Passing on NFL Draft to Pursue a Goal

LSU's Dorsey Sees Prospect Of National Title

The chance of returning to New Orleans in Jan. of 2008 for the BCS championship game is what convinced the mammoth 6-foot-2, 303-pound Glenn Dorsey to return to LSU. (AP)

Glenn Dorsey sat in a steam room in a New Orleans hotel before the 2006 Sugar Bowl and told his friend and fellow Louisiana State defensive lineman Tyson Jackson about the decision he was trying to make. It was one that would be well documented once Dorsey chose to play his senior season with the Tigers rather than declare his eligibility for the 2007 NFL draft.

The all-American defensive tackle's choice surprised people around the country, but to Dorsey, it was not a very difficult one. He wanted to stay in Baton Rouge another year, and a projected first-round draft selection would have to wait. "I haven't got a ring," Dorsey said of his ambition to win a national championship.

Dorsey said he made his decision to play another year at LSU a couple of days before the deadline "and stayed really secretive about it. I didn't want people telling me it was right or wrong. I knew we had a lot of strong guys coming back and young guys who can really play strong, and I want to end up back in New Orleans this year."

In Dorsey's past two seasons with LSU, the Tigers have had two top five finishes, two 11-win seasons and two decisive bowl victories. But the chance of returning to New Orleans, this time for the BCS championship game, was what convinced the mammoth 6-foot-2, 303-pound Dorsey to return.

The Tigers are more than happy to have him back.

"It's tremendous just to know that the guy wants to come back," said Jackson, a junior defensive end. "The chemistry between us is so good we don't have to look at each other; it's just eye contact. And it's an advantage to us when we're able to have nonverbal communication on the line and key off the [offensive] linemen without them knowing."

Dorsey anchored the Tigers defensive line last season, fighting off double teams for 64 tackles. He's one of eight returning defensive starters from 2006, when LSU finished third among BCS schools in total defense, giving up a measly 242.7 yards per game, and stopped its opponents inside the 20-yard line 55.2 percent of the time.

LSU is expected to field one of the nation's best defenses once again, and the unit's experience and familiarity with one another gives defensive coordinator Bo Pelini leeway to create new schemes and switch what opposing offenses see from play to play.

"I'm moving around a lot," said Jackson, who led the Tigers in sacks (8.5) and tackles for a loss (10) in 2006. "We installed a lot of new packages and doing some flip-flopping and trying to create some mismatches. He's going to be using me all over the field."

And if opposing teams would like to spend the season focusing on how to double-team Dorsey once again, that's perfectly fine with both linemen. They'll let an offensive coordinator pick his poison.

Dorsey vows to be effective regardless of the how many players he faces, and Jackson promises it's not a wise option to ignore him when a quarterback's security is concerned.

"That's the plus side," Jackson said. "I feel that if an offensive coordinator can overlook me, not to be arrogant but, well, I don't think they should really do that. I can get on the edge and create pressure all sorts of ways, but if they put extra people in the situation to block Glenn, well, okay."

Don't mistake Jackson's comments as jealousy, he and Dorsey warn, because the pair of coveted NFL prospects are close friends. After the 2007 season, Jackson is expected to face the same decision Dorsey did a season ago -- turn pro or finish his college career with the Tigers. Jackson said he hasn't thought about it much yet but at least he knows who to get advice from.

No one in Death Valley or outside it doubts that both can succeed in the NFL, but both players have goals of their own, such as finishing as the No. 1 defense in the country, before they're ready to leave college.

"I want to come out and just have a good time, just enjoy myself and be successful," Dorsey said. "I want to win a championship. I want to finish strong."