He played college football for the Stanford Cardinal at defensive end. At 6-foot-4, 280 pounds, he ran the dash in 4.76 seconds, and was known for having a quick burst off the line. Lorig did not work out while at the combine due to injury. In his first two years at Stanford, Lorig played tight end and wore number 80. In his freshman campaign, Lorig played in all 12 games where he contributed on special teams and served as the offense's blocking TE, often lining up in the backfield as an H-back/fullback. He recorded 10 catches for 100 yards. He was then asked by the new coaching staff to switch to defensive end for his junior year, and proceeded to record 39 tackles, including 6 tackles for loss and 3 sacks in 2008, and had 37 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and 2 sacks in 2007. His NFL prospect status took a severe hit in 2009, when he sat out most of the season because of a torn pectoral muscle. In his five years at Stanford he started 25 of 29 games, and had 95 tackles, 16.5 tackles for a loss, and 4.5 sacks, earning Honorable Mention All-Pac 10 as a junior, and All-Pac All-Academic team twice. As an undergraduate at Stanford, Lorig majored in Public Policy, a sub-department within the School of Economics, with an emphasis in Technology Policy, and minored in Film and Media Studies. He obtained a master's degree in Digital Media Technologies at Stanford in 2011, taking classes during his off-seasons.
Lorig was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the seventh round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He was signed to a four-year contract for $1.8 million on June 18, 2010. Lorig switched from defensive end to fullback/tight end on October 3, 2010. He made his NFL debut at Cincinnati a week later, and had his first NFL start against Carolina on November 14, 2010, starting at fullback. In 2010, he played in 12 games, starting 1, and in 2011, he played in 16 games, starting 7. On September 9, 2012, he tied for first on the team with a career-high four receptions. He had his first career touchdownreception at Minnesota on October 25, 2012. In 2012, he played in all 16 games, starting 7. In 2013, he played in 15 games, starting 9. In his four seasons with the Buccaneers, he played in 62 regular season games, while catching 30 passes for 193 yards and one touchdown. Lorig helped lead running back Doug Martin to several Buccaneer franchise records including: Martin's 1,926 yards from scrimmage in a single season ranks him second in Buccaneers' history behind James Wilder Sr. Martin went on to two Pro Bowl selections in 2012 and 2013, with Lorig as his lead blocker. Lorig became a free agent in 2014. In February 2014, the Buccaneers were reported to be interested in re-signing him.
New Orleans Saints (2014-16)
During NFL free agency, Lorig signed a four-year contract reportedly worth $5 million with a $1 million signing bonus with the New Orleans Saints on March 18, 2014. In the 2014 season, Lorig lead running back Mark Ingram to a franchise rushing record for consecutive 100 yard games in a season, and helped elect Ingram to a Pro Bowl selection. After suffering a broken ankle in his first training camp with the team, Lorig returned to play on October 18 against the Green Bay Packers, leading running back Mark Ingram run for over 100 yards and recording two receptions from Drew Brees. In the final seconds of the game, Lorig took two carries of the football while the game clock wound down. On November 28 against the Pittsburg Steelers, Lorig scored his first touchdown with the Saints in the 2nd quarter, giving the Saints the lead over the Steelers. He was released by the Saints later in the 2015 season. After departing the Saints, Lorig spent the 2016 season with several other teams. He has played 66 games in the NFL.
