2015 NFL Draft Interviews: WR Phillip Dorsett

Phillip Dorsett – WR (Miami)

Measurables:  Hgt:  5’10”

Wgt:  185lbs.

Hand:  9 3/8”

Arm:  30 1/4”

PROFILE:  Was a three-year starter at Miami, although he missed 5 games his junior year with a knee injury. Garnered a third team All-ACC selection his sophomore year when he had 58 receptions for 842 yards. In his 2014 senior season, he averaged 24.2 yards per catch, scored 10 touchdowns and was recognized with a second team selection to the All-ACC Team. Known for his blazing speed, he ran a remarkable 4.33 40-yard dash time at the Combine, then topped that with a 4.25 time at Miami’s Pro Day.

On the fact that there is a lot of great tradition with receivers from Miami having success in the NFL and whether he has had much interaction with any of them or tries to pattern his game after:

Obviously Hurns.(Allen Hurns now with Jacksonville) I mean I played with him three years. He’s one of the guys, I’ve helped him a lot! Santana Moss, I talk to him every offseason. He comes down here – he works out at The U. That’s kinda the guy I do my game off of. We talk all the time, we text all the time.  He’s one of the guys – we have the same skill set, the same body frame. So, I talk to him all the time.

On what are some of the things that Moss has tried to help him with:

Basically, just telling me things like when I’m running my routes, staying low, stuff like that. Don’t give the DB any indicator of when you’re breaking down. Even things like playing in the slot, because he transitioned to the slot when he got a little older. Things like reading zone coverages and stuff like that. Things corners do when they’re playing zone. There’s a lot of different things, so I’m just blessed to have him and other people like Allen Hurns in my corner.

On what couple of things that he hopes to showcase to scouts at the Senior Bowl:

That I’m an all-around, every down receiver.  One of the things I do is pride myself on my conditioning and in the weight room. So I feel like I can play outside or inside. Route running and some things like that. They had a knock on me because I didn’t much of that at UM because I was a pretty vertical route runner. Just trying to show teams that I can do everything  – that I can basically be an all-around receiver.

On whether he has any guesses of what he will run at the Combine or at least a goal time:

No guesses! I mean I have people asking me that question every day. I just want to go out there and train as hard as I can. Whatever God tells me to run that day, I’ll run. Anything under 4.30 (his goal) – I’ll be fine. (Note: he ran a 4.33 at the Combine)

 

On what the fastest 40-yard time he has been clocked at:

I have the UM record – I ran a 4.21 last summer.

On whether there are any past or present NFL guys that he looks at and would like to have that type of career:

Yeah definitely, guys like Santana Moss. He’s still playing, I think it’s probably like his 14^th year. You got guys in the league right now still going at it – the Antonio Browns, the T.Y. Hiltons, the younger guys. Guys like that, I look a lot at. DeSean Jackson, a vertical route runner. Guys like that that I think I can implement my game after.

On how hard it is at a game like the Senior Bowl to get on the same page with several different quarterbacks in terms of route running, especially for the vertical routes:

It’s hard at first. I mean, I’m not going to lie. Being with another guy for four years at another school, then coming in this week with a new set of quarterbacks. First day you gotta get used to them – got to get your timing right. I’ve had the privilege of playing with Blake (Sims – one of the South Team’s QB’s). He trains with me in Boca sometimes.  I go every Tuesday and Thursday and we’ll train together. We kinda got our timing a little bit. It wasn’t really working with any DB’s, it’s different when you have a guy in front of you. I feel like today, we got a lot better that yesterday. I’m just looking forward to keeping that going.

On what it will be like to wear the “U” for the last time on Saturday:

I mean, it will be kind of emotional. Didn’t really think of it before you said that. I put everything in the bowl game and Senior Day – all the emotions came out. Didn’t really think of it like that. Now that you said that, it’ll probably be another emotional moment. But just looking forward to just trying to get better. That’s my whole thing – coming out here with some of the best guys in the country – just getting better every day and competing. That’s something we’re used to.