Dorsch honored by Purdue Hall induction

Particularly, he says, with the others in the 2016 induction class to the Purdue Hall of Fame, including Rosevelt Colvin, Frank Kendrick, David Boudia, Carrie (McCambridge) Kalkoska and more.

“I think whenever you are bestowed an honor like this, there’s always that little bit of imposter feel,” said Dorsch via phone Thursday afternoon, “where you feel like you don’t belong, but I feel like it’s good class of not only athletes but people and I think that’s what sticks with me about Purdue; they have good people.

“I’m real excited that my mom and dad are both still alive and able to share in this, because they’ve been such a huge part of my journey. And I have my own family now, a wife and a young daughter and another son on the way, although the two kiddos won’t remember today or the banquet in September, it’s something they can always be proud of about their dad.”

Dorsch, an assistant professor at Utah State, was an outstanding place kicker and punter for the football team from 1998-2001, and occasional pitcher, as well, playing for the Boilermakers on the diamond. He’s the only Purdue athlete to have kicked a field goal, thrown a touchdown, hit a home run and got a win as a pitcher in school history.

For Joe Tiller’s Boilermakers, Dorsch was the Ray Guy award-winner for the nation’s best punter as a senior as well as an All-America place-kicker.

“It’s a huge honor to remembered as one of the fine athletes to play at such a fine institution,” Dorsch said. “You think about the names of the people who are immortalized at Purdue and it’s a long and distinguished list. To be mentioned in the same sentence as some of those men and women is such a huge honor.”

Of course, Dorsch’s career wasn’t without hurdles. After an outstanding freshman season in 1998, in which he hit 16-of-22 field goals, Dorsch slumped as a sophomore, when he made only 18 of 31, plus had a terrible Outback Bowl, when he missed three field goals plus an early extra point in an overtime loss.

But the Bozeman, Mont., native rallied, helping the Boilermakers to the Rose Bowl a year later, in part by hitting a critical game-winning field goal vs. Michigan in October moments after missing (and then saluting the student section).

Then, as a senior, he was simply fantastic, making 22-of-27 (four misses were from plus-50), including the 51-yard game-tying make in the Miracle at the Metrodome vs. Minnesota, and averaging 48.1 yards per punt, including a 79-yarder.

“I was definitely steeled early on, a baptism-by-fire during my sophomore season,” said Dorsch. “It was really sort of a freshman season in which I had blinders on and just sort of did well accidentally really. But then when I think about the settling in process that occurred over my junior year, the Rose Bowl year, then my senior year, when everything came together and the pieces all fell into place.

“Coming in, I was a raw athlete, didn’t have the technical skill that some of the other guys with whom I was competing for jobs. But with some raw ability and want-to and desire to prove people wrong, it coalesced that senior year.

“Without the senior season, this doesn’t happen. It’s a great honor. I think years from now I’ll be really grateful that I was able to share it with great coaches, teammates and support folks at Purdue, really everybody that makes it go at a ground level. All those people stuck behind me and helped me get to where I was as a senior, it’s really a memorable thing for me and shows the kind of family that Purdue is.”

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