Up close with TU's Cory Dorris
BY BILL HAISTEN World Sports Writer
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
11/27/12 at 5:57 AM
Class: Senior
Position: Defensive end
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 260 pounds
Major: Organizational studies
Hometown: Jenks
When the University of Tulsa completes the 2012 season by making its eighth bowl appearance in 10 years, senior defensive end Cory Dorris will make the 50th start of his career. It is believed that no Golden Hurricane player ever has gotten 50 starts. Through the first three seasons of his TU career, Dorris had 5 1/2 sacks. This season, he has six sacks.
As an offensive lineman, you won two championship rings at Jenks. On Friday, Jenks faces Norman North in the Class 6A title game at Stillwater. You'll be at the TU team hotel on Friday night, but will you get a chance to watch Jenks? Do you still feel a connection to that program?
We'll be having meetings, but I'd like to keep up with the Jenks game. I didn't get to see Jenks-Union last week. I only know a couple of the Jenks players now, but I still feel very connected to the Jenks name. Most of the coaches are still the same.
Getting 50 starts at TU - what does that distinction mean to you?
I wish it could have been 51 starts, but I had an injury last year and didn't start at Boise State. It's not like I've been healthy the whole time. I've had to fight through some injuries. All I've ever known is to work hard and get after it. The starts just added up.
You were recruited to play on the offensive line, but as a freshman you were switched to defense. What was your career aspiration? Just to be involved? Or to get 50 starts?
Coming from Jenks, I came in with a lot of confidence. I didn't care where they played me - as long as I played. As soon as I got on the field here, I knew the coaches had done it for a reason. One thing Coach Trimble (Jenks coach Allan Trimble) taught me - you never stand still during a play. You're always moving and always chasing the ball. I was an All-State offensive lineman at Jenks. I figured I could be a successful defensive lineman at TU.
Will it be difficult for TU to recover emotionally from last week's SMU loss? Or does championship-game preparation effectively erase the memory of a bad Saturday in Dallas?
As far as I'm concerned, nothing that happened at SMU can help us or hurt us in the championship game. We've moved on from the SMU game. We have a responsibility to forget SMU and focus 100 percent for the championship game. When push comes to shove, we're out there to play defense. If UCF doesn't score, UCF doesn't win.
Original Print Headline: Up Close: Cory Dorris
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