University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Drake Dorbeck Providing Leadership on the Offensive Line
8/5/2019 4:14:00 PM | Football
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The Southern Miss football offensive line enjoys the most depth that it has seen in some time with the program.
The current roster lists 17 players under that position category, including eight underclassmen.
As the team continues their way through the early stages of fall camp, finishing their third day of workouts Monday in shoulder pads and shorts, they need veteran players to step to the forefront and educate the younger players to get them ready for the action at this level.
Redshirt senior Drake Dorbeck, a Vicksburg, Miss., native and St. Aloysius Catholic High School alumnus, has proven to be one of those veterans.
"When I first got here I had a lot of older guys mentor me to get me where I needed to be," said Dorbeck. "I want to impress on the younger guys to take care of their bodies right now, learning the offense and simplifying it as much as you can, but also knowing to start reading defenses and picking things up.
"It is not something that happens in a day. It took me two years to get it down pat, but you have to stress that to the younger guys."
Dorbeck has started on the Golden Eagle offensive line for the last two seasons, missing only three games during his sophomore campaign with an arm injury. He will be looked upon to start up front again as the Golden Eagles vie for their fifth-straight winning season.
The 6-foot-6, 320 lb., offensive tackle has helped the Golden Eagles offense that collected 5,520 total yards, which finished third in Conference USA at 424.6 yards per game, in 2016. Last season, Dorbeck helped quarterback Jack Abraham finish first in completion percentage at 73.1 of his pass during the year.
Thus far this preseason, Dorbeck has said that things have gone well in the early going as the team has grasped the knowledge of the offense pretty well and knows what they are doing scheme-wise. He went on to express that the team had all summer to work on that on their own and it took just getting in the meeting room and learning what coaches want from them as they head into the new season to put it all together.
That new season begins Aug. 31, at home against Alcorn State. Game time is set for 6 p.m., at M.M. Roberts Stadium. Single game and season tickets are still available by going online at SouthernMissTickets.com, by calling 1-800-844-TICK (8425) or by visiting the Pat Ferlise Ticket Office weekdays from 8 a.m., until 5 p.m.
The current roster lists 17 players under that position category, including eight underclassmen.
As the team continues their way through the early stages of fall camp, finishing their third day of workouts Monday in shoulder pads and shorts, they need veteran players to step to the forefront and educate the younger players to get them ready for the action at this level.
Redshirt senior Drake Dorbeck, a Vicksburg, Miss., native and St. Aloysius Catholic High School alumnus, has proven to be one of those veterans.
"When I first got here I had a lot of older guys mentor me to get me where I needed to be," said Dorbeck. "I want to impress on the younger guys to take care of their bodies right now, learning the offense and simplifying it as much as you can, but also knowing to start reading defenses and picking things up.
"It is not something that happens in a day. It took me two years to get it down pat, but you have to stress that to the younger guys."
Dorbeck has started on the Golden Eagle offensive line for the last two seasons, missing only three games during his sophomore campaign with an arm injury. He will be looked upon to start up front again as the Golden Eagles vie for their fifth-straight winning season.
The 6-foot-6, 320 lb., offensive tackle has helped the Golden Eagles offense that collected 5,520 total yards, which finished third in Conference USA at 424.6 yards per game, in 2016. Last season, Dorbeck helped quarterback Jack Abraham finish first in completion percentage at 73.1 of his pass during the year.
Thus far this preseason, Dorbeck has said that things have gone well in the early going as the team has grasped the knowledge of the offense pretty well and knows what they are doing scheme-wise. He went on to express that the team had all summer to work on that on their own and it took just getting in the meeting room and learning what coaches want from them as they head into the new season to put it all together.
That new season begins Aug. 31, at home against Alcorn State. Game time is set for 6 p.m., at M.M. Roberts Stadium. Single game and season tickets are still available by going online at SouthernMissTickets.com, by calling 1-800-844-TICK (8425) or by visiting the Pat Ferlise Ticket Office weekdays from 8 a.m., until 5 p.m.
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