Dortch Plans to Prove He Belongs in NFL
In this story:
Greg Dortch was bound for Canada when the call came in. The Arizona Cardinals were calling to request that the receiver head to the desert for a tryout.
The wide receiver was heading to Canada to try and make a team in the Canadian Football League. It was the last shot at his dream of playing professional football. An undrafted free agent, Dortch had never been a highly recruited athlete in high school and was cut by three teams his rookie season. His NFL dream seemed dashed before it even began, to the point that he began looking for a regular job.
In Arizona, Dortch impressed the Cardinals enough to join the team in last year's training camp. The wideout was intended to be a camp body, a role to fill up space on the roster and eventually be released. Instead, Dortch surpassed expectations, standing out during training camp and eventually making the team's practice squad. He had done enough to keep his NFL dream alive.
With a new season on the horizon, the 24-year-old's talent is emerging in this year's training camp. Displaying his quick-twitch speed on offense and in the return game, this year, Dortch is looking primed to take the next step and make the active roster. He was part of the game-day roster at the end of the 2021 season, playing five games and starting two.
“When I first got in the league I wanted to prove everybody wrong, but now that I’m here it's about proving myself right,” Dortch said. “It’s not about proving to the world anymore that I belong, it’s about proving to myself and I feel like that's changed my game."
Dortch spent three seasons at Wake Forest as the school's 13th all-time leader in receiving yards and an All-ACC all purpose back and return specialist. It wasn’t enough to find a team during the league's 2019 draft.
Instead, Dortch signed with the New York Jets, making the practice squad before being signed to the Carolina Panthers practice squad and eventually released. The same pattern occurred with the Los Angeles Rams and Atlanta Falcons.
“You’re telling me I’m not good enough,” Dortch said. “I’m just going to go back to work and show you, the next time you see me that you made a mistake.”
In total, Dortch was released five times before joining the Cardinals. While no team told him he couldn’t play in the NFL, Dortch figured it didn’t need to be said.
“You got to take stuff like that personal,” Dortch said. “ I love this game of football, I have worked my whole life to get here. To be here again, I won’t take this for granted. It means everything to me.”
Dortch is undersized for a wide receiver; listed at 5-foot-7 he and Rondale Moore are the shortest players on the team. It’s an uphill battle going against taller cornerbacks and safeties, but Dortch has showcased an ability to beat out defenders during camp.
“I’m not a big guy, I really wasn't supposed to be here. I just work my tail off everyday and take advantage of every opportunity that I have,” Dortch said.
The Virginia native's steep climb into the NFL is one of many challenges he faced in his football journey. While at Wake Forest, Dortch punctured his intestine when landing on a pylon, missing the last four games of the season.
“When you go through things, you can use that as momentum and build off of those things,” Dortch said. “ Just stack days and eventually your breakthrough will come.”
Dortch attributes his perseverance to his parents and coaches. No coach may be as pivotal to Dortch’s success then Cardinals wide receivers coach Shawn Jefferson.
Jefferson coached Dortch during his rookie season with the Jets, but the two had met earlier when Dortch was preparing to enter the NFL. After watching film on Dortch, Jefferson scheduled a one-on-one workout with the intention to push Dortch to the edge.
“I tried to break this kid and he would just not quit,” Jefferson said.
When Dortch joined the Cardinals last season, the team had already begun training camp. He had to learn the playbook in a couple days in order to catch up. Dortch said Jefferson helped him feel comfortable during last year's camp.
It wasn’t the first time Jefferson showed faith in Dortch. The workout at Wake Forest was the only time a coach had traveled to work with Dortch. For Dortch he said Jefferson is like a father figure to him.
“For him to believe in me and want to get me another workout with the Cardinals, it meant a lot,” Dortch said. “ I want to be able to prove myself right, but also prove him right.”
With the new season just weeks away, Dortch is leading the return team during practice and has been rotated with the first and second teams on offense.
In the Cardinals' first preseason game this season, Dortch had four catches for 53 yards. His biggest play of the game came on a 55-yard punt return, setting up a touchdown drive.
“It felt good to finally get out there again and play an actual game,” Dortch said. “ I can just build off of that and use it as momentum."
Head coach Kingsbury isn’t surprised by the strides Dortch has taken. Last season, he noticed Dortch during practices, calling him the “scout-team MVP.” For Kingsbury, the next stride for Dortch is learning the offense well enough to play fast and not think.
“The more I’m out there playing, getting accustomed to the offense, it just allows me to play faster,” Dortch said.
Dortch doesn’t quit. After not missing a practice during camp, the receiver was absent on Monday due to a knee contusion. After practice Dortch was adamant he would return on Tuesday after Kingsbury labeled him "day-to-day."
The never-give-up mentality has led Dortch to this moment, a chance at making an NFL roster at the start of the season and defying those who never believed in him. It’s not just motivation for him anymore but other underdogs outside of football.
“This is bigger than me. Football is football, but I want to be able to teach people that you can use football as real life,” Dortch said. “ Sometimes things may not go your way, but you gotta wake up tomorrow and get after it again.”
