Glenn Dorsey - Key to LSU Defense
LSU Tiger Is Winner of Outland, Lombardi & Nagurski Trophy Awards
When the Tigers meet the Ohio State Buckeyes in college football's upcoming national championship, the game may be determined by the play of this defensive lineman.
Glenn Dorsey is not unfamiliar with the term adversity. When he was three, his family was told that he would need to wear leg braces because of his bowed and misshaped legs. He wore them for over a year before they were replaced with orthopedic shoes connected together with chains. During that time, he was not allowed to play outside. He went to bed with a football each night and dreamed of eventually playing the game that would eventually lead to an outstanding collegiate career.
Dorsey's College Career
After his 2003 senior year in high school, Dorsey was named the Louisiana 4A Defensive Player of the Year, 4A All-State, and was selected to the Parade All-American football team, all while missing three games with an ankle injury. After arriving in Baton Rouge, Dorsey was a reserve player his first two years and his statistics included 46 tackles, 6 for losses, and 3 sacks.
He started all thirteen games his junior season and recorded 110 tackles, including 14.5 for losses, and 6 sacks -- highly impressive numbers for an interior defensive lineman -- and was predicted to be a top ten selection in the 2007 NFL draft. Instead, he opted to return to LSU for his senior year. It was a decision welcomed by the Tiger coaches, but criticized by some of his own family members and some "experts."
His decision to bypass the draft almost proved costly. During the first half of the 2007 season, Dorsey appeared to be on his way to surpassing his previous season stats, but things took a turn for the worst on October 20th. During the game against Auburn, it appeared that the tackle suffered a season-ending knee injury when he was chop-blocked by an Auburn lineman. Fortunately, it was diagnosed as "only" a knee strain and Dorsey played the following week. Then, he aggravated the knee further after a hit in the Alabama game. In addition, he hurt his back. Perhaps recalling his days as a child, Dorsey continued to play the rest of the season.
At the end of the regular season, the Bayou Bengal tackle, despite injuries and double and triple teams, had accumulated 64 tackles, including 11.5 for losses, and matched his 2006 sack total of six. For his efforts, Dorsey was awarded 2007 All-American honors, was a Heisman Trophy finalist, and was named the nation's best defensive lineman, best interior lineman, and best defensive player.
According to reports, Glenn Dorsey is now 100% healthy. Even if not, based upon the player's previous life experiences, it may not matter. When Tom Shatel (Omaha World-Herald, Saturday Morning, January 5, 2008, p.1-C) asked if he was really healthy, the 6-2, 300-pound tackle responded: ".....with the national championship game, what injury?"
Source: Omaha World-Herald, Saturday Morning, January 5, 2008
