Up Close With The Pittsburgh Sports Report
Dorin Dickerson
By Tony DeFazio

West Allegheny's Dorin Dickerson was one of the top high school football players in the country this past season. The jack-of-all trades starred at running back for the Indians, but made plays all over the field. He was chosen to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in January, the most prestigious high school all-star game in the country. He'll also represent Pennsylvania in June's Big 33 Game. After that, it's on to the University of Pittsburgh, where Dickerson will challenge for playing time at wide receiver as a true freshman. Such success is not foreign to Dickerson, as he comes from a family of football players and coaches. His uncle Ron is a longtime coach all over Division 1A, including stints at Penn State as an assistant and as Temple's head coach. PSR Editor Tony DeFazio sat down with the high school star in West A coach Bob Palko's office recently.

PSR: You committed to Pitt way back in June. Your early commitment didn't stop other teams from recruiting you, however. Why did you stay committed to Pitt, and were there any moments during their tough start where you wavered a little?

Dickerson: No, not at all actually. I thought maybe I would waver, but in my heart I really didn't at all.

PSR: What are some of your goals leading up to Pitt's summer camp in August?

DD: Get back on track. Get Pitt back on track and win a national championship someday. That's the biggest goal for everybody there. Get that ring. Play on TV. It'll be a good thing to just get started, actually.

PSR: Does the fact the (Pitt's leading receiver) Greg Lee decided to leave early for the NFL have any impact on how you see your opportunity as a freshman?

DD: No, not really. I would still be trying to compete for a position whether he was there or not. And now that he'll be gone, I'll still just be trying to compete. Everybody else is going to compete too, so we'll just see what happens whenever the time comes.

PSR: You'll have one season to play with Tyler Palko. What is your relationship with Tyler and what will that mean to have him as your quarterback?

DD: It's a pretty good relationship. I just have to practice with him a lot more. I haven't really been able to do that too much yet, but we'll get to throw some together soon here, once summer gets here. It'll be a lot better relationship come summer, so…

PSR: Is that an extra comfort level for you? Having some guys you know there, like Tyler and C.J. Davis?

DD: Oh yeah, definitely. It's always nice to have somebody to show you the ropes whenever you're down there, and to tell you the good things and the bad things about the university and everything about the entire situation, really. It's always good to have those people you're comfortable with.

PSR: Pitt has what appears to be a top 15 or 20 recruiting class this season, with a lot of local kids making up a significant portion of the class. What are some things that excite you about being a part of that class?

DD: Just look at the Triple-A state champions, Franklin Regional - (John) Malecki is going to be playing with us. TJ's Nate Nix…those are all guys I've played against and now we're going to playing together. It's going to be real good.

PSR: A lot of those guys committed early, just like you did. Has that given you a chance to think of each other as teammates already?

DD: Oh yeah. We're always down there at the same time, hanging out and talking with each other at basketball games and other things. It feels like we've known each other our whole lives, so that's a positive thing. It's good, it really is.

PSR: You just played In the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. What can you gain from an experience like that?

DD: You can learn to not take things for granted and to be humble, definitely. Humbleness especially… there's some kids there that bring their egos with them, and…well, you just need to be humble. Be respectful, be humble, be nice to people and I think that can take you far in life. Sports or not. Treat people well and that respect will come back to you.

PSR: You'll be changing positions next season. You were primarily a running back at West A and you'll play wide receiver next season. How do you go about preparing for that switch?

DD: In a week or two, I'll be running a lot of routes and watching a lot of film. I'll watch a lot Larry Fitzgerald film and try to emulate a lot of what he does with route running. I'll watch a lot of Hines Ward, maybe a quicker wide receiver and a little smaller. You have to just pick up different ways of how people get through their stuff. You have to just pick it all up and put it together. My biggest thing is I have to work on my route running. That's my biggest issue with learning the position more. I don't really know the position that much, or at least as much as I do running back. So I have some work to do.

When I was little I always used to tell me dad I wanted to play wide receiver. Now, I LOVE playing running back, it's my favorite thing to do on a football field. I like to get hit a lot. And my dad sort of always said he thought I'd wind up playing wide receiver…and I'd think, "I dunno…I want to play receiver but I think I'll be a running back." And he'd kinda just nod his head and not say much, but I think he's probably saying, "I told you so."

PSR: You're used to having the ball in your hands. What kid of adjustment will it be playing away from the football?

DD: That'll be good - my coaches here at West Allegheny were always on us about playing away from the ball and blocking when you're not getting the ball. I had to do it every single play and go at it hard, so they taught me how to block really well.

PSR: What do you need to do to be a better football player?

DD: I need to get in the weight room more than I am now. I'm in about twice a day, which I guess is more than the average person, but I still need to go at that harder and probably get my speed up. Just to what I need to do to win. I love winnin'.

PSR: Your cousin Jordan is a top running back in Ohio. He'll be a senior next season. Have you played the role of recruiter with him yet?

DD: Oh yeah. I've been recruiting him since we were little. I told him we have to play at the same college together. It'll be good - we'll see what happens. He'll have to go through the whole process.

GET TO KNOW DORIN DICKERSON…

If you had a vote for the Heisman Trophy last year, who would have gotten your vote?

Definitely Reggie Bush. Without a doubt. He's not your average football player. I don't even know if he's human, actually. The stuff he does is just ridiculous. I try to emulate my game to him, but the stuff he does…I just say, "Did he just really do that?" I mean…I just couldn't see anyone else getting it over him. He's just…a different player.

Who else have you emulated as an athlete?

A lot of running backs. The one I used to like was Eddie George. He was a big running back and I used to pattern my style after him, but then I switched over to Reggie Bush because I was versatile and I played a few positions too. But then I've really liked Adrian Peterson because he's another big back and he's about my size, but, man, his speed. So I realized I needed to get my speed up so I could more like him.

As far as wide receivers, Larry Fitzgerald. He's just a great person too. I like everything about the guy. He's awesome. I just watch everything he does - how he talks to people, everything.

What music are you listening to nowadays?

Some Tupac…if I was getting ready for a football game, probably a Rocky CD. And then maybe some 70's funk or something like that.

Where you like to chill when you get some free time?

I like to just chill in my room…but when I do that I usually just wind up getting bored and I go lift. But I do like to go to the beach, so hopefully I'll get some time to do that this summer.

Local Media Share Their Thoughts on Dorin…

Don Rebel, MSA Sports Network

There were two constants during the 2005 high school football season. First, every opposing coach preparing to play West Allegheny would simply say, "We need to find a way to slow down #2," almost afraid to even say his name.

The other constant - most teams were not very successful with that first constant.

The numbers put up by Dorin Dickerson were impressive to say the least, in earning the 2005 MSA Sports Network Player of the Year honors. He finished with 1,429 yards rushing on 182 carries. He caught 22 passes for 423 yards and completed 3 of 8 passes. He also led the WPIAL in touchdowns with 36 and had four interceptions on defense.

In three years for the Indians, Dickerson rushed for 2,770 yards and caught 61 passes. His speed is deceiving at the high school level because often he was much bigger than the defense that was trying to stop him, but when he turns on the jets look out.

His best attribute may be his vision, especially when playing running back or receiving the direct snap from center. He has the ability to make something out of nothing.

All in all, Dickerson has what you'd call freakish athleticism...he can do anything he wants to do on a football field.

Kevin Gorman, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

The greatest misconception about West Allegheny star Dorin Dickerson is that his athleticism and versatility are his greatest assets.

Not that it hurts to be 6-foot-3, 215 pounds and capable of running the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds, possessing a 40-inch vertical and 350-pound bench press.

It's just that Dickerson's most impressive trait might be his charismatic personality. He put his personal goals aside for his team's sake, yet Scorin' Dorin still led the WPIAL with 36 touchdowns. The U.S. Army All-American alternated between taking direct snaps at quarterback and handoffs at tailback, rushing for 1,429 yards and 30 touchdowns and catching 22 passes for 423 yards and six touchdowns.

Dickerson will have to make a transition to playing receiver for the first time, so don't expect an overnight sensation a la Antonio Bryant or Larry Fitzgerald. But he shares their indefatigable work ethic, drive and determination.

Not to mention a persuasive persona. Dickerson was the fourth player from the Class of 2006 to commit to Pitt, then turned relentless recruiter for the Panthers while fending off schools like Florida and Southern Cal. We'll soon find out whether the top-100 recruit can live up to lofty expectations, but he's already proven to be a natural leader.