It's Dorsey's health, not his talent, that's the question
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INDIANAPOLIS -- Glenn Dorsey could be the best player in this year's draft ... if, of course, he can convince people he's not an injury waiting to happen.
Which is why he's here.
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| When healthy, Glenn Dorsey took over games at LSU. (Getty Images) |
"I did it the summer of my junior year, and I played the whole year with it," said Dorsey. "That wasn't a big issue with me."
Maybe, but it could be with anyone interested in hiring him. Dorsey is a dominant defensive lineman who, when healthy, is unblockable, unstoppable and unassailable.
But the key there is: When healthy.
He played despite a sprained knee suffered in the Tigers' defeat of Auburn, and he was hampered in preseason drills by a sore hamstring. The year before he played despite the stress fracture, and I think you can see where this is headed: Anyone interested in investing millions in the guy better find out what they're getting, and I'm not talking about talent.
"Dorsey is hard to do," said the NFL Network's Mike Mayock. "He's got medical questions, and you want to make sure if, with everything he has, he's getting a clean bill of health, and that he doesn't have a debilitating injury as you go forward."
Mayock recently sat down to study the videotape of Dorsey's performance in the national championship game -- a game where he didn't play hurt -- and marveled at what he witnessed.
"It was the best I've seen a defensive tackle play in a couple of years," he said. "It was a dominating performance. Glenn Dorsey is difficult to evaluate. He's a warrior, and he played hurt. But you better make sure that you're not buying damaged goods."
Dorsey insists you're not, but that's his opinion. It's Dorsey's physicians we're waiting on, and they should have something to say considering that Dorsey spent nine-and-half hours getting examined ("MRIs, CAT scans, everything," Dorsey said) at a local hospital Saturday.
"Health is no concern," said Dorsey. "There are no health concerns to my knowledge. I haven't missed a game at LSU since I've been there. Everybody gets nicked up. That's the way I look at it. I played every game at LSU my whole four years there so I don’t think it’s a problem at all."
