the most special experience. Dartmouth was absolutely the right fit, if not the perfect fit, for me going to college. More than anything I’ll miss my friends and the relationships I’ve gotten to build at this school over these past four years with both alumni and the underclassmen who will still be here after.
What sticks out to me is not any of the big things, but really the small little moments that stack up over time: sitting in the dining hall for a couple hours with your friends, sitting in the backyard and just talking about nothing, those are the kinds of things I’ll miss. We’re lucky to go to school in such a special place. I love it. I hope to be around this school in the future too.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
