Dorsey Levens
Encyclopedia
Herbert Dorsey Levens is a retired American football
running back
in the National Football League
. He was drafted
by the Green Bay Packers
in the fifth round (149th overall) of the 1994 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Notre Dame
and later Georgia Tech
.
In his career, Levens also played for the Philadelphia Eagles
and New York Giants
. While playing for the Packers, he rushed for 1,000 or more yards twice and was selected to the Pro Bowl
after the 1997 season
.
and first attended Notre Dame
, however, he found himself in competition with Ricky Watters
, Jerome Bettis
, Rodney Culver, Reggie Brooks
, and Anthony Johnson, all of whom would play in the NFL, at running back. Levens eventually earned the starting spot, but injured his knee before the season started.
The next year he transferred to Georgia Tech
, where - after sitting out a year - he set a school record by averaging 7.2 yards-per-carry. In his senior season, he was voted First-Team All-ACC
. He rushed for 823 yards and scored eight touchdowns that season.
, and Mel Kiper Jr. labelled him the most overrated pick on the board. He was selected in the fifth round (149th overall) by the Green Bay Packers
.
tore his achilles tendon
in the 1997 pre-season. Levens rushed for over 1,400 yards and was voted to the Pro Bowl
. However, he injured his knee again during the 1998 season
and was never the same. He gained 1,000 yards for the Packers in the 1999 season
, but was mostly used in a reserve role after that.
Levens was featured on the cover of EA Sports
Madden NFL 2000
in the PAL
editions. As a result, he is viewed as one of the first victims of the "Madden Curse".
Levens was released by the Packers in 2001
.
season, Levens played for the Philadelphia Eagles
, replacing the injured Correll Buckhalter
, and in 2003
, with the New York Giants
, both times as a backup. He was released by the Giants after 2003. After Buckhalter was again injured during the 2004 preseason, Levens was signed by the Eagles as a free agent
. He shared duties with Brian Westbrook
through the season, and retired during the 2006 offseason as a Green Bay Packer.
, and against other professional athletes and experts. He also became an analyst for Sprint
Exclusive Entertainment's NFL Mobile Gamecenter, where he breaks down all the NFL games for viewers each week. In 2009, Levens was elected to the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame
.
In 2006
, Levens had a cameo appearance
as the head coach
for Xavier in the film We Are Marshall
.
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...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
in 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
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
by the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
in the fifth round (149th overall) of the 1994 NFL Draft
1994 NFL Draft
The 1994 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24-25, 1994. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and...
. 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 Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
and later Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represents the Georgia Institute of Technology in collegiate level football. While the team is officially designated as the Yellow Jackets, it is also referred to as the Ramblin' Wreck. The Yellow Jackets are a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
.
In his career, Levens also played for the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East 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...
. While playing for the Packers, he rushed for 1,000 or more yards twice and was selected to the Pro Bowl
1998 Pro Bowl
The 1998 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played on February 1, 1998 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The final score was AFC 29, NFC 24. Warren Moon of the Seattle Seahawks, invited to participate because of an injury to John Elway, was the game's MVP. The referee was Gary Lane...
after the 1997 season
1997 Green Bay Packers season
The 1997 Green Bay Packers season concluded with the team winning its second consecutive NFC championship, but losing in a 31-24 upset to John Elway's Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXXII...
.
Early years
Levens was born in Syracuse, New YorkSyracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
and first attended Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
, however, he found himself in competition with Ricky Watters
Ricky Watters
Richard "Ricky" James Watters is a former American football running back who played for the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, and the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. Watters played college football at the University of Notre Dame where he played wide receiver on the...
, Jerome Bettis
Jerome Bettis
Jerome Abram "The Bus" Bettis is a retired American football halfback who played for the NFL's Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams and Pittsburgh Steelers. Bettis is considered one of the best big backs ever because his footwork and power, and is currently fifth on the National Football League's all-time...
, Rodney Culver, Reggie Brooks
Reggie Brooks
Reginald Arthur Brooks is a former American football running back in the National Football League. He attended Booker T. Washington High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma.-College:...
, and Anthony Johnson, all of whom would play in the NFL, at running back. Levens eventually earned the starting spot, but injured his knee before the season started.
The next year he transferred to Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represents the Georgia Institute of Technology in collegiate level football. While the team is officially designated as the Yellow Jackets, it is also referred to as the Ramblin' Wreck. The Yellow Jackets are a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
, where - after sitting out a year - he set a school record by averaging 7.2 yards-per-carry. In his senior season, he was voted First-Team All-ACC
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
. He rushed for 823 yards and scored eight touchdowns that season.
Professional career
Due in part to his injury, Levens was considered to be a marginal pick in the 1994 NFL Draft1994 NFL Draft
The 1994 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24-25, 1994. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and...
, and Mel Kiper Jr. labelled him the most overrated pick on the board. He was selected in the fifth round (149th overall) by the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
.
Green Bay Packers
After playing in various backup roles, he played well in the 1996 postseason, and became the starting halfback after Edgar BennettEdgar Bennett
Edgar Bennett III is a former National Football League running back who played for the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears , and is currently a coach for the Green Bay Packers.-High school years:...
tore his achilles tendon
Achilles tendon
The Achilles tendon , also known as the calcaneal tendon or the tendo calcaneus, is a tendon of the posterior leg. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius and soleus muscles to the calcaneus bone.- Anatomy :The Achilles is the tendonous extension of 3 muscles in the lower leg:...
in the 1997 pre-season. Levens rushed for over 1,400 yards and was voted to the Pro Bowl
1998 Pro Bowl
The 1998 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played on February 1, 1998 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The final score was AFC 29, NFC 24. Warren Moon of the Seattle Seahawks, invited to participate because of an injury to John Elway, was the game's MVP. The referee was Gary Lane...
. However, he injured his knee again during the 1998 season
1998 Green Bay Packers season
The 1998 Green Bay Packers season ended with a 27-30 loss in the NFC Wild Card playoff game to the San Francisco 49ers, with Steve Young throwing a 25-yard touchdown pass to Terrell Owens with three seconds left...
and was never the same. He gained 1,000 yards for the Packers in the 1999 season
1999 Green Bay Packers season
The 1999 Green Bay Packers season was the first and last season for head coach Ray Rhodes. The Packers finished 8-8, posting their worst record since Brett Favre took over the helm as the Packers' starting quarterback.-1999 NFL draft:...
, but was mostly used in a reserve role after that.
Levens was featured on the cover of EA Sports
EA Sports
EA Sports is a brand of Electronic Arts that creates and develops sports video games. Formerly a marketing gimmick of Electronic Arts, in which they tried to mimic real-life sports networks by calling themselves "EA Sports Network" with pictures or endorsements of real commentators such as John...
Madden NFL 2000
Madden NFL 2000
Madden NFL 2000 is a football video game. This was the second of the Madden NFL games to not solely feature John Madden on the cover in North America. The only other one was Madden NFL '95. Most versions of the game cover featured Madden prominently in the foreground, and a recognizable Barry...
in the PAL
PAL
PAL, short for Phase Alternating Line, is an analogue television colour encoding system used in broadcast television systems in many countries. Other common analogue television systems are NTSC and SECAM. This page primarily discusses the PAL colour encoding system...
editions. As a result, he is viewed as one of the first victims of the "Madden Curse".
Levens was released by the Packers in 2001
2001 Green Bay Packers season
The 2001 Green Bay Packers season ended with a loss to the St. Louis Rams in the NFC divisional playoff game, where Packers quarterback Brett Favre threw a career high 6 interceptions.-2001 NFL draft:...
.
Later career
During the 20022002 Philadelphia Eagles season
The 2002 Philadelphia Eagles season was their 70th in the league. The team improved upon their previous output of 11–5, going 12–4 and making the playoffs for the third consecutive year...
season, Levens played for the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, replacing the injured Correll Buckhalter
Correll Buckhalter
Correll Buckhalter is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Nebraska....
, and in 2003
2003 New York Giants season
The 2003 New York Giants season was the team's 79th season in the National Football League. The team was unable to duplicate their 2002 season's playoff appearance, instead only winning four games and finishing the season on an eight game losing streak which cost head coach Jim Fassel his...
, with the 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...
, both times as a backup. He was released by the Giants after 2003. After Buckhalter was again injured during the 2004 preseason, Levens was signed by the Eagles as a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. He shared duties with Brian Westbrook
Brian Westbrook
Brian Collins Westbrook is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft after playing college football at Villanova...
through the season, and retired during the 2006 offseason as a Green Bay Packer.
Retirement
After retiring from the NFL, Levens became an NFL analyst for the sports website PlayerPress.com. There, he picks NFL games against the spreadSpread betting
Spread betting is any of various types of wagering on the outcome of an event, where the pay-off is based on the accuracy of the wager, rather than a simple "win or lose" outcome, such as fixed-odds betting or parimutuel betting. A spread is a range of outcomes and the bet is whether the outcome...
, and against other professional athletes and experts. He also became an analyst for Sprint
Sprint Nextel
Sprint Nextel Corporation is an American telecommunications company based in Overland Park, Kansas. The company owns and operates Sprint, the third largest wireless telecommunications network in the United States, with 53.4 million customers, behind Verizon Wireless and AT&T Mobility...
Exclusive Entertainment's NFL Mobile Gamecenter, where he breaks down all the NFL games for viewers each week. In 2009, Levens was elected to the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame
Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame
The Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame was the first hall of fame built to honor a single professional American football team. After receiving approval from coach Vince Lombardi, William L. Brault, a Green Bay restaurateur and Packers fan, founded the Hall of Fame in 1966...
.
In 2006
2006 in film
- Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2006...
, Levens had a cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
as the head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
for Xavier in the film We Are Marshall
We Are Marshall
We Are Marshall is a 2006 American drama film directed by Joseph McGinty Nichol about the aftermath of the 1970 plane crash that killed 37 football players on the Marshall University Thundering Herd football team as well as five coaches, two athletic trainers, the athletic director, 25 boosters and...
.