Now on scholarship, Memphis’ Dorceus more motivated
Football player recalls crying upon hearing news
The day Memphis sophomore defensive lineman Joseph "Jojo" Dorceus went from walk-on to scholarship player, he remembered the tears.
After Tigers coach Mike Norvell surprised Dorceus on May 6 at an event he thought was at for community service, he saw his brother Doroland start to cry.
“I wasn’t going to cry but when I looked back and saw my brother crying, I couldn’t help it,” Dorceus recalled. “It meant a lot coming here. I know it was going to be a lot of obstacles, so I had to overcome them.”
The video, posted on the Memphis athletic department Twitter profile, has been viewed at least 19,300 times. In the clip, Dorceus walked into Catherine & Mary’s on Main Street thinking he would be helping somebody else.
He and his brother arrived dressed in polo shirts. Norvell then told him about the hard work he put in up that point before telling him he had been awarded a full scholarship.
Dorceus stood in disbelief as he received a standing ovation.
“He’s definitely earned it and I was able to tell him that day,” Norvell recalled. “It was definitely a great feelgood story.”
The moment was even more special for Dorceus with his big brother watching. Doroland had just graduated the day before after finishing his career as the Tigers’ ninth all-time leading rusher.
The two already achieved a dream by playing college football on the same team after not doing so back in high school in Spring, Texas. When they embraced, the pride and love ran deeper than just the moment.
“It means everything because that’s the best role model I can have,” Dorceus said of his brother. “I looked to him for everything. He showed me the right things to do, the wrong things to do and kept me on the right path.”
Dorceus’ closest friend and fellow lineman O’Bryan Goodson found out the news watching the video on Twitter. The sophomore then called Dorceus to congratulate him and also remind him of why they had bonded at Memphis.
“I told him, they overlooked us when we were the short guys coming in, so me and you we have to take over the game now that you got your scholarship,” Goodson said.
Dorceus, an undersized lineman at only 6 feet tall, has done that in preseason camp. After bulking up from 265 pounds last year to 277, he's continued to show why.
Not only has he competed for reps on the defensive line, but he’s also added depth.
He had 16 tackles last season, but earning the scholarship has added motivation to prove himself more on the field.
“I always had a chip on my shoulder just being vertically challenged,” Dorceus said. “That’s just another patch I got on my sleeve so I appreciate it, take it and roll with it.”
Goodson added it’s the same attitude he noticed last year. He saw Dorceus fight for playing time as a walk-on and even now, he sees the same hunger in his approach on the field.
“He’s always been straightforward and pins his ears back to go get it. That hasn’t changed at all and he’s still the same guy,” Goodson said.
The only thing about that day in May that kept it from being perfect for Dorceus was his family left town after Doroland’s graduation. After he got the scholarship, he called his mother to tell her the news.
Like her sons, she too cried tears of joy knowing the work he put into it. But she also gave him one last bit of encouragement that has been part of his effort at Memphis.
“She just said, 'Keep working, don’t let up now,'” Dorceus said.
It’s a promise he intends to keep as he looks to have another viral moment, this time on the field.