When the 2007 LSU football season commenced, the depth of the defensive line was the least of the Tigers’ problems. While other positions were full of youth and inexperience, the defensive line returned five upper-classmen, including All-American tackle Glenn Dorsey. The Tigers’ front-four was so deep the coaching staff even decided to move prized defensive tackle prospect Joseph Barksdale to the offensive side of the ball. Just three games into the season, starting tackle Charles Alexander was lost for the entire year with a torn ACL. The junior had just six tackles for the season. But LSU was still in solid position as junior Marlon Favorite filled in at tackle lining up next to the always-reliable Dorsey. On Oct. 20, the line took another big hit – and an illegal one at that – when Dorsey suffered a sprained right knee after a high-low block by two Auburn linemen in LSU’s 30-24 victory in Tiger Stadium. The crowd gasped as the replay showed the thought-to-be impervious Gonzales native get bent in half, lie helplessly on the ground and eventually get helped off the field. No penalty was called on the play, but Southeastern Conference Commissioner Mike Slive determined the play merited a flag later that week. It has been more than a week since the 92,000-plus fans were silenced by one chop-block, and Dorsey has made several strides to get back on the field for this weekend’s SEC showdown with Alabama. Dorsey said he participated in 70 percent of Monday’s practice, but his status for the LSU-Alabama matchup is still up in the air. “Glenn Dorsey will be someone that we look at as we go to practice. We will watch him day-to-day and period-to-period,” said LSU coach Les Miles. “It really depends on how he reacts. We are very optimistic about him, but we don’t know if he will play or not yet.” Dorsey, who has been practicing with a brace on his injured knee, is unsure about Saturday as well. “Honestly, I don’t know,” Dorsey said. “It feels good though. I don’t really know if I’m going to be ready for Saturday. They got me playing with a brace on so it’s more of just getting used to playing with a kind of restriction on my leg.” Through eight games this season, Dorsey has accumulated the Tigers’ fifth-highest total tackles with 39 and has lead the defense with four sacks. Senior defensive end Kirston Pittman said Dorsey’s ability to draw extra attention from opposing offensive linemen makes him more valuable than stats can measure. “When he’s in the game, he’s a force on the field,” Pittman said. “Great athlete – as we all know. He does a lot of great things. It’s always an advantage to have him on the field. He brings a whole lot to the table.” With Alexander and now Dorsey out, much of the burden falls on Favorite’s broad shoulders. Dorsey said he is confident the man known affectionately as “Big Fav” can handle the task. “I think he’s ready to play,” Dorsey said. “He knows we’re going to be depending on him a lot. I know he’s going to do his job. I know he’s going to be a great leader for our team.” In seven games this season, Favorite has totaled 20 tackles. Eleven defensive linemen have registered tackles this season for LSU, including three first-year players. Dorsey said the younger players are starting to figure the college game out. “People are making tackles the right way,” Dorsey said. “Our young guys are playing technique in the game, and they’re getting their confidence up. The talent is there.” Dorsey said the progression of players like sophomore Al Woods and freshmen Lazarius Livingston and Drake Nevis has allowed him to not rush his recovery. “They kind of allow me to take my time with it and be smart about it by them being able to play so [well],” Dorsey said. The trio of Woods, Livingston and Nevis has notched 19 tackles and three sacks this season. “They’re coming along [really well],” Dorsey said. “The pressure’s not even on me anymore. I know when it comes game time they’re going to be ready to play.” Pittman said the underclassmen are ready for the opportunity to fill in, if necessary. “There’s no stress. That’s what you come here for,” Pittman said. “You’re always one play from being the guy. The coaches have done a good job of getting those guys prepared, and they’ve done a good job of getting themselves prepared. You never know when your number is going to get called.” Regardless of Dorsey’s health, the 6-foot-2-inch, 300-pounder remains his normal, upbeat self as he shows the media his brace that he has become accustomed to the past week. “This is my buddy right here. This is my blanket,” Dorsey said about the brace he will don if he does play Saturday. But unlike Linus from Charlie Brown, Dorsey’s blanket is not blue – it is appropriately purple.
—-Contact Keith Claverie at kclaverie@lsureveille.com