Lionel Dotson
Encyclopedia
Lionel Eugene Dotson, Jr. (born February 11, 1985 in Houston, Texas
) is an American football
defensive end
for the Buffalo Bills
of the National Football League
. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins
in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Arizona
.
Dotson has also been a member of the Denver Broncos
.
at Dobie High School
in Pasadena, Texas
. He was a two-time letterman in both football and basketball
. During his senior season, he recorded 50 tackles and 13 sacks on his way to a nomination for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl
. In basketball, he earned first-team all-district honors as a junior and was selected to the Texas High School Coaches All-Star game as a senior.
, Dotson played college football
for the University of Arizona
. As as true freshman in 2003, he was redshirted
and was a member of the defensive scout team.
Dotson saw action in seven games including six starts as a redshirt freshman in 2004. He finished the season with 19 tackles (12 solo), 3.5 tackles for a loss and three sacks. Against rival Arizona State
, he recorded five tackles, 1.5 tackles for a loss and a sack.
As a sophomore in 2005, Dotson started four of the 10 games in which he played for the Wildcats. On the year he recorded 21 tackles (10 solo), a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He set a season-high and tied a career-high with five tackles in a game against Washington
.
Dotson played in 11 games for the Wildcats in 2006, starting 10 of them. He earned honorable mention All-Pac-10 honors as a junior with 31 tackles (15 solo), two tackles for a loss, a sack and a forced fumble.
He experienced his most productive season as a senior in 2007, recording 50 tackles (36 solo), nine tackles for a loss, a team-high 6.5 sacks a forced fumble and a pass defensed. For his efforts, Dotson earned second-team All-Pac-10 honors.
During his four-year collegiate career at Arizona, Dotson started 32 of the 40 games in which he played and racked up 121 tackles (73 solo), 14.5 tackles for a loss, 10.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and four passes defensed.
in the seventh round (245th overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft
. Dotson reported that the Dolphins had been calling him throughout the second day of the draft, though he had also been contacted by the Arizona Cardinals
, Atlanta Falcons
and New York Giants
. He was the third and final defensive lineman taken by the Dolphins in the draft, following Phillip Merling
and Kendall Langford
. On May 19, the Dolphins signed Dotson to a multi-year contract.
Dotson was waived on September 4, 2010.
, is currently serves as defensive coordinator at the University of Louisville
and played for the NFL's St. Louis Cardinals
in 1982.
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
) is an American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
for the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft
2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 26 and April 27, 2008. For the 29th consecutive year, ESPN televised the draft; the NFL Network also broadcast the event, its third year doing so...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Arizona
Arizona Wildcats football
The Arizona Wildcats football team is the football team of the University of Arizona, located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The team competes in the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level.-Early years:...
.
Dotson has also been a member of the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Early years
Dotson attended and played high school footballHigh school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
at Dobie High School
Dobie High School
J. Frank Dobie High School is a public secondary school located in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1968, it is named after the Texas writer of the same name. It follows a standard high school model serving grades 9 through 12 and is the largest school in the Pasadena Independent School District...
in Pasadena, Texas
Pasadena, Texas
Pasadena is a city in the U.S. state of Texas within the metropolitan area. It is the second-largest city in Harris County, 17th-largest in Texas, and 162nd largest in the United States. The area was founded in 1893 by John H. Burnett of Galveston....
. He was a two-time letterman in both football and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
. During his senior season, he recorded 50 tackles and 13 sacks on his way to a nomination for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl
U.S. Army All-American Bowl
The U.S. Army All-American Bowl is a high school football all-star game held in early January in San Antonio, Texas. Currently played in the Alamodome, the game brings 90 of the nation's top high school football players in an East versus West matchup. In addition to the Bowl game, there is the U.S...
. In basketball, he earned first-team all-district honors as a junior and was selected to the Texas High School Coaches All-Star game as a senior.
College career
After graduating from Dobie High SchoolDobie High School
J. Frank Dobie High School is a public secondary school located in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1968, it is named after the Texas writer of the same name. It follows a standard high school model serving grades 9 through 12 and is the largest school in the Pasadena Independent School District...
, Dotson played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
for the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
. As as true freshman in 2003, he was redshirted
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
and was a member of the defensive scout team.
Dotson saw action in seven games including six starts as a redshirt freshman in 2004. He finished the season with 19 tackles (12 solo), 3.5 tackles for a loss and three sacks. Against rival Arizona State
Arizona State Sun Devils football
The Arizona State Sun Devils' football program represents Arizona State University in college football, and competes in NCAA Division I FBS as a member of the Pacific-12 Conference....
, he recorded five tackles, 1.5 tackles for a loss and a sack.
As a sophomore in 2005, Dotson started four of the 10 games in which he played for the Wildcats. On the year he recorded 21 tackles (10 solo), a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He set a season-high and tied a career-high with five tackles in a game against Washington
Washington Huskies football
College football has a long history at the University of Washington. The Washington Huskies have won 15 Pacific-10 Conference championships, seven Rose Bowl titles, and three national championships. Washington's all-time record of 653-398-50 ranks 20th by all-time winning percentage and 21st by...
.
Dotson played in 11 games for the Wildcats in 2006, starting 10 of them. He earned honorable mention All-Pac-10 honors as a junior with 31 tackles (15 solo), two tackles for a loss, a sack and a forced fumble.
He experienced his most productive season as a senior in 2007, recording 50 tackles (36 solo), nine tackles for a loss, a team-high 6.5 sacks a forced fumble and a pass defensed. For his efforts, Dotson earned second-team All-Pac-10 honors.
During his four-year collegiate career at Arizona, Dotson started 32 of the 40 games in which he played and racked up 121 tackles (73 solo), 14.5 tackles for a loss, 10.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and four passes defensed.
Statistics
| Career Statistics | ||||||||||||
| Tackles | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | GP | GS | Total | Solo | Ast | TFL | Sck | FF | FR | INT | PD | TD |
| 2003 | Redshirted | |||||||||||
| 2004 | 7 | 6 | 19 | 12 | 7 | 3.5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2005 | 10 | 4 | 21 | 10 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 2006 | 11 | 10 | 31 | 15 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2007 | 12 | 12 | 50 | 36 | 14 | 9 | 6.5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 40 | 32 | 121 | 73 | 48 | 14.5 | 10.5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
Miami Dolphins
Dotson was drafted by the Miami DolphinsMiami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the seventh round (245th overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft
2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 26 and April 27, 2008. For the 29th consecutive year, ESPN televised the draft; the NFL Network also broadcast the event, its third year doing so...
. Dotson reported that the Dolphins had been calling him throughout the second day of the draft, though he had also been contacted by the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He was the third and final defensive lineman taken by the Dolphins in the draft, following Phillip Merling
Phillip Merling
Phillip Blaine Merling is an American football defensive end for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Dolphins in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Clemson.-Early years:Played tight end and defensive end at Fork Union...
and Kendall Langford
Kendall Langford
Kendall Arkel Langford is an American football defensive end for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Dolphins in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Hampton.-Early years:Langford attended and played high school football at...
. On May 19, the Dolphins signed Dotson to a multi-year contract.
Dotson was waived on September 4, 2010.
Second stint with Dolphins
Dotson was signed off of the Broncos' practice squad by the Dolphins on September 14.Personal
Dotson's uncle, Vance BedfordVance Bedford
Vance Juano Bedford is an American football coach currently serving as defensive coordinator at the University of Louisville. He has most recently served as defensive back coach at the University of Florida under Urban Meyer. He previously served as defensive backs coach under Lloyd Carr at the...
, is currently serves as defensive coordinator at the University of Louisville
Louisville Cardinals
The Louisville Cardinals are the athletic teams representing the University of Louisville. A member of the Big East Conference since 2005, they are known nationally as traditional powers in men's basketball, women's volleyball, and dance team...
and played for the NFL's St. Louis Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in 1982.