Sibling rivalry in the Dorsey household
UA All-American Ashton Dorsey gets his competitive nature from battling his brothers
By Gerry HamiltonTYLER, Texas -- When you bring up the name Dorsey to anyone with ties to John Tyler High School's athletic program, two words seem to echo: athletic family. Under Armour All-American defensive tackle Ashton Dorsey is the latest of the talented family to come down the pike, and he could be the best of the bunch.
Long before Dorsey grew into a dominant defensive tackle, his sister Ashley starred on the college level at UT-Arlington as a three-time All-American in the shotput from 2000 through 2002. His oldest brother, Floyd Jr., played defensive end for Tulane from 1999 through 2002, and his brother closest in age, Adren, currently is a redshirt freshman at Texas A&M.
"We are very excited for Ashton," said his mother, Audrey Dorsey, who played volleyball at Texas College after graduating from John Tyler. "He's always been challenged to do what his big brothers did like play football, play basketball, run track or doing anything around the house. He always thought he should be able to do the same things they did. He was always very competitive, and it's great to see him succeed."
As a youngster, Ashton faced off against his older brothers. Always the competitor, the now-6-foot-2, 285-pound Texas commit didn't back down.
"He always wanted to compete with us even if it was pushups. He was always trying to beat Adren. When he was much younger, he was way smaller. However, as you can see, he took off in terms of a growth spurt," big brother Floyd said.
Floyd graduated from high school when Ashton was only 8 years old, so it was Adren who had Ashton's full attention. The two have been competing for years.
"Me and [Adren] went head to head. We never really wanted to be on the same team when we played street ball. We had to hold each other because we were the two biggest guys out there, even in basketball. We competed in everything from soccer to baseball, basketball and football," Ashton said. "We were always trying to determine who was best. Now it's my turn to shine my senior year and show them who is the best."
Ashton's decision to commit to Texas in March came as a surprise to his family. With Adren at Texas A&M, many believed the Aggies would fit like a glove, but the ESPNU 150 member felt at home in Austin after a junior day visit in February.
"We went back home before I called Texas and told them I wanted to commit. My dad was in Tennessee at the time, but I told my mom I wanted to go to Texas. She said she wanted me to be at Texas A&M, so it would only be one trip," Ashton said. "So I had to go back and forth with her. Then she said it was my decision, and my pops said I'm the one that has to be there for four years, so go where you feel you fit at."
Before making the big decision, he also received some advice from his older brothers. Floyd didn't want him to get too high on one school and was shocked how much his youngest brother liked the University of Texas, but ultimately respected his brother's choice.
However, Adren questioned the decision and still tries to push Texas A&M.
"When I decided to commit to Texas, he asked if I was sure and if [Texas] had just tried to put something in my head. I told him no, it felt like home at Texas," Ashton said. "Now when we talk, he starts off by saying A&M is going to beat Texas. He says that they beat Tech over there worse than Texas beat Tech at home. Then he says, 'You sure you don't want to go to A&M? We could use you down here.'"
On Jan. 2 in Florida, Ashton and 79 other top senior prospects will take part in the prestigious Under Armour All-American Game, an honor that for Ashton was completely unexpected.
"When coach [Dereck] Rush told me he got the letter inviting me to be in the game, I was like, I saw the game last year on TV and thought to myself, I'm going to be playing in that game next year. When I told most of my teammates about it, they were all shocked, but excited and told me I'm doing something real big," Ashton said.
Ashton's family will be making the trip to Orlando with him.
"It's really great for him, and we're excited. He doesn't get the big head about it, but I think it's great for him to get that experience," Audrey said.
For big brother Floyd, the honor is a culmination of hard work and competitive fire.
"It was to a point, and I can say it now, when he was growing up, it was more so everything he could accomplish without a doubt. From my dad, mom, sister, Adren and myself, it was all there for him to see what he could accomplish. It had been done before, and he saw that," Floyd said. "It wasn't even a question of if he could get to this point, but it was a question of will he. For him to achieve these things, it's quite an honor for us."
Gerry Hamilton has covered recruiting in Texas and the Southwest for more than a decade. He can be reached at espngerry@yahoo.com.
