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Bowling Green State University Athletics
Dozier is Big Hit at BGSU
September 14, 2006 | Football
Sept. 14, 2006
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By MAUREEN FULTON, Blade Sports Writer -
BOWLING GREEN - Even as he felt each adrenaline rush, the release of intensity that linebackers live for, Erique Dozier knew the scolding was coming.
In his first two seasons at Bowling Green State University, Dozier received routine tongue-lashings during practices. Not for lagging on sprints or forgetting his defensive assignments, but simply for hitting too hard.
"It happened a lot last year," Dozier said. "I wasn't getting that much playing time, so I was trying to prove myself at practice. Every chance I got I was finishing."
Dozier, the Falcons' starting strongside linebacker, eventually learned he could impress without putting a teammate under duress. But in part because of his backbreaking hits, he's now a threat to the rest of the Mid-American Conference.
Through BGSU's two games, Dozier is leading the MAC in tackles and is fifth in the country. He's averaging 14 stops a game and had a career-high 19 against Buffalo on Saturday. A sophomore, Dozier had 19 total tackles his redshirt freshman year.
"Erique is one of the most physical guys we have," linebackers coach D.J. Durkin said. "He'll hit you every snap, that's what I love about him. He makes up for a lack of size that way, and he can also run, which helps him."
At 6 foot and 210 pounds, Dozier weighs a tad less than the prototypical linebacker. He was nicknamed "Bull" Dozier by coach Gregg Brandon's wife, Robyn. In high school at Akron Garfield, he also played running back, but "in college, I didn't want to be taking hits, I wanted to be the one giving hits."
Dozier thinks it's a "funny story" that he changed a verbal commitment from the University of Toledo to BGSU so he could play safety instead of linebacker. He practiced at safety during his redshirt year, but after the second game of last season he switched to linebacker.
"He is very athletic and fast, and we wanted to get him closer to the ball, same thing with [Loren] Hargrove, to be able to use their athleticism," Brandon said. "I like faster linebackers. They are a little bit undersized, but I like the speed that they bring. I am more into speed than size."
Senior linebacker Terrel White, who had 22 tackles of his own Saturday, said Dozier fit in quickly with the others at the position.
"When he was at safety, he always was someone that hit," White said. "He's a little smaller than everybody else, but he's put on a little weight. At linebacker, if you can hit, they can teach you how to do everything else."
Paired with White in the middle, they have a chance to become one of the better linebacking combos in the MAC. Despite Dozier's jarring hits, he says White is the better tackler.
"He's a little more consistent," Dozier said. "My thing is, I catch people on mistakes."
Dozier is part of the Falcons' struggling punt coverage unit, and he said he needs to work on minimizing his missed tackles. But Durkin believes his budding star will continue to improve.
"He's really done a great job since the spring," Durkin said. "He's very serious about what he's doing, he's dedicated. It's hard work paying off."
