NFL DRAFT: Alabama A&M’s Jonathan Dorsey Has Scouts Intrigued

Some people refer to Alabama A&M as a small school, but NFL tight end prospect Jonathan Dorsey opened up his college career with the Bulldogs with two catches against Georgia Tech as a freshman, and finished it with three receptions against Auburn in the final game of his career.

That doesn't sound much like small school ball.

Along with putting up impressive numbers during his career as an Alabama A&M tight end (83 receptions, 14 TDs, more than 1,300 yards), Dorsey exploded during his Pro Day in March. And now, he's poised to take full advantage of that performance when the contracts are offered starting next week. Could he be a Day Three NFL Draft pick on Saturday? Could he be one of the most fought over free agents? Time will tell … but when May rolls around, he's going to be in a rookie mini-camp — that much is certain.

No surprise, as the 6-foot-6, 234-pound prospect ran a 4.62-second 40-yard dash and tied for the best broad jump of any player at an FCS Pro Day with a leap of 10 feet, 11 inches. Dorsey makes scouts salivate when they think about the upside … the potential. His 40 time would have registered as a top eight performance among TEs at the NFL Combine, while his broad jump would have registered fourth.

Even in a very crowded and talented tight end class, Dorsey sticks out.

"I graduated in December, so I was done with school coming into the spring and it just helped me to focus on training and eating right," Dorsey told HERO Sports. "I stayed on the right path with good people at JDPI (Sports Performance) in Tuscaloosa. And to be invited to Alabama's Pro Day, which is one of the biggest in the country — just to be accepted there? That meant a lot."

That's right, the Crimson Tide welcomed him aboard for their big day — and we all know how many pro scouts come to the University of Alabama's annual event. FCS schools have seen this situation repeatedly. The Citadel's Tyler Renew was invited to South Carolina, Northern Colorado's Kyle Sloter went to Colorado, Stephen F. Austin's Zach Conque was invited to Baylor — on and on and on. One thing you can say about the P5 programs, this is one of the cooler things they do: Share the stage.

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"It was all love," Dorsey said, when asked about the experience at Alabama that allowed him to show off his abilities. "When I first got there until the time I left, the love they showed me was amazing. A lot of their players I met, and just to have that support there. Though I didn't even play at Alabama, they supported me. The scouts loved my speed, my explosion, my height, my hands and said I was just an overall prospect, period. I put up some good numbers."

Every year at Alabama A&M, Dorsey's numbers improved and it became more and more apparent the SEC made a mistake. He did take an unofficial visit in high school to Auburn, since he lived nearby in Phenix City. He also was courted by FCS powerhouse Jacksonville State, along with several other Historically Black Colleges. In the end, Alabama A&M was the perfect fit and things have gone well. He has his degree, and now he'll get a shot at cracking an NFL roster. He grew two inches and put on 50 pounds of "lean" — and he metamorphosed from a skinny prep wide receiver to a college tight end with a future in the pros.

​"Just from the beginning of playing football, since I was 6 years old, this has been my dream — to be in the NFL," Dorsey said. "To have a shot? It's a true blessing. And whether I'm drafted or I'm an undrafted free agent, it's just amazing that I'll get a chance. I'm a little anxious right now, because you don't know what to expect. I don't know where I'm going to end up. But it is exciting knowing that it'll be a new beginning soon.

"This is what I signed up for, the competition, the talent. I'm going to get that shot and I'm going to take advantage of it."