PDA

View Full Version : Chiefs Old ESPN Mag Article: 72 Reasons Dorsey should win the Heisman


POND_OF_RED
05-02-2008, 05:53 PM
Good read from a Nov 2007 article by Bruce Feldman.

1. THE HEISMAN IS ABOUT DOMINANCE. Take a look at the field of hopefuls: Would every coach take Dennis Dixon over Tim Tebow? Not likely. Is Darren McFadden even the best running back at Arkansas? Debatable. But there's no question Glenn Dorsey is always the most dominant player on the field. Says an SEC coach, "There isn't much difference between the top running backs or quarterbacks, but the gap between Dorsey and every other D-lineman is huge. There is no one as good at what they do.

2. Defensive tackles aren't supposed to rack up big numbers. Their job is to hunker down in the middle of the line and take on all comers. For example, Charger Jamal Williams had just two sacks the past two seasons and was a Pro Bowler each year. But the 6'2", 305-pound Dorsey, despite double teams on nearly every play, is LSU's sixth leading tackler and is tops with five sacks. Says one SEC head coach: "He's the most explosive big man we've had in the league in a very long time. If you don't account fo him on every play, you're crazy. He'll ruin your day, and you'll never get plays off."

3. During the past two seasons, LSU is 19-3 while playing the in the toughest conference in college football. Dorsey is literally in the middle of that success. "Most of the plays we make as a team are because of him," says defensive end Tyson Jackson.

4. Last year, Dorsey and Jackson combined to make 18.5 tackles for losses. But this season, as opponents overload to stop the duo (they have 12 TFLs through eight games.), LSU's back seven have 28 TFLs, already surpassing their total from 2006.

5. "The guy is the total package," says Bo Pelini, LSU's defensive coordinator and a former assistant for three NFL teams. "He has the athleticism of a 275-pounder and the power of a guy 320." Adds LSU coach Les Miles, an ex-Cowboys assistant: "I saw the Reggie Whites and Michael Strahans, and Dorsey fares well in those comparisons. Period."

6. Playing defensive tackle is like fighting three guys in a Mini Cooper. Against Middle Tennessee State, Dorsey beat a triple-team for a sack, although he didn't know he beat three guys or how he did it until he saw film. "Everything comes so fast, and there's not much space," says Dorsey. "I make a move on a guard, and the center's ear-holing me. I get past him, and the fullback cuts me. It's tough."

7. "Glenn plays his position to perfec ... well, he rarely gets blocked, and yeah, no one's perfect," says Pelini. "But he's always where he's supposed to be, and he plays so hard and does it with the right attitude and toughness. He'd get my Heisman vote."

8-14. Eric Crouch won the heisman. Rashaan Salaam too. And Gino Torretta. And Andre Ware. And Danny Wuerffel. And Chris Weinke. And Jason White.

15-18. No Defensive lineman since the two-way era has won a Heisman. Neither Reggie White nor Bruce Smith got a vote. Warren Sapp was sixth in 1994. Hugh Green was second in 1980.

19-23. The value of the Heisman diminishes when the winner isn't drafted, so give it to a player with NFL potential. Mel Kiper Jr thinks Dorsey will be the sixth D-lineman since 1990 to be taken No. 1 overall. The others: Russell Maryland, Steve Emtman, Dan Wilkinson, Courtney Brown, and Mario Williams.

24. The Heisman should go to a man who generates this kind of praise from one NFL scout: "He's more disruptive than a small-town divorce."

25. Last season against Auburn guards Ben Grubbs, whom the Ravens took in the first round, and Tim Duckworth, Dorsey had eight tackles, three for losses, and 1.5 sacks. This season, it look like Auburn decided its best chance was to take out Dorsey. Tackle Lee Ziemba blocked high as guard Chaz Ramsey barreled into Dorsey's right knee. The block ended Dorsey's night. "I thought stuff like that went out in the 70's," Miles says.

26. Every pundit wants a Heisman statement. Florida QB Tim Tebow had five scores at Kentucky. Dennis Dixon drove Oregon past USC. Well, Dorsey has his too. Before he was taken out of the Auburn game, Dorsey pancaked Ramsey five yards deep in the backfield and planed running back Brad Lester for a loss, setting the tone for a 30-24 Tigers win.

27-29. Character matters to Heisman voters. And Dorsey is full of it. Most guys who are first-round locks as juniors hold media circuses to announce their intentions. When Dorsey decided to stay in Baton Rouge, LSU sports information had to confirm the reports. Most guys with NFL dreams pattern their games on those of superstars. Dorsey’s role models are two ex-teammates, Claude Wroten and Kyle Williams, because they work hard. And most players would be out for revenge if those dreams were almost stolen from them by a vicious chop-block like the one at Auburn. Not Dorsey. “I don’t feel like I’m owed an apology,” Dorsey said. “I’m not even concerned about that.”

30-34. Still stuck on numbers? The Tigers are No. 1 in the SEC in scoring defense, turnovers forced, rushing defense, total defense, and sacks.

35. With Dorsey leading the way, the Tigers have recorded sacks in 27 of their past 28 games.

36. Thirteen different Tigers have recorded sacks, and seven have made at least three tackles behind the line of scrimmage.

37. “Our opponents know where Glenn is on every snap, and plays are called based on where he lines up,” says Les Miles. “Now I don’t know if that’s a Heisman trophy winner or not, but that’s a fact.”

38-53. If ever there was a season for a defensive lineman to win the Heisman, this is it. McFadden averages 5.9 yards per carry, 3.4 less than his backup; Mike Hart’s Wolverines lost at home to FCS Appalachian State and then got blown out of the big house by Oregon, 39-7; John David Booty threw 4 INT’s in USC’s loss to Stanford; Colt Brennan and Hawaii play the nation’s third easiest schedule; Texas Tech lost as Graham Harrell threw four picks against Missouri; West Virginia’s Steve Slaton gained just 54 yards at South Florida; that same game, Pat White ran for 36 and passed for 100; Andre’ Woodson is 2-3 with six turnovers in Kentucky’s five SEC games; Tebow’s Gators are 3-3 in conference; Rutgers Ray Rice didn’t gain 100 yards in losses to Maryland and Cincinatti; Dixon threw two picks in Oregon’s lone loss to Cal, the 88th ranked pass D; Cal’s DeSean Jackson has six games with less than 50 yards receiving; Brian Brohm has Louisville at 5-4 with losses to powerhouses such as Utah, Syracuse and UConn; Matt Ryan’s Eagles have beaten one top-10 team (VaTech, 14-10, which LSU beat 48-7); Mizzou’s Chase Daniel had 2 INT’s in a loss to Oklahoma, his only top-20 foe.

54. Dorsey has beaten five top-17 teams, one fewer than Tebow, Hart, Ryan and Dixon combined.

55. Earl Lane, LSU’s D-line coach, says he never grades a player with a perfect score of 100. Dorsey has three 98’s this year based on the criteria of alignment, assignment and effort. “He never has a bad game,” says Lane. “The thing you really love is he practices every day the way he plays.”

56. Heisman statement No 2: Dorsey did a little of everything against Tebow, Florida’s do-it-all QB, with five tackles, a sack, two quarterback hurries and a pass deflection. After LSU won, 28-24, Dorsey made it a point to grab Tebow one last time - to shake his hand.

57. Even though he was often double-teamed, Dorsey finished 2006 as the Tigers’ third-leading tackler, with 64 stops.

58. “He holds teammates accountable,” says Pelini. “He’s a mentor to them all. And so he sets your team up for a long time. He’s an example of how to carry yourself off the field and in practice. Young guys see that, and it becomes your culture.”

59. LSU defensive tackle Marlon Favorite calls Dorsey the Peyton Manning of DTs. “He anchors everything and yet is humble in how he does it.”

60. He’s overcome adversity. When Dorsey was a toddler in Gonzales, La (pop. 8,156), his legs bowed so severely he wore orthopedic shoes and leg braces connected by a chain. His family remembers him sitting around with a sad look on his face, watching the other kids play. Says Dorsey: “Some of my cousins never wanted to hold me because I would cut their arms with the braces.”

61. Dorsey is disciplined. When he was 10 and on the brink of outgrowing his youth football league’s weight limits, he had to be weighed in his boxers in the stadium’s press box before every game. Dorsey would eat only melon at team dinners the night before while his teammates dined on steak.

62. Dorsey, who’s studying psychology and sociology, gives several speeches a year to kids.

63. When he was 15, Dorsey visited his mom at the community center where she works with people who have special needs. He developed a bond with Bart Bourgeois, an autistic man in his 40s. “Bart and I were always clowning around,” says Dorsey, who visited weekly while in high school. “He’d try to teach me about classical music.” Says Bourgeois’ mom, Eva: “Bart has a special connection with Glenn. When he comes in, Bart just lights up.

64. Last Christmas, Dorsey, Bourgeois and others from the program sang “Jingle Bells” on a parade float.

65. Dorsey’s humble. “I’ll be somewhere and I’ll see people staring, and I’ll be like, Why are they staring? And then I’ll think, Oh, I forgot. I forgot. I still think I’m just regular old me.”

66. He’s earned opponents’ respect. “I tip my hat to him,” Duckworth said after last year’s Auburn game. “I felt like he came off every play as if it were his last. That’s the guy I want on my team.”

67. He can take big hits. “I cut him one time,” Duckworth said. “He got up off the ground and made the tackle. He was just the Energizer Bunny. When a guy can come upfield full speed and spin and never lose his balance, that’s the kind of player I’m going to see in the NFL.”

68. And he can dish them out. “I recall against Auburn, he hit Kenny Irons, and I felt sorry for him,” ex-Tiger back Justin Vincent told USA Today last season. LSU held Irons to just 2.8 ypc.

69. Opponents’ leading rushers average 54 yards per game less against LSU than they do against LSU than they do against the rest of their schedules.

70. Heisman statement No. 3: Bama left guard Justin Britt knew what he was up against before LSU visited on Nov. 3. “Dorsey’s serious, he really is,” Britt said the week of the game. “I expect him to be up there at the top for that Heisman Trophy, definitely.” With the score tied, 34-34, Dorsey blasted Britt into Tide center Evan Cardwell, creating a massive lane so safety Chad Jones could burst through and strip QB John Parker Wilson. The Tigers recovered at the Bama 4. Two plays later, LSU scored the game winning TD.

71. Six of the past seven Heisman winners played for a national title.

72. They say defense always wins championships, so isn’t it time for it to win the Heisman?

Mr. Laz
05-02-2008, 06:28 PM
i just splooged all over my keyboard ........

DeezNutz
05-02-2008, 06:37 PM
I can't believe the Chiefs wasted a draft pick on this guy. :D

Seriously, though, it's cool that we have a player whom we know will be solid and who will be a disappointment if he's not an All-Pro. Good problem to have.

Hammock Parties
05-02-2008, 06:55 PM
I don't think any of us have a clue how good this guy is going to be. He's not even going to be CLOSE to McBride or Tyler. He's going to be an epic talent the likes of which we have never seen. I bet he dominates all the offseason events.

The Bad Guy
05-02-2008, 06:57 PM
This is like a ****ing dream.

If anyone compares this guy to Ryan Sims, they should have acid dripped into their eyes and their fingers eaten by a pack of wolves.

DeezNutz
05-02-2008, 07:01 PM
He's not even going to be CLOSE to McBride or Tyler.

But his presence is going to elevate the **** out of their game.

Direckshun
05-02-2008, 07:19 PM
Holy shit, I could lift a car with the adrenaline I'm experiencing.

Direckshun
05-02-2008, 07:20 PM
But his presence is going to elevate the **** out of their game.
+1

Expect Tank and Turk to """""get it""""" all of a sudden.

Hammock Parties
05-02-2008, 07:21 PM
But his presence is going to elevate the **** out of their game.

Tank is never gonna see a double team his whole career.

Fairplay
05-02-2008, 07:22 PM
Holy shit, I could lift a car with the adrenaline I'm experiencing.



Get off the meth.

The Franchise
05-02-2008, 07:26 PM
I'm so glad we didn't go retarded and pass on this guy.

I knew I was happy when they interviewed him after we picked him and he said "I'm excited to be a Chief". And he actually sounded sincere.

Direckshun
05-02-2008, 08:00 PM
I'm so glad we didn't go retarded and pass on this guy.

I knew I was happy when they interviewed him after we picked him and he said "I'm excited to be a Chief". And he actually sounded sincere.
This is the kind of guys Chiefs fans LOVE to love.

Sure-Oz
05-02-2008, 08:04 PM
We got an endless motor DT(and probably the best player on the board) and a huge character guy, perfect!

The Franchise
05-02-2008, 08:19 PM
he still cant play oline. .,

You're still a douchebag.

keg in kc
05-02-2008, 08:48 PM
i just splooged all over my keyboard ........Two possible comments:

1. So that makes this just like every other night in casa laz

2. and now that you're done with Emma Watson, you'll read this Dorsey article.

keg in kc
05-02-2008, 09:01 PM
I'm so glad we didn't go retarded and pass on this guy.

I knew I was happy when they interviewed him after we picked him and he said "I'm excited to be a Chief". And he actually sounded sincere.This is a league where players who've never set foot on an NFL field hold out for months to get the money they want (hey there JaMarcus) or demand trades because they think they're somehow entitled to play where they want (how's it going Eli). But not this guy. What does he do when he doesn't go first, like just about everyone on earth thinks he should have, what does he do when he falls to fifth, losing millions as the minutes pass?

He cries. Not "poor me" tears, either. He's grateful to be drafted, and grateful to be coming to Kansas City.

Maybe he'll never amount to anything. Or maybe that was the first step in the professional life of a legend. Because this looks like a guy with more talent than anyone else, who works harder than anyone else, with a bigger heart than anyone else. He looks like a 300 pound D-tackle version of Randy Moss with Jerry Rice work ethic.

It's really hard to say that as a Chiefs fan, because I'm so hesitant to allow any sort of hope or optimism to go against that cynical voice of reality that says "things never go that right here"...

DeezNutz
05-02-2008, 10:56 PM
This is a league where players who've never set foot on an NFL field hold out for months to get the money they want (hey there JaMarcus) or demand trades because they think they're somehow entitled to play where they want (how's it going Eli). But not this guy. What does he do when he doesn't go first, like just about everyone on earth thinks he should have, what does he do when he falls to fifth, losing millions as the minutes pass?

He cries. Not "poor me" tears, either. He's grateful to be drafted, and grateful to be coming to Kansas City.

Maybe he'll never amount to anything. Or maybe that was the first step in the professional life of a legend. Because this looks like a guy with more talent than anyone else, who works harder than anyone else, with a bigger heart than anyone else. He looks like a 300 pound D-tackle version of Randy Moss with Jerry Rice work ethic.

It's really hard to say that as a Chiefs fan, because I'm so hesitant to allow any sort of hope or optimism to go against that cynical voice of reality that says "things never go that right here"...

This is worth bumping because this is a good point. In every interview he gave he repeatedly stressed the fact that he was grateful for the opportunity that KC has given him. There was zero negativity, and this wouldn't be unexpected from a guy many slated to go first overall. He seems to believe earnestly that he's lucky to have a chance in the league, and when an individual combines this mindset with an unbelievable amount of God-given ability, it's pretty exciting. Furthermore, if his positivity bleeds over into community service, which I believe it will, I think it's going to be easy for many of us to have a new favorite Chief for a long time.

The Bad Guy
05-02-2008, 11:26 PM
he still cant play oline. .,

Die in a fire.

the Talking Can
05-02-2008, 11:31 PM
most important draft pick since DT....people will back at Atlanta and wonder why they drafted Bowie (sp?) over Jordan.....we picked Marino this time...

viagra

the Talking Can
05-02-2008, 11:31 PM
he still cant play oline. .,

i will rape your corpse

88TG88
05-02-2008, 11:34 PM
he still cant play oline. .,

die

RustShack
05-02-2008, 11:43 PM
Hello soon to be #1 defense in the NFL.

DaneMcCloud
05-03-2008, 12:34 AM
Hello soon to be #1 defense in the NFL.

I think you forgot a zero

POND_OF_RED
05-03-2008, 12:40 AM
I think you forgot a zero

He's right it does look a lot cooler like this: #01

big nasty kcnut
05-03-2008, 01:03 AM
Ny58 i will torch you. Also dorsey is awesome. He will own brady soul.

BIG K
05-03-2008, 01:41 AM
We got an endless motor DT(and probably the best player on the board) and a huge character guy, perfect!


The Chief's have not had a consistent presence at the DT spot since Big Dan left ...Here's to hoping Dorsey blows up the line allowing his teamates to make plays! Bring the pain!


:fire:

SPchief
05-03-2008, 01:55 AM
he still cant play oline. .,


I ****ed your wife and sister at the same time.

POND_OF_RED
05-03-2008, 01:59 AM
I ****ed your wife and sister at the same time.

They're probably the same person so that's not too impressive.

mikey23545
05-03-2008, 04:56 AM
i will rape your corpse

ROFL

OK, now <i>that's</i> worth some rep....

mikey23545
05-03-2008, 04:58 AM
They're probably the same person so that's not too impressive.

We have some people on a roll today...ROFL

Baby Lee
05-03-2008, 05:23 AM
There's the nickname - Small Town Divor-sey

CupidStunt
05-03-2008, 06:03 AM
"Most of the plays we make as a team are because of him," says defensive end Tyson Jackson.

:rockon:

CupidStunt
05-03-2008, 06:04 AM
he still cant play oline. .,

Neither can opponents when this guy's in the game.