Sports

RETURN OF DORN GIVES UAPB FORMIDABLE DUO ON DEFENSIVE LINE

By Troy Schulte/OF THE COMMERCIAL STAFF
Wednesday, October 8, 2008 9:44 AM CDT

Through the season’s first two games LeDarius Anthony kept delivering Jared Dorn the same message: “I can’t wait ‘till you come back,” the senior defensive end for Arkansas-Pine Bluff would say to his companion on the other side of the defensive line.

Anthony wanted Dorn, who separated the AC joint in his right shoulder during a preseason practice, back on the field not only because he’s a longtime friend and teammate, but because Dorn’s presence lining up at the other defensive end spot for the Golden Lions makes Anthony’s job a while lot easier.

“There weren’t a lot of plays going to my side,” said Anthony of UAPB’s first two games of the season where Dorn watched from the sidelines. “Now that he’s back, there isn’t anywhere for them to go but up the middle.

“It’s either me, him or the backfield.”

Anthony’s stellar numbers so far this season back up his claims. The preseason All-Southwestern Athletic Conference selection is third among conference defensive lineman with 30 tackles and has three sacks. In UAPB’s 41-17 loss to Central Arkansas in Little Rock Sept. 13, Dorn’s first game back, he had four tackles and a pair of sacks. That, he said, probably wasn’t a coincidence.

“He’s a big help to me because it’s hard playing by yourself,” Anthony said. “We always say ‘Throw a party in the backfield.’ We both go hard.”

Dorn didn’t start against UCA, but he produced while getting his first playing time of the season. And he’s been getting better each week.

The junior had three tackles and combined for a sack in the loss to the Bears. Against Alcorn State on Sept. 18, a 13-3 loss, Dorn had four more tackles, again combined for another sack and recovered a fumble. In UAPB’s 23-17 loss to Alabama A&M Sept. 27, he had three more tackles and, on A&M’s first possession his pressure of quarterback Kevin Atkins led to an interception.

“The first game I got back I tried to make up for it,” Dorn said. “I’ve been trying to get back on track ever since.”

Dorn’s numbers this season may not jump off a stat sheet like that of Anthony’s. But he’s still trying to get his right shoulder back to full strength and, while at the same time, trying to learn a fairly new position.

Until last season, the 6-foot-2, 230 pound junior had been a linebacker all his life. From their days as teammates in pee-wee football, to their high school years at Pine Bluff High School, Anthony remembers Dorn as “one of the best linebackers on the team.”

He started his collegiate career as a linebacker, too. Midway through last season, as a sophomore, Dorn moved from linebacker to defensive end and finished with 42 tackles, 12 of which came behind the line of scrimmage, and 4 1/2 sacks.

Dorn had grown attached to the only position he had ever known, but said he was willing to make the switch.

“You learn to adjust,” he said. “I came to like defensive end a whole lot and then I do have some packages where I play linebacker.”

UAPB coach Monte Coleman, who is also the defensive coordinator, thinks it’s not a coincidence that his team has played two of its better defensive games of the season when Dorn has played the most. A pair of talented defensive ends, who are both healthy, is something many defensive coaches covet.

“Him coming back has really helped us from a speed standpoint,” Coleman said. “Anytime you have two defensive ends with LeDarius, who sometimes requires a double-team, hopefully it frees up a tackle or the other end.

“That’s what Jared brings to the table.”

Even now, more than a month after he originally injured his shoulder, Dorn isn’t back to full strength. In addition to regular practices and weight lifting sessions, he is still undergoing physical therapy to regain the strength in his shoulder.

But he was tired of sitting out games following Week 2. Now he’s hoping a partially healthy shoulder can help get wins.

“I wouldn’t say I’m quite back because my strength isn’t quite there,” he said. “But other teams can’t tell the difference.”

Print this story   |   Email this story