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Outland Trophy winners Glenn Dorsey and Lee Roy Selmon visit with Boys Town youth at the Boys Town Hall of History January 9. Dorsey and Selmon came to Boys Town thanks to the Downtown Omaha Rotary, First Data and the Greater Omaha Sports Committee.

LSU’s Glenn Dorsey, Outland Trophy Winner, Visits Boys Town

Fresh off winning the BCS National Championship game as a defensive lineman with the LSU Tigers, Glenn Dorsey came to Boys Town January 9.

Dorsey, the 2007 Outland Trophy winner as the nation’s best lineman, told Boys Town youth about how he overcame adversity as a young child, and answered questions from them and local media.

“No matter what position you are in, you can always better yourself and dream big,” said Dorsey, who also won the Bronko Nagurski award as the best defensive player. “You can’t let anything come between you and your goals.”

“While we strive to achieve the accomplishments you realized Monday night, sports at Boys Town focus on competing with character,” said Robert LaBron, Boys Town Vice Mayor and captain of the football and basketball teams, to Dorsey. “When we knock someone down, we need to help them back up.  Watching you play the game this way means a lot to us at Boys Town and we really appreciate it.”

Dorsey has overcome adversity at several points throughout his life. As a young child, he wore leg braces to overcome an impairment and go on to excel on the football field at East Ascension High School in his hometown of Gonzales, La.

A projected top pick in April’s NFL draft, Dorsey bypassed the NFL after his junior season to return to LSU and pursue his degree in interdisciplinary studies with an emphasis in psychology and sociology, while improving his draft status. This decision nearly proved costly as he battled nagging injuries throughout the year.

“As a kid I was bowlegged and it was tough to watch the other kids play, but I always saw it as motivation to show others what I could really do,” said Dorsey.

Also appearing with Dorsey was 1975 Outland Trophy winner and NFL Hall of Famer Lee Roy Selmon. Selmon won the award while playing for the Oklahoma Sooners 1975 national championship team.

“It is always important to maintain balance in your life,” Selmon told Boys Town youth. “You have to study hard in the classroom and be sure to build character. Character is the most important part because it will help you in all other areas.”

Answering questions from members of Boys Town’s various sports teams, both Dorsey and Selmon stressed the importance of hard work and having valuable role models to realize success.

“My parents are my role models, especially my mother,” explained Dorsey. “They sacrificed so much for me. They always told me what I needed to hear, whether it was good or bad.” 

Dorsey and Selmon were in Omaha for the First Data Outland Trophy Award Dinner Jan. 10 at the DoubleTree Hotel in downtown Omaha.