Corso was born in Montréal, Québec, Canada, and attended Westmount High School where he played quarterback. He played college football at Florida State University, where he was a roommate of football player and actor Burt Reynolds and future University of Miami baseball coach Ron Fraser. As a defensive player, he set the school record for most career interceptions (14), a record that stood for more than two decades until it was broken by Monk Bonasorte. He was also a member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. Corso was the starting quarterback for the South in the 1956 Blue-Gray Game, though his squad lost to the Len Dawson-led North team, 14–0. Corso was also an important baseball player for FSU.