Video: Phillip Dorsett high school highlightsFootage of the former St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) standout.It was four years ago and I remember it like it happened last week. That's because it was such a spectacular play by such an explosive athlete.
Phillip Dorsett, St. Thomas Aquinas
File photo by Matt Gomez
, a senior at
St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) — then the No. 1 team in the nation — while playing Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.), caught what looked to be an intermediate 10-yard pass.
But instead of landing on the turf, he landed on the tackler's knee, bounced outside and sprinted the distance to complete a 73-yard catch and run.
It was one of a handful of spectacular plays in STA's 42-34 win at Lockhart Stadium in a battle of the top two teams in the country.
Dorsett, now a 5-10, 185-pound 22-year-old who starred four years at the University of Miami, is considered the fastest player to likely be picked in the NFL draft, which takes place April 30 to May 2 at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago.
At the NFL combine in Indianapolis, Dorsett ran a 4.33-second 40-yard dash, to go along with a 37-inch vertical jump and 6.70-second three-cone time. He was even faster at his Pro Day on campus, running 4.27.
With such a strong receiving cast, Dorsett isn't expected to be picked until Day 2. He's been compared to T.Y. Hilton and John Brown. Last season, 10 of his 36 catches went for touchdowns and he averaged 24.2 per reception.
In his last two seasons at STA, he caught 69 passes for 1,394 yards (20.2 per catch) and five touchdowns.
