"I was a two sports player," added Wayne Dorsey. "At Southwestern,
it was all about basketball, as you can imagine from being brought up in Baltimore.
But I was fortunate enough to have a head coach who played in the NFL. I was just
real lucky to be taught by someone that knew a lot of things that other coaches
do not know. Playing wise, we were a big basketball school. That was the main
focus. I always played good in football and had good coaches who were pushing
and telling me that I could be something special in football, so I stuck with
it."
Dorsey was set to sign with Virginia Tech in February of '07 until the NCAA never
cleared him.
"I qualified. I had a 3.3 GPA and a 920 on the old SAT format, but I did
not clear through the clearinghouse. I was going to sign with Virginia Tech, but
I did not get cleared. The guy who recruited me for Virginia Tech, Tony Ball,
is now at Georgia."
You can tell by talking to the very well spoken Dorsey that he still is not quite
sure why the clearinghouse never cleared him the first time.
"My transcripts were not showing a class or two that I took. To be honest,
I never understood it. My father sent them all of the needed documents over and
over again. But they kept saying that a couple of my classes were not showing
up on my official transcript. I enrolled at Milford Prep (in August of '07) and
did everything I was supposed to do. I was headed to Minnesota (in January of
'08) and they (NCAA clearinghouse) would not clear me again. I was pretty upset.
My family said we are done with this, and I would just go get my junior college
degree."
Why did he choose Mississippi Gulf Coast CC?
"It was the best fit for me to play right away, and Mississippi is a passing
league. As a defensive end, that is what I wanted, to go get after the passer.
It was not a hard choice at all. The coaches and environment were just what I
was looking for. I can't say enough about these guys over here."
Dorsey had a breakout freshman season without even starting a game.
"I played behind a guy who was trying to get a scholarship, which I did not
mind at all. I learned a lot from my coaches. My defensive line coach, Dorsett
Davis (former MSU player) played in the NFL. And my other coach, Stephen Moore
(former Ole Miss player) also played in the league for a long time with the Ravens.
I grew up watching him as a kid. I have just been soaking up their knowledge and
making the needed adjustments when I am having problems. They are always there
for me, and they have been nothing but tremendous for my growth as a player and
as a person. As far as the adjustments, it has been easy. The season started out
slow, but I made the adjustment around the ICC game. Everything just started clicking
from there. I finished the season with 10 1/2 sacks. I did not even start a game,
but I think this year I will have a good chance to lead the country in sacks."
Wayne has just as big aspirations for the team.
"We lost two games last year, and we felt like both games, we just shot ourselves
in the foot. We really feel like we are going to win the national championship
this year. If I strive to play great on every play, I do not see why we can not
reach that goal. That is my only goal this year, just be the best I can be on
each play."
Dorsey, by coincidence, has a teammate that is also from Baltimore.
"(NG) James Carmon and I are both from Baltimore. We are roommates, and we
talk about a lot of things. We are real close. If either of us are slacking, the
other will pick each other up. It is like a brotherly bond. We are both striving
to get to the league, and the only way to get there is to strive for excellence."
What are Dorsey's strengths on the field?
"Getting after the QB. That is what I love to do. Get on the edge and come
after you. I bring my A game and try to put on a show."
College recruiters have taken notice as Wayne has already picked up a couple of
SEC offers.
"Tennessee and Ole Miss have offered me. Right now, that is pretty much it.
I have heard through my coach that Auburn and Georgia have some interest in me
too."
The Rebels were recruiting Wayne's teammate last year and Dorsey struck up a relationship
with one of the Ole Miss assistants..
"I was talking to Demond Washington a lot, and he was committed to them.
Their coaches were always coming by the school, so I started talking to Coach
Dickerson a lot. There was a situation where there was a chance the NCAA was going
to clear me in time to enroll at a D1 program in January. If I would have been
cleared, Ole Miss was going to take me. Pittsburgh was also going to take me.
I was talking to them. Auburn and Georgia would have taken me. That is what my
coach told me, but I was not talking to them or anything. I was mainly talking
to Ole Miss and Pittsburgh about transferring over there in January, but the NCAA
did not clear me again. That was like the third time they made me wait and come
back and say I was not cleared. I do not know. God has just chosen me to go down
this road, and now I am along for the ride."
What did Wayne learn about Ole Miss and Pittsburgh?
"Ole Miss is on the rise. From a distance, it seems like Coach Nutt is taking
them in a real good direction. They are definitely a school I want to look into
and be a part of it. I think it would be a real good situation for me at Ole Miss.
Pittsburgh, I was not really talking to anybody that much. They were going through
my high school coach. I did talk to a coach named Frank Junko about getting in
over there in January. They were also one of my options out of prep school. It
would be a good situation for me there too. They practice on the same facilities
that the Steelers do."
Tennessee was the first school to formally offer Wayne for the class of '10.
"Coach Frank Wilson and I talk a lot. I have spoken to Coach Kiffin, the
defensive coordinator, a few times too. I could have a chance to play for the
best defensive coordinator in the NFL in college football. It does not get much
better than that. They were also the first school to offer and get in contact
with me. When it does come decision time, I will keep that in mind."
Has Minnesota been back in contact?
"I have not heard from them since prep school. I was going to sign with them
out of Milford, and I was real upset about not being able to go to school up there.
Everything happens for a reason, so I am not worried about it anymore."
What about Virginia Tech?
"The guy who was recruiting me out of high school is now at Georgia. If I
could have played anywhere out of high school, it would have been at Virginia
Tech. That was kind of like my dream school growing up."
Have the Georgia Bulldogs been in contact?
"I have not heard anything from them personally, but they are talking to
my coaches. They were going to take me as a mid-year guy if the NCAA would have
cleared me. Same as Auburn, but I never got to talk to their coaches like I did
with Ole Miss' and Tennessee's. Their coaches were coming by the school. Georgia
and Auburn's coaches were just staying in contact through my coaches. They still
are."
Wayne reports that he is on track to graduate in December.
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