FSU's Darnell Dockett tries to put mistakes behind him while returning to form of old.
By BRIAN LANDMAN
Published August 20, 2003
TALLAHASSEE - As he leaves the practice field these days, Florida State's Darnell Dockett is not grimacing with each step toward the training room. He is smiling, joking and darn near bounding.
"I feel great," the senior said.
For the first time since his redshirt freshman season, the 6-foot-4, 280-pound defensive tackle says he is healthy and ready to be the old Darnell Dockett.
Just as important, he has a healthier perspective about life born of adversity - a shopping scam in December that resulted in his suspension from the Sugar Bowl and eventual arrest.
"It let me know I had to be smarter," he said.
Say hello to the new Darnell Dockett.
"I think he has really grown up," said coach Bobby Bowden, "and he still has some growing to do."
As a redshirt freshman in 2000, the quick, powerful Dockett seemed unblockable. He had 19 tackles for loss and seven sacks. He also brought an enthusiasm and reckless resolve to disrupt plays, a la Warren Sapp.
But that game-changing player disappeared much of the past two seasons. He injured his Achilles tendons as a sophomore and they hampered him last season. He rarely practiced and, at times, could not point his feet forward, only sideways. His production fell off to seven tackles for loss. The entire defense suffered.
"He was just playing with one leg," defensive tackles coach Odell Haggins said. "It was amazing. ... He fought through it."
After an offseason rehabilitation regimen that included running stadium steps on the tips of his toes and jumping rope on one leg to strengthen his once taffy-like tendon, Dockett, the school's all-time leader in tackles for loss (48) feels and acts as he once did.
"He brings motivation," senior defensive end Kevin Emanuel said of his vociferous line mate. "It makes it fun. It makes it exciting."
"Darnell is the heart of our defense," echoed senior linebacker Michael Boulware, the defensive captain. "When he gets excited, everybody gets excited. When he does well, the whole defense does well. It all starts up front and we're relying on him to do great things for us."
Others expect nothing less. Sports Illustrated named him to its preseason All-America list and Bowden guaranteed that if Dockett remains healthy, he will be one of the top tackles in the country. As he was as a freshman. But Dockett will tell you the biggest change in him came in the aftermath of his off-the-field incident.
After school officials learned he received about $1,000 in sporting goods apparel for $100, reminiscent of Peter Warrick's scam in the fall of 1999, they suspended him for the Sugar Bowl. He was not allowed to travel to New Orleans. Police later charged him with felony grand theft. In March, he pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor.
Instead of letting that be his low point, he pledged it would mark a turning point.
"I don't want to ever be in that situation again," he said.
He watched, through tears, on TV as FSU lost 26-13 to Georgia. While FSU had problems beyond Dockett's suspension, Georgia tailback Musa Smith bowled his way up the middle for 145 yards and the MVP award.
"I feel like I let them down," Dockett said. "I feel that I had a lot to do with them losing that game. I feel I owe them right now, and my goal is to come out here and show leadership and take the defensive line to another level. People are going to think what they want to think about you regardless if it's good or bad. My thing is, for me to be a better person, to see the light, I needed to change."
Has he?
"Darnell's completely cleaned up his act," Boulware said. "He's doing every little thing right - brushing his teeth the right way, being on time, (saying), "Yes sir, no sir.' "
Give some of the credit to FSU president T.K. Wetherell, a former Seminole football player. Wetherell met with Dockett about his situation and they bonded.
"We have a different background, a different culture," Wetherell said, "but there's common ground. (Like him), I've sweated through two-a-days. They know I've been there and I'm one of the brotherhood, so to speak."
Dockett, 22, listened to Wetherell talk about turning a negative into a positive, something of a cliche he likely would have ignored a year ago. Not now. He embraced it and understands mistakes can derail a promising future.
"I think about that every day; every day," he said.
Wetherell calls Dockett's attitude a "phenomenal accomplishment" and wants him to take advantage of it. As such, Wetherell will have Dockett join him on speaking trips to area schools. Belle Vue Middle School figures to be one of those stops.
"I want as many of our (600) students to hear his message as possible," said sixth-grade social studies teacher Tolar Griffin, who e-mailed Wetherell requesting he bring Dockett. "I want our students, many of them from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, to hear from somebody about hard work and about making the right decisions and how bad decisions can close doors."
"I'll just speak from the heart," Dockett said, "and from my experiences."
