ABOVE VIDEO:Interviews with Florida Tech President & CEO Dr. Anthony Catanese and Athletic Director Bill Jurgens Jr. (Zach Clark, SpaceCoastDaily Video)
BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – Florida Tech President and CEO Dr. Tony Catanese hosted his fourth annual “Inside The Huddle” event on Saturday, which featured football legend Tony Dorsett as the keynote speaker.
Dorsett has won the Heisman Trophy, Super Bowl and College National Championship, and has also been enshrined in the College Hall of Fame and Pro Football Hall Of Fame.
Ryan Jones, Florida Tech Assistant Athletic Director For Athletic Communications, welcomed the crowd and introduced Pastor Elmer Floyd, who delivered the Invocation.
Dr. Cantanese then delivered his always compelling opening remarks, and later introduced a highlight film on Dorsett’s stellar football career.
Panther head coach Steve Englehart introduced his coaching staff, and then recounted highlights from the Panther’s 2014-15 season, and talked about goals for the team for the coming season.
Among Dorsett’s best anecdotes was a story about what he learned from legendary Dallas Cowboy’s Coach Tom Landry.
Dorsett once overslept and missed a Saturday walk-through session with his team.
Tony Dorsett
“Coach Landry told me I wouldn’t start in the game the next day, and I probably wouldn’t have playing time,” said Dorsett.
“I learned the lesson of being accountable. Coach taught me that if you do the little things in life, you can make big things happen. I had won numerous awards, including the Heisman Trophy. And then I learned humility from Tom Landry. He taught me discipline. I think he helped bring me back down to earth.”
During his NFL career, Dorsett rushed for 12,739 yards.
He told the rapt audience, “I didn’t realize during my playing years the happiness fans get from following favorite players – I purely concentrated on doing my job. There are many big guys on that field, and I was a smaller guy – I was just trying to outrun them!”
Dorsett praised his college coach Jackie Sherrill.
“Many college recruiters called when I was an 18 year old high school football player,” said Dorsett.
“At that young age, you don’t know who to trust. I trusted Jackie Sherrill of the University of Pittsburgh. To this day, he is one of my best friends.”
Previous “Inside The Huddle” keynote speakers have included longtime pro and college coach Howard Schnellenberger, Heisman Trophy winner Doug Flutie and Wisconsin Director of Athletics and College Football Hall of Fame member Barry Alvarez.
Dorsett was a three-time first-team All-American at the University of Pittsburgh and is considered one of the greatest running backs in college football history. In 2007, he was ranked No. 7 on ESPN’s Top 25 Players in College Football History list.
A first round draft choice of the Dallas Cowboys in 1977, Dorsett rushed for 12,739 yards and 77 touchdowns in his 12-year pro career.
In January 1983, during a Monday Night Football game in Minnesota, Dorsett broke a 99-yard touchdown run against the Vikings, which is the longest run from scrimmage in NFL history.
Dorsett was elected to both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1994 and was enshrined in the Texas Stadium Ring of Honor the same year.
In 1999, he was ranked No. 53 on The Sporting News’ list of the 100 Greatest Football Players.
This year’s featured keynote speaker will be Tony Dorsett, the first of only two players in history (along with former running back Marcus Allen) who has won the Heisman Trophy, won the Super Bowl, won the College National Championship, been enshrined in the College Hall of Fame and been enshrined in the Pro Football Hall Of Fame.Football great Tony Dorsett, center, shows his Super Bowl ring to Florida Tech head coach Steve Englehart, left, and Heisman Trophy winner Doug Flutie. (SpaceCoastDaily.com image)Tony Dorsett speaking at “Inside The Huddle” (SpaceCoastDaily Image)Dr. Anthony Catanese, Florida Tech President (left); Tony Dorsett, Heisman Trophy winner of 1976 (center); Doug Flutie, Heisman Trophy winner of 1984 (right). (SpaceCoastDaily Image)Tony Dorsett (left) and Doug Flutie (right) pose for pictures at Florida Tech’s “Inside The Huddle” event. (SpaceCoastDaily Image)LEFT TO RIGHT: Steve Englehart, Edward Fields, Tony Dorsett and Doug Flutie. Dorsett has won the Heisman Trophy, Super Bowl and College National Championship, and has also been enshrined in the College Hall of Fame and Pro Football Hall Of Fame. (SpaceCoastDaily Image)Steve Englehart talking with two Heisman Trophy winners at Florida Tech’s ‘Inside The Huddle’ event Saturday night. (FIT Image)
