Phillip Howard Dorsett II (born January 5, 1993) is an

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

wide receiver for the

Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...

of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

(NFL). He played

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

Miami (FL) Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at the ...

and was drafted by the

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...

in the first round of the

2015 NFL Draft The 2015 NFL Draft was the 80th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. It took place in Chicago at the Auditorium Theatre and in Grant Park, from April 30 to May 2. The previous ...

Early years

Dorsett attended St. Thomas Aquinas High School in

Fort Lauderdale, Florida Fort Lauderdale () is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida, north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the county seat of and largest city in Broward County with a population of 182,760 at the 2020 census, making it the tenth ...

, where he was a two-sport star in

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

and track. He played as a wide receiver for coach George Smith, and played with future

teammate

Duron Carter Duron Christopher Carter (born March 22, 1991) is an American professional Canadian football defensive back who is currently a free agent. He was initially a member of the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a wide receiv ...

. He hauled in 30 receptions for 594 yards and nine touchdowns as junior. As a senior, he had 35 receptions for 806 yards and 12

touchdowns A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether Rush (gridiron football), running, Forward pass, passing, returning a Kickoff (gridiron football), kickoff or Punt (gridiron football), punt, or recovering a Turno ...

in an undefeated season, winning Florida 5A football championship as well as finishing first in the Powerade Fab 50 ESPN Rise national poll. He also returned four kicks for touchdowns. Also a standout

track & field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...

athlete, Dorsett was one of the state's top performers in both the sprinting and jumping events. He got personal-best leaps of 7.55 meters (24-7) in the

long jump The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a takeoff point. Along with the triple jump, the two events that measure jumping for distance as a gr ...

and 14.59 meters (47-9) in the

triple jump The triple jump, sometimes referred to as the hop, step and jump or the hop, skip and jump, is a track and field event, similar to the long jump. As a group, the two events are referred to as the "horizontal jumps". The competitor runs down th ...

at the 2011 Louie Bing Classic. He placed second in the

100 meters The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contest ...

(10.51 s) and third in the 200 meters (21.26 s) at the 2011

FHSAA The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) is an organization whose purpose is to organize sports competition for high schools in Florida. It is a member of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). Florida uses ...

District Meet. He recorded a career-best time of 48.32 seconds in the 400 meters at the 2011 BCAA Championships. In addition, he also ran a 4.4-second

40-yard dash The 40-yard dash is a sprint covering . It is primarily run to evaluate the speed and acceleration of American football players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting. A player's recorded time can have a he ...

and had a 36.5-inch vertical jump at the Under Armour Combine. Dorsett was rated as a three-star recruit by both ''

Rivals.com Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting in the United States. The network was started in 1998 and employs more than 300 personnel. History Rivals.com was founded in 1998 by Jim Heckma ...

'' and ''

ESPN.com ESPN.com is the official website of ESPN. It is owned by ESPN Internet Ventures, a division of ESPN Inc. History Since launching in April 1995 as ESPNET.SportsZone.com (ESPNET SportsZone), the website has developed numerous sections including ...

''. He was ranked as the 45th prospect at his position by ESPNU. He committed to the

University of Miami The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private research university in Coral Gables, Florida. , the university enrolled 19,096 students in 12 colleges and schools across nearly 350 academic majors and programs, incl ...

to play

. Also considered scholarship offers from

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

Ohio State The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

, and

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

, among others.

College career

Dorsett played at Miami from 2011 to 2014. As a true freshman in 2011, he appeared in 12 games. He recorded 14 receptions for 147 yards and a touchdown. As a sophomore in 2012, he played in 12 games with 10 starts and led the team with 58 receptions for 842 yards and four touchdowns. As a junior in 2013, Dorsett played in only seven games due to a knee injury. He finished the year with 13 receptions for 272 yards and two touchdowns. Dorsett started all 13 games his senior season in 2014, recording 36 receptions for 871 yards and 10 touchdowns. Dorsett also ran

track Track or Tracks may refer to: Routes or imprints * Ancient trackway, any track or trail whose origin is lost in antiquity * Animal track, imprints left on surfaces that an animal walks across * Desire path, a line worn by people taking the shorte ...

at Miami. He competed in the

60-meter dash 60 metres, or 60-meter dash, is a sprint event in track and field. It is a championship event for indoor championships, normally dominated by the best outdoor 100 metres runners. At outdoor venues it is a rare distance, at least for senior at ...

and posted a best of 6.80 seconds, the fourth fastest time in that event at Miami. Dorsett finished his college career with 121 receptions for 2,132 yards and 17 touchdowns.

College statistics

Professional career

Dorsett was drafted 29th overall by the

in the

. The drafting of Dorsett was a surprise to many analysts and fans, considering Indianapolis already had depth at the wide receiver position, including the recently signed

Andre Johnson Andre Lamont Johnson (born July 11, 1981) is a former American football wide receiver who played most of his 14-year career with the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Miami, and was drafted by ...

and

, and the selection reportedly upset several Colts players, who thought the team should have instead focused on a defensive player.

Indianapolis Colts

2015 season

Dorsett signed a four-year contract with the Colts on May 27, 2015. During Week 3 against the

Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...

, he caught his first NFL touchdown on a 35-yard reception from

Andrew Luck Andrew Austen Luck (born September 12, 1989) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons with the Indianapolis Colts. One of the most highly touted amateur prospects during his c ...

. He finished the game with two receptions for 43 yards and a touchdown. Dorsett finished his rookie season with 18 receptions for 225 yards and a touchdown in 11 games and zero starts.

2016 season

In the 2016 season-opening loss to the

Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...

, Dorsett caught four passes for 94 yards in the 39-35 loss. Three weeks later, he caught a career-long 64-yard touchdown in a 30-27 loss to the

Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...

. During Week 15 against the

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...

, he caught his second and final touchdown of the season on a 50-yard pass from Andrew Luck. Overall, Dorsett finished the 2016 season with 33 receptions for 528 yards and two touchdowns in 15 games and seven starts.

New England Patriots

2017 season

On September 2, 2017, Dorsett was traded to the

New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...

for

quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...

Jacoby Brissett Jacoby Jajuan Brissett (born December 11, 1992) is an American football quarterback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). Following a college football stint with Florida, he played at NC State and was selected in the t ...

. On September 7, Dorsett made his Patriots debut in the 42–27 loss to the

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The tea ...

. Dorsett finished his first season with the Patriots with 12 receptions for 194 yards. Despite his limited playing time, he caught a 31-yard pass on a flea-flicker from

Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He spent his first 20 seasons with the New England Patriots organization, with which ...

in the AFC Championship Game against the

as the Patriots won by a score of 24-20, advancing to

Super Bowl LII Super Bowl LII was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2017 season. The National Football Conference (NFC) champion Philadelphia Eagles defeated the American Football Conferen ...

. In the Super Bowl, Dorsett recorded one catch for 19 yards as the Patriots lost to the

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...

by a score of 41-33.

2018 season

On May 2, 2018, the Patriots declined the fifth-year option on Dorsett's contract, making him a free agent in 2019. In the season opener against the

, Dorsett had seven catches for 66 yards and a touchdown. He caught his second touchdown of the season three weeks later in a 38-7 victory against the

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...

. He finished the game with four catches for 55 yards and a touchdown. Dorsett finished the regular season with 32 catches for 290 yards and three touchdowns. In the divisional playoff game against the

Los Angeles Chargers The Los Angeles Chargers are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Chargers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division, and ...

, Dorsett had four receptions for 41 yards and a touchdown. In the AFC Championship Game against the

, he had only one reception, but it went for a 29-yard touchdown, totaling two touchdowns in the Patriots' first two playoff games. The Patriots reached

Super Bowl LIII Super Bowl LIII was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2018 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots defeated the National Football Confe ...

and defeated the

Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division. The Rams play ...

by a score of 13–3, but Dorsett did not record a reception in the game.

2019 season

On March 13, 2019, Dorsett re-signed with the Patriots on a one-year contract. During the season-opener against the

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...

on ''NBC Sunday Night Football'', Dorsett led the Patriots in receiving yards and touchdowns, catching four passes in four targets for 95 yards with two touchdowns in the 33–3 victory. In Week 11 against the

, Dorsett caught three passes for 33 yards, including a 15-yard touchdown pass from fellow wide receiver

Julian Edelman Julian Francis Edelman (born May 22, 1986) is a former American football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons with the New England Patriots. He played college football at Kent State as a Quarterback and ...

, before suffering a head injury in the 17–10 win. Overall, Dorsett finished the 2019 season with 29 receptions for 397 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns.

Seattle Seahawks

On March 30, 2020, Dorsett signed a one-year contract with the

Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...

. After not playing in the team's first two games while nursing a foot injury, Dorsett was placed on injured reserve on September 22, 2020.

Jacksonville Jaguars

On March 17, 2021, Dorsett signed with the

. He was released on August 31, 2021 and re-signed to the practice squad the next day. Dorsett was released on September 27, 2021.

Seattle Seahawks (second stint)

On September 29, 2021, Dorsett was signed to the Seattle Seahawks practice squad. He was released on November 30.

Houston Texans

On December 4, 2021, Dorsett was signed to the

practice squad. He was promoted to the active roster on December 11. On December 15, Dorsett signed a contract extension with the Texans that runs through the 2022 season.

NFL career statistics

Regular season

Postseason

References

External links

Seattle Seahawks bioNew England Patriots bioMiami Hurricanes bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dorsett, Phillip 1993 births Living people Players of American football from Fort Lauderdale, Florida American football wide receivers Miami Hurricanes football players Indianapolis Colts players Jacksonville Jaguars players New England Patriots players Seattle Seahawks players Houston Texans players St. Thomas Aquinas High School (Florida) alumni