Two Dorsey football players earned athletic scholarships and signed with universities. Wide receiver Jarell Mickens will take his talents to Alabama A&M University and safety Marquette Jackson will play for the University of Nevada.
“The athletes were glad that they are gonna get a chance to use football as a vehicle for them to further their education and to get the exposure, making the connections and getting the experiences of attending a university,” said Dorsey football coach Irvin Davis.
Mickens showed off his skills at an HBCU Combine, recruiters from Alabama A&M were impressed by his speed, according to Davis.
“Jarell has a lot of natural athletic ability,” Davis said. “We think that he can really catch the ball well. He has outstanding hands and, of course, he has the framework.”
Last season, Mickens created a strong offensive campaign. In their September match against Birmingham, he made four carries for 14 yards and one touchdown. In their 35-31 win over Culver City, Mickens made four carries for 28 yards. Mickens earned two touchdowns when the Dons defeated Garfield (49-14) in the playoffs.
Davis reminisced on the 21-24 loss against Hawkins high school when he thought of Micken’s top performances last season.
“He had an excellent touchdown catch and outran one of their top players who had received a lot of publicity,” Davis said.
Jackson possessed strong leadership qualities as an athlete and sound conduct as a student.
“He played strong safety for us, he played some receiver for us, he does well on special teams, very coachable,” Davis said. “Never had any issues out of Marquette from the time he set foot on campus at Dorsey High School. He’s been a model citizen.”
Jackson ran a 61-yard kick return during the Hawkins game and forced an interception when Dorsey defeated Los Angeles High School 21-20. Davis also noted how Jackson rarely missed practices or games.
“We thought he played well all throughout the playoffs, just being an anchor for the defense and helping us to get the City Championship,” Davis said.
Mickens and Jackson join teammates Gregory Jordan and Antwone Williams as the class of 2017 football players from Dorsey who received athletic scholarships. Earlier this year, Jordan signed with Northern Arizona University and Williams signed with Portland State University.
The four players aided in Dorsey being ranked 95 in the state, with a 10-4 overall record. For the first time since 2004, the Dons reached the City Section Championships. Some members of the current coaching staff played in the title match against Birmingham 13 years ago.
The Dons fell to the Narbonne Gauchos 34-42 in the championship game.
“We play all the way until the end, we never give up,” Davis said. “Had the game been five quarters long, we would have won.”
