CHRONICLING ECU & C-USA SPORTS
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View
from the 'ville
Thursday, August 17, 2006
By Al Myatt |
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Dosh likes his destination
after winding journey
Former QB carves a key role
for himself in his senior campaign
©2006 Bonesville.net
All rights reserved.
Patrick Dosh has been college football's
equivalent of a homeless person.
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Patrick
Dosh |
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Photo:
ECU SID |
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He's never worn a sign that says, "Will play
for food," but Dosh has changed programs and then changed positions in
search of a spot where he can be a factor on the Division I-A level.
He appears to have finally settled at a place
on the carousel that has characterized his college career, lining up at
fullback for East Carolina in his senior season. Dosh was listed
atop the depth chart announced on
Tuesday at that position.
His path to fullback has certainly been filled
with detours.
"I've been through it over the last few years
the whole transfer process and then getting here and changing from
quarterback to linebacker to fullback to tight end to fullback," he said.
Coming out of Benedictine High, the Glen
Allen, VA, native had set a state record for career passing yards with
8,648. His skills had produced 74 touchdown passes and a host of
high-powered programs competing to be his college choice. His decision came
down to Florida and Virginia Tech with Dosh opting for the Swamp.
"As a freshman coming into the University of
Florida, I knew I was going to be a small fish in a very big pond," Dosh
said. "It was going to take a while to develop. I wanted to be able to get
comfortable and learn the scheme get through it and hopefully get a chance
to compete for the job."
He spent 2002 in Gainesville as a redshirt
freshman.
"When Rex Grossman ended up deciding to go to
the NFL, I said, 'Well, here's my opportunity to compete,' " Dosh recalled.
"Things didn't work out. I ended up being second string out of spring ball."
Then the Gators signed Charlotte Independence
phenom Chris Leak and Dosh figured he was destined to sink even lower on the
Gators' depth chart.
"Once I knew Chris Leak decided to go there, I
sat down with my dad and I said, 'I can see right through this. Chris Leak
is going to end up being on that field before the end of his freshman year
or he wouldn't be going there,' " Dosh said. "So I decided to transfer."
As fate would have it, John Thompson had left
his position as defensive coordinator at Florida to become head coach at ECU
in the months before Dosh looked to transfer. Thompson was familiar with
Dosh, who had practiced with the Gators' scout team as a redshirt freshman
against Florida's defensive unit.
Dosh considered Division I-AA James Madison,
where his dad, who is enshrined in the JMU athletic hall of fame, had played
basketball, but ultimately he became a Pirate even though he could have
gotten on the field immediately with the Dukes.
Dosh sat out the 2003 season at ECU in which
Desmond Robinson was the starting quarterback for the Pirates for most of
the way in a 1-11 season. James Pinkney emerged as ECU's quarterback in a
2-9 season in 2004.
After a 59-7 loss at Louisville in the fourth
game of 2004, Thompson asked Dosh to move to linebacker. Dosh saw his first
action as a special teams performer in ECU's first win in 2004 against
Tulane on Oct. 9.
Three days later, he had nine tackles at
Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium in a junior varsity win over Hargrave Military. Dosh
finished 2004 with three tackles on the varsity level in a reserve role. He
played in a total of six games, making a fumble recovery against South
Florida at Raymond James Stadium.
With the arrival of Coach Skip Holtz and staff
after the 2004 season, Dosh again underwent a midseason reassignment in
2005. Before the Pirates hosted Rice on Oct. 4, Dosh returned to the
offensive side of the ball at fullback. He saw action as a blocking back in
short yardage goal-line situations against Wake Forest and UAB but was used
primarily on special teams in the 10 games in which he played during ECU's
5-6 season.
Once he returned to the offense, the Pirates
even took a look at the 6-foot-3, 239-pounder at tight end. It's been a long
and winding road for Dosh, but he insists that he is where he wants to be.
"I've enjoyed every bit of it," Dosh said.
"People ask me, 'Do you regret transferring sometimes?' Absolutely not.
(ECU) is a great place. It's got great fans, great alumni, a great coaching
staff and a great offensive scheme."
The outset of the Holtz era has seen better
production from players across the board.
"It's unbelievable what a coach can do," Dosh
said. "It's amazing. Throughout the course of a year, he's raised grades
grade point averages 0.5 (on a 4.0 scale). Guys that were never considered
for honor roll are on honor roll and that's all part of the coaching
process, too."
Dosh has been exemplary in the classroom as a
2-year member of the Conference USA and ECU academic honor rolls but the
hospitality management major has been a fast learner on the field as well.
Until late in his sequence of position changes, his blocking experience was
virtually nil. Now he's well-schooled in the techniques of leading running
backs through holes.
"I've learned so much about the importance of
leverage, putting your head on the right side and just so much that I didn't
get in high school because I was playing quarterback," Dosh said.
Dosh has studied blocking techniques on
teaching tapes.
"It's not all about brute strength," he said.
"It's about getting under somebody and trying to create that little crease
that Coach always talks about."
Holtz's influence has had an impact in the
classroom and on the field at ECU.
"It's amazing," Dosh said. "He's taken us from
winning three games in two years to winning five games and we could have
very easily, with the difference of three plays, been 8-3 (in 2005).
"We killed Central Florida out here. We had
over 500 yards total offense (542) but we turned the ball over six times
three times inside our 20-yard line and they ended up playing for the
conference championship.
"That just shows what we're capable of doing
when we play the way we can. It's just a tribute to him (Holtz) and his
staff and what he's been able to do so far."
With Dosh and another transient performer,
Kort Shankweiler, a former quarterback and tight end himself, the Pirates
have an added dimension at fullback, according to ECU offensive coordinator
Steve Shankweiler, Kort's dad.
"Now we've got two kids who can get out in
open space and run well," said the elder Shank. "They may block faster guys
than the traditional I-formation fullback would. I think it's going to make
our perimeter running game even more solid."
Coach Shankweiler also likes the pass catching
potential of his new fullbacks. Dosh caught a pair of tosses in the '06
Purple-Gold game. Coach Shank views his fullbacks' background as
quarterbacks as another plus.
"They have a great sense of the game," said
ECU's OC. "They hardly ever make a mental mistake. They know what they're
doing and they can both catch the ball."
Dosh has made a fast study at fullback but
quick adaptations are becoming a rule in the program. Pinkney threw for
2,773 yards in 2005 despite missing spring practice and a formal
introduction to Holtz's new offense. That was pretty impressive to Dosh.
"Two weeks into preseason practice he was
throwing the ball like I've never seen him," Dosh said. "I was shocked. I
really watch quarterbacks when I'm watching film. I analyze and see what
they're seeing in coverages and stuff like that because that helps me, too.
"I don't think people give him (Pinkney)
enough credit sometimes. He doesn't throw the ball into coverage hardly
ever. I don't know how many interceptions he threw last year (8), but five
or six of those were tipped off of our guys or deflected at the line of
scrimmage. He has the ability to make the smart decision."
Dosh says the skill personnel surrounding
Pinkney will be even better in 2006. That's a good thing, especially since
the schedule has gotten tougher with four non-conference opponents which all
won bowl games last season.
"I tell you what our out of conference
schedule it's going to be a lot of fun," Dosh said. "I don't think we'll
have any trouble selling tickets, that's for sure. And I tell you what I
think some of these teams are up for a little bit of a surprise when they
see us."
Dosh has gone from being a small fish in a big
pond as a freshman at Florida to a Pirate ready to sail some high seas in
his senior season. The aspirations to play haven't changed.
"I want to get on the field and I want to
contribute," Dosh said. "I want to play. I want to be a real factor this
year, be a positive influence and help our team win as many games as
possible."
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02/23/2007 12:30:35 AM
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