As a first round draft pick out of the University of Miami you might expect Phillip Dorsett to be a bit more animated. When you speak with him you’ll get none of the soundbites you may get from fellow Hurricanes such as Michael Irvin. At 5’10” he’s been told he’s undersized his whole life, yet you won’t find even an ounce of Napoleon complex within his DNA. After his first few seasons in Indianapolis he was called a bust and traded away for a backup quarterback. However, there would be no finger pointing at the Colts. Instead, Dorsett would put his head down and get back to work with his new team in New England. “I’m a guy that, I just work hard, I never get down on myself,” Dorsett said. “I just kept working hard. I’m a believer in my talents and I’m a believer in me as a person. I know that I’m just going to work hard to figure it out and once I came here I just kept working hard.”
Heading in to his second straight Super Bowl with the Patriots, Dorsett’s work ethic seems to be paying off at the perfect time. He has no plans in changing the routine that got him here now. “I am just trying to do my everyday routine, go about my day how I usually do. Not trying to do anything different.” As for that routine, you won’t find anything unique or off the wall. There is no substitute for his hard work and that has allowed Dorsett to fit right in to the Patriot way. His focus lies solely on his job and his team.
When asked about avoiding drama that other teams may find themselves faced with Dorsett simply said, “We stick to ourselves. We can’t really worry about anything else that’s going on out there. We just try to be the Patriots.” Almost as if the answer wasn’t heard he was immediately asked if what is going on in Pittsburgh with Antonio Brown surprises him. “That ain’t got nothing to do with us”, Dorsett said with a smile – another potential soundbite denied.
With Julian Edelman, Rob Gronkowski, and James White at Brady’s disposal, Dorsett may not finish any game leading the Patriots in targets. But for a guy with 4.3 speed, an abundance of targets aren’t needed to make a lasting impact. These playoffs have shown us that Dorsett can capitalize on minimal targets. Surprisingly, Tom Brady has only thrown two touchdown passes this postseason – Dorsett was on the receiving end of both.
Should the Pats go on to win another Super Bowl we may continue to hear how lucky they are. Lucky for the tuck rule. Lucky to have Adam Vinatieri for all those years. Lucky that Pete Carroll passed on the one-yard line. Call it what you want but “luck” is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. Phillip Dorsett and the New England Patriots are ready to be lucky once again.
