Glenn Jamon Dorsey (born August 1, 1985) is an American former professional
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
player who was a
defensive tackle
A defensive tackle (DT) is a position in American football that typically lines up on the line of scrimmage, opposite one of the Guard (American football), offensive guards; however, he may also line up opposite one of the offensive Tackle (gridir ...
in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
(NFL). He played
college football
College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
for the
LSU Tigers
The LSU Tigers and Lady Tigers (also known as the Fighting Tigers) are the athletic teams representing Louisiana State University (LSU), a state university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. LSU competes in Division I of the National Collegiat ...
, receiving
All-American
The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...
honors twice and earning recognition as the top college defensive player of the
2007 season. He was selected by the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
Established in 1959 ...
with the fifth overall pick in the
2008 NFL draft
The 2008 NFL draft was the 73rd NFL draft, annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York (state), New York ...
, and played for the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
later in his career as well.
Early life
Dorsey was raised in
Gonzales, Louisiana
Gonzales is a city in Ascension Parish, Louisiana, United States. As of the 2020 census, it has a population of 12,231. Known as the " Jambalaya Capital of the World", it is famous for its annual Jambalaya Festival, which was first held in 1968 ...
. He attended
East Ascension High School in Gonzales, where he was rated among the nation's top defensive linemen and one of the top three prospects in the state. He was named Louisiana’s 4A Defensive Player of the Year and a first-team 4A all-state selection. During his junior year, Dorsey had more than 100
tackles
Tackle may refer to:
* In football:
** Tackle (football move), a play in various forms of football
** Tackle (gridiron football position)
A tackle is a playing position in American football. Historically, in the one-platoon system prevalent ...
, and 12
sacks. As a senior, he missed three games due to an ankle injury, and finished the season with 43 tackles, two sacks and one forced
fumble
A fumble in gridiron football occurs when a player who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed (tackled), scoring, or going out of bounds. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking, punting, or successful h ...
.
Considered a four-star recruit by
Rivals.com, Dorsey was listed as the No. 5 defensive tackle prospect in the nation in 2004. Dorsey committed to Louisiana State on the eve of his junior season.
College career

Dorsey attended
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as Louisiana State University (LSU), is an American Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louis ...
, and played for coach
Nick Saban
Nicholas Lou Saban Jr. ( ; born October 31, 1951) is an American sportscaster and former Professional gridiron football, professional and college football coach. He serves as an analyst for ESPN's ''College GameDay (football TV program), Colleg ...
and coach
Les Miles
Leslie Edwin Miles (born November 10, 1953) is a former American football coach. He most recently served as the head coach at Kansas. His head coaching career began with the Oklahoma State Cowboys, where he coached from 2001 to 2004. Following t ...
's
LSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football program, also known as the Fighting Tigers, represents Louisiana State University in college football. The LSU Tigers and Lady Tigers, Tigers compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athle ...
teams from 2004 to 2007. As a true freshman in the 2004 season, he
started in 3 out of 12 games. On his first collegiate
snap
Snap or SNAP may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Snap'' (film), the initial release title for the 2013 film ''Enter the Dangerous Mind''
* '' The Stanly News and Press'', a newspaper in Albemarle, North Carolina, US
* "Snap" (''Duty Free'') ...
he recovered a fumble against
Oregon State. He finished the year with 18 tackles.
In 2005, he started in 1 out of 13 games. He was among LSU's 4-player rotation at defensive tackle which included
Claude Wroten and
Kyle Williams. He finished the season with 28 tackles and 3 sacks.
In 2006, Dorsey was named to the 2006
All-America
The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...
n team and was
All-SEC. He finished the season as the Tigers' third-leading tackler with 64 stops, including 8.5 for losses and three sacks. Dorsey was named the SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week twice during the season.
In 2007, Dorsey started 13 of 14 games recording 69 tackles, 7 sacks, 12.5 tackles for loss, three
passes defensed, and a forced
fumble
A fumble in gridiron football occurs when a player who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed (tackled), scoring, or going out of bounds. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking, punting, or successful h ...
. He was also named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week twice during the season. Following the 2007 season, he was recognized as a unanimous first-team
All-American
The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...
. He also finished ninth in the 2007 voting for the
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy ( ; also known simply as the Heisman) is awarded annually since 1935 to the top player in college football. It is considered the most prestigious award in the sport and is presented by the Heisman Trophy Trust followin ...
, receiving more votes than any other defensive player in the nation. In addition, Dorsey was awarded the
Bronko Nagurski Trophy
The Bronko Nagurski Trophy has been awarded annually since 1993 to the collegiate American football defensive player adjudged by the membership of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) to be the best in the National Collegiate Athle ...
, the
Outland Trophy
The Outland Trophy is awarded to the best college football
College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that g ...
, the
Lott Trophy
The Lott IMPACT Trophy is presented annually to a defensive college football player of the year for their personal character and athletic abilities. IMPACT is an acronym for: Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community, and Tenacity. T ...
and the
Lombardi Award
The Rotary Lombardi Award is an award for college football in the United States. Awarded by the Rotary Club of Houston, Texas annually to the college football player "who best embodies the values and spirit of NFL's legendary coach Vince Lombard ...
, becoming the only player to win all four awards. Dorsey was a member of
LSU's 2007 BCS Championship team. He was a key component in LSU’s drive to the
BCS national title despite playing the second half of the season with knee and tailbone injuries.
Awards and honors
* 2× First-team
All-SEC (2006, 2007)
* 2× First-team
All-America
The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...
n (2006, 2007)
* SEC Defensive Player of the Year (2007)
*
Lombardi Award
The Rotary Lombardi Award is an award for college football in the United States. Awarded by the Rotary Club of Houston, Texas annually to the college football player "who best embodies the values and spirit of NFL's legendary coach Vince Lombard ...
(2007)
*
Outland Trophy
The Outland Trophy is awarded to the best college football
College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that g ...
(2007)
*
Bronko Nagurski Trophy
The Bronko Nagurski Trophy has been awarded annually since 1993 to the collegiate American football defensive player adjudged by the membership of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) to be the best in the National Collegiate Athle ...
(2007)
*
Lott Trophy
The Lott IMPACT Trophy is presented annually to a defensive college football player of the year for their personal character and athletic abilities. IMPACT is an acronym for: Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community, and Tenacity. T ...
(2007)
*
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive Tourist attraction, attraction devoted to college football, college American football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players ...
inductee (2020)
Career statistics
Professional career
Pre-draft
Prior to the draft some NFL teams expressed concern over a lingering stress fracture Dorsey sustained in 2006. At the
NFL Combine
The NFL Scouting Combine is a week-long showcase occurring every February at Lucas Oil Stadium (and formerly at the RCA Dome until 2008) in Indianapolis, where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Foot ...
, Dorsey spent nearly ten hours getting examined at an
Indianapolis
Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...
hospital.
Kansas City Chiefs
Dorsey was selected by the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
Established in 1959 ...
in the first round with the fifth overall pick in the
2008 NFL draft
The 2008 NFL draft was the 73rd NFL draft, annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York (state), New York ...
. On July 26, 2008, he signed a five-year, $51 million contract with $23 million guaranteed.
On November 8, he recorded his first career
sack
A sack usually refers to a rectangular-shaped bag.
Sack may also refer to:
Bags
* Flour sack
* Gunny sack
* Hacky sack, sport
* Money sack
* Paper sack
* Sleeping bag
* Stuff sack
* Knapsack
Other uses
* Bed, a slang term
* Sack (band), ...
against
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team in the National Football League (NFL). The Chargers played in San Diego, California from 1961 until 2016, before relocating back to the Greater Los Angeles area, where the franch ...
quarterback
The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...
Philip Rivers
Philip Michael Rivers (born December 8, 1981) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons, primarily with the Chargers franchise. He played college football for the ...
. He finished his rookie season with 46 tackles and one sack.
When the Chiefs shifted to a
3-4 defense under new head coach
Todd Haley
Richard Todd Haley (born February 28, 1967) is an American football coach who most recently was head coach for the Memphis Showboats of the United States Football League (USFL).
From 1997 to 2006, he had stints as the wide receivers coach of th ...
, Dorsey switched positions to accommodate the scheme change, and he played
defensive end
Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football.
This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formation (American football), formations over the years have substantially ...
. Dorsey started 14 of 15 games during the 2009 season and had 54 tackles and one sack. In 2010, he started all 16 games and had 69 tackles and two sacks. In 2011, Dorsey had 62 tackles, but no sacks.
San Francisco 49ers
On March 13, 2013, Dorsey signed a two-year deal with the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
. Dorsey was expected to be a reserve, but following the injury to starting nose tackle
Ian Williams in week two, Dorsey took over the starting job. Dorsey signed a two-year extension with San Francisco on August 19, 2014. He missed the 2014 season with a torn biceps injury. On November 25, 2015, Dorsey was placed on
injured reserve
The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in ...
with a
torn ACL
An anterior cruciate ligament injury occurs when the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is either stretched, partially torn, or completely torn. The most common injury is a complete tear. Symptoms include pain, an audible cracking sound during in ...
. In the 2016 season, he played in 12 games and started seven. He finished with one sack and 24 total tackles.
NFL career statistics
Activism
Dorsey filmed a campaign for the proper treatment of
dogs
The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the gray wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it was selectively bred from a population of wolves during the Late Pleistocene by hunter-gatherers ...
in association with
PETA
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA; ) is an American animal rights nonprofit organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, and led by Ingrid Newkirk, its international president.
Founded in March 1980 by Newkirk and animal right ...
.
References
External links
College Football Hall of Fame bioLSU Tigers bio
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dorsey, Glenn
1985 births
Living people
All-American college football players
American football defensive ends
American football defensive tackles
College Football Hall of Fame inductees
East Ascension High School alumni
Kansas City Chiefs players
LSU Tigers football players
Players of American football from Louisiana
San Francisco 49ers players
People from Gonzales, Louisiana
21st-century African-American sportsmen
20th-century African-American sportsmen
20th-century American sportsmen