Andy Dorris

Andy Dorris
Date of birth (1951-08-11) August 11, 1951
Place of birth Bellaire, Ohio, United States
Career information
Position(s) Defensive end
College New Mexico State
NFL draft 1973 / Round: 4 / Pick: 93
Career stats

Andy Dorris (born August 11, 1951) is a retired American professional football player. He was born in Bellaire, Ohio and attended college at New Mexico State University.[1] Dorris played in the National Football League for 10 seasons.[2] He spent most of his professional career with the New Orleans Saints and the Houston Oilers.[2][1] Dorris is currently a sales representative for Forterra in Houston, Texas.[3][2]

Professional career

The Cleveland Browns drafted Andy Dorris with the 93rd pick in the 1973 NFL Draft.[4][5] He initially signed a three-year contract with the team. [5] Before the season began, Cleveland traded Dorris to the St. Louis Cardinals.[6] He played in four games for St. Louis in his first season as a professional.[1] In October 1973, St. Louis traded Dorris to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for a draft choice.[7]

Dorris spent three full seasons with the Saints.[1] In a game against the Atlanta Falcons in 1976, Dorris sacked Falcons quarterback Steve Bartkowski.[8] Bartkowski left the game with a knee injury. [8]

At the beginning of the 1977 NFL season, the Seattle Seahawks acquired Dorris from New Orleans.[9] Dorris played four games for the Seahawks. [9][10][1] The Seahawks placed him on waivers in October, 1977.[11] As a free agent, Dorris participated in tryouts for two teams, but he was rejected both times.[12]

In November 1977, the Houston Oilers' Elvin Bethea broke his arm during a game. Coach "Bum" Philips replaced him with Andy Dorris. [12] In Houston, Dorris was part of a team that came to be known as "Bum's boys." [12][13] Under Bum's relaxed leadership style, Dorris bulked up and became a formidable defensive lineman. [12]

In 1979, Dorris was the starting left defensive end for the Oilers.[14] He recorded three sacks in a December matchup against the Denver Broncos.[15] Dorris signed a new contract with the Oilers in 1980.[16]

1979 and 1980 were two of the most successful seasons for the Houston Oilers franchise. In both seasons, the team finished the season with 11 wins and 5 losses but failed to make the Super Bowl.[17][18]

Dorris was known as a locker-room prankster. He and a teammate once put blue dye in a shower head, turning a teammate's skin blue.[19]

Houston placed Dorris on the injured reserve list at the beginning of the 1982 season, but he had already played his last game as a professional.[20][1]

In 1990, he attended a reunion luncheon of many former Oilers players at the Southern Plantation Restaurant.[21]

Dorris also had a pet lion cub.

Later career

Dorris works as a sales representative for Forterra in Houston, TX. [3] The company produces pipes and precast concrete forms for a variety of commercial and industrial purposes.[22]

Awards and recognition

In his last year at New Mexico State, Dorris was named outstanding senior athlete. [5]

In 2006, the Missouri Valley Conference announced its football "All-Centennial Team."[23] Conference officials selected Andy Dorris as one of the 14 players representing the decade of the 1970s. [23] Dorris was all-MVC at New Mexico State in 1972. [23]

In 2007, Coach Philips and many of his former players, including Dorris, held a reunion during halftime of a Houston Texans game.[24]

Dorris attended a New Mexico State Aggies football reunion in April, 2012.[25][26] The event consisted of a gathering of former players on Friday, April 27. [25]

Personal life

Dorris and his wife, Mary, have three children: Meredith, Sam, and Zach. [2] He has nine grandchildren. [2]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Andy Dorris NFL profile". NFL.com. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Where are we now?" (PDF). NM State Sports. January 2007. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  3. 1 2 "West Region Contacts". Hanson Pipe and Precast. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  4. ↑ "New Mexico State NFL Draft Choices". The Red Zone. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  5. 1 2 3 "Dorris to play for Celeveland". St. Joseph News-Press. May 30, 1973. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
  6. ↑ "Pro Transactions". The Milwaukee Sentinel. August 11, 1973. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
  7. ↑ "Jets Give Van Galder Trial". The Milwuakee Journal. October 11, 1973. Retrieved 17 September 2012.
  8. 1 2 "Six NFL quarterbacks knocked out of action". The Miami News. October 11, 1976. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
  9. 1 2 "It looks like end of the line for Mike Curtis". The Miami News. September 7, 1977. Retrieved 17 September 2012.
  10. ↑ Daryl Gadbow (September 7, 191977). "Curtis among 'Hawk cuts". Ellensburg Daily Record. Retrieved 16 September 2012. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. ↑ "Seahawks sign Horace Jones". The Tuscaloosa News. October 10, 1977. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Curry Kirkpatrick (October 27, 1980). "Hallelujah. He's. Uh. Bum". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  13. ↑ "Highlights of the Luv Ya Blue era" (June 21, 1991). Houston Chronicle, 2.
  14. ↑ "Sunday Scouting Report". The Palm Beach Post. October 27, 1979. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
  15. ↑ "Three offensive regulars injured, defense does job for Oilers, 13-7". The Telegraph Herald. December 24, 1979. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
  16. ↑ "Dorris Signs Oiler Contract". The Palm Beach Post. July 29, 1980. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
  17. ↑ "1979 Houston Oilers". FanBase. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  18. ↑ "1980 Houston Oilers". FanBase. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  19. ↑ "The Pranks". Herald-Journal. July 16, 1995. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
  20. ↑ "Monday's National Football League Transactions". Toledo Blade. September 7, 1982. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
  21. ↑ McClain, John and Rich Burk (October 26, 1990). "Oilers/Jets notes". Houston Chronicle, 9.
  22. ↑ "Hanson Pipe and Precast Official Site". Hansonpipeandprecast.com. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  23. 1 2 3 "Missourie Valley Conference Announces Football All-Centinnial Team" (PDF). MVC-Sports.com. December 5, 2006. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  24. ↑ McClain, John (December 10, 2007). "Reunited, and it feels so good; Elated Oilers saluted at half, so happy together. Houston Chronicle, 7.
  25. 1 2 "Aggies reunion BBQ rounding into form" (April 19, 2012). Las Cruces Sun-News.
  26. ↑ "Former Aggies gather following spring game" (April 28, 2012). Las Cruces Sun-News.
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