Patrick James Dorsey (born October 9, 1990) is an American football wide receiver currently playing for the AFL Yorktown Argonauts, drafted second overall in the 2012 Common Draft. Dorsey is best known for his career at Florida State University, where he started every game in his three years there as outside receiver, setting every school receiving record and winning the 2011 Bosch Trophy his junior year, becoming only the second wide receiver after Damian Ward in 1992 to win the award. He is also the only player to ever win three straight Minnolo Trophies. In the first game after his graduation, on September 1, 2012, the Seminoles retired his No. 7 jersey.
With the Argonauts, Dorsey set team rookie receiving records in his first season, was named Rookie of the Month for October and helped lead the 'Nauts to their first winning record, 7-5, since 2002. Dorsey subsequently won the AFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award and was named offensive team captain for the upcoming 2013 season.
Personal Life[]
Patrick Dorsey was born October 9, 1990 to James Travis Dorsey, Sr. and Michaela Dorsey (née Foster) in Port Liberty, Cuba. His father, a former University of Havana linebacker, was working there as an insurance agent. In 1996, they moved to Castle Hill, a Havana suburb, where he attended T. Randall Merrill Middle School and Castle Hill High School, a football powerhouse in Cuba.
Dorsey has an older brother, James Dorsey, Jr. (b. 1988) and a younger brother, Marcus Dorsey (b. 1993). Both were also highly-regarded recruits coming out of high school. James played linebacker at Havana, and Marcus decided to play safety at Cuba, emerging as a key contributor on two undefeated regular season teams in 2011 and 2012 as a freshman.
Prep Career and Recruitment[]
At Castle Hill, Dorsey started on varsity all four years and was regarded as one of the top prep players in the country as early as his freshman year. Dorsey played safety and slot receiver his first two years, before moving exclusively to outside receiver as a junior and senior. In 2006 and 2008, his sophomore and senior seasons, the Castle Hill Knights won the Cuba 6A state championships in football.
Heavily recruited, with as many as thirty schools offering scholarships, Dorsey was regarded as the best receiver for the class of 2009 and one of the consensus top-five players in the country. Prior to his senior season, he narrowed his choices down to Alabama, Florida State, Cuba, Havana and South Carolina. After the offensively prolific seasons at both South Carolina and Alabama, many recruiting analysts suspected that those represented the top two, along with his father's alma mater of Havana where his older brother James was a rising senior. However, in a surprise, Dorsey announced in January of 2009 that his top two had been narrowed down to South Carolina and Florida State, and that he desired to remain in the Atlantic Conference where his parents could see him play when teams came to Havana or Cuba. With South Carolina considered the favorite, FSU made a late push and Dorsey quietly and with little fanfare signed his letter of intent to play for the Seminoles on national signing day. Unlike other top recruits who staged notoriously gaudy news conferences that same day, Dorsey's announcement via text message to select journalists was praised as a humble act.
College Career[]
2009 Season[]
Dorsey enrolled at FSU and arrived for summer training camp in July of 2009 and within a week was named as the starter at the No. 2 receiver position. In his first collegiate game, against the University of Miami, Dorsey caught five passes from Aaron Christian for 57 yards and a touchdown. The next game, against the Memphis Tigers, Dorsey exploded with 139 yards, 11 receptions and three touchdowns. By the beginning of November, Dorsey had already set single-season records for individual receptions and yards-after-the-catch at FSU, and led the Atlantic Conference in receiving yards and receptions. The Seminoles lost only to the Virginia Cavaliers during the regular season, sweeping the South Division to set up a rematch with the No.1-ranked Cavaliers in Charlotte in the championship game. While the Seminoles fought to a one-point 24-23 deficit after starting the second quarter 17-6, the Cavaliers scored two uncontested fourth-quarter touchdowns on Donald Brown carries to eventually win 38-30, with an attempted FSU onside-kick after a last-minute touchdown was recovered by Virginia. Despite this setback, Dorsey was crucial to the Noles' attempted comeback, scoring two touchdowns and catching thirteen passes despite numerous double-teams. The Seminoles, now ranked No. 9, received a bid to the Orange Bowl to face UCLA. In the January 3, 2010 Orange Bowl, the Seminoles blasted the Bruins 37-6 with Dorsey catching seven passes for 201 yards and three touchdowns, making him the Offensive Player of the Game.
For his outstanding freshman season with a total of 22 touchdowns, 1,245 receiving yards and 89 receptions, Dorsey was named a first-team All-American, was named Atlantic Conference Offensive Freshman of the Year, and was awarded the Minnolo Trophy for best receiver in the country, the first time a true freshman had ever received the award.
2010 Season[]
Coming into his sophomore season, Dorsey was expected to help lead the Seminoles to a conference and national championship, and his name was circulated as a potential Bosch Trophy winner. In the first game of the year, the No. 9 Seminoles faced the No. 5 Virginia Cavaliers on the road, and knocked out the defending national champions on their home field 37-20. Dorsey caught three touchdown passes of 43, 29 and 54 yards respectively and ended the game with eight receptions for 144 yards. The game attracted even more attention to the player, and he was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated the next week.