After graduating from South High School in Youngstown, Ohio, Torbert graduated from Michigan State University and then attended Harvard Law School where he earned a JD.

Torbert is one of eight African-American referees in NFL history, after Johnny Grier, Mike Carey, Jerome Boger, and Don Carey; he preceded Shawn Smith, Adrian Hill, and Tra Blake.

He is also featured in the NFL 100 year anniversary video which aired during that Super Bowl.

On January 25, 2022, Torbert was named the referee for Super Bowl LVI.

[7] Source:[8] Outside of his NFL officiating job, Torbert was an attorney, retiring in 2019.