University Southern California Trojans
Photo by: John McGillen
Confidence Through Preparation
October 13, 2018 | Football
by Ryan Witter, USC Sports Information Student Assistant
Senior defensive tackle Malik Dorton is a soft-spoken, unassuming guy. At 6-foot-2, 280 pounds, one might characterize him as a gentle giant. Just don't tell that to his opponents. Dorton's understated manner in conversation belies the gritty, hard-hitting player he is on the gridiron.
Dorton, a hometown product, recorded 163 tackles and 12 sacks for St. John Bosco High School oin Bellflower, Calif. There he played with current Arizona Cardinals quarterback and former UCLA QB Josh Rosen. In his senior season Dorton racked up 66 tackles and five sacks while helping his team to an undefeated record and a state championship.
In his time at USC, Dorton has amassed 47 tackles and 4.5 sacks, and it's likely those numbers would be significantly higher had he avoided injury during his redshirt freshman and redshirt sophomore seasons. On his way to helping the Trojans to their first conference championship since 2008 last season in 2017, he amassed 24 tackles and 2.5 sacks, taking full advantage of what he called, "a great opportunity to go out there and finally show the coaches what I could do."
He has not skipped a beat so far this season, as he already has 12 tackles and a sack through five games, including a career high four solo tackles against Arizona on Sept. 29. He says this offseason he was primarily focused on preparing himself mentally, whereas last season he felt he still needed to prove himself.
The 22-year-old also has an impressive track record off the field. He has already obtained a bachelor's degree in communications and is currently working toward a master's degree in communication management.
Dorton had high hopes of becoming a regular game contributor early in his college career, but after battling injuries early in his stint at USC, he knew it was time "to focus on school a little more," and seized an opportunity to work toward graduating early and earning a master's degree, something no one in his family possesses.
Dorton has his sights set on the NFL, and plans to get into sports broadcasting or sports marketing when his playing days are over. While he says "the NFL is always in the back of my mind," Dorton is currently focused on helping drive the Trojans to a second straight Pac-12 Championship and "going out on top as a senior."
Despite accomplishing so much and building up so much potential at Troy, the fifth-year senior is quick to credit others for his success. He says his learning specialist Martin Jauregui within USC's Student-Athlete Academic Services department "has had a huge role in my success, especially at the graduate level.
He then added that his father, "has always been the guy who's kept me on track and been there for me, and I wouldn't be where I am today if it hadn't been for him."
Unsurprisingly, Jauregui called Dorton, "easily one of the most humble people that I have ever met."
While certainly humble, Dorton exudes a quiet confidence in both his abilities on the football field and in the classroom. While he says he has "been in some dark places" in the past, he has come to take things in stride and grown more self-assured. He attributes this confidence to his commitment to preparation. He says he approaches his work "as the same guy every day," knowing that the formula to success on and off the field lies in hard work.
Offering some insight into his routine, Dorton says he listens to Nipsy Hussle, a Los Angeles rapper whose music he has loved since he was a kid. Dorton says the artist produces "motivational music that gets my mind right before anything, whether it's a test that I have to take or getting ready for practice or a game."
When Dorton has played his final snap wearing the cardinal and gold, he hopes his legacy will be that he successfully passed down the knowledge and tradition to the younger players on the team that he once gained from upperclassmen when he was getting started at USC.
Senior defensive tackle Malik Dorton is a soft-spoken, unassuming guy. At 6-foot-2, 280 pounds, one might characterize him as a gentle giant. Just don't tell that to his opponents. Dorton's understated manner in conversation belies the gritty, hard-hitting player he is on the gridiron.
Dorton, a hometown product, recorded 163 tackles and 12 sacks for St. John Bosco High School oin Bellflower, Calif. There he played with current Arizona Cardinals quarterback and former UCLA QB Josh Rosen. In his senior season Dorton racked up 66 tackles and five sacks while helping his team to an undefeated record and a state championship.
In his time at USC, Dorton has amassed 47 tackles and 4.5 sacks, and it's likely those numbers would be significantly higher had he avoided injury during his redshirt freshman and redshirt sophomore seasons. On his way to helping the Trojans to their first conference championship since 2008 last season in 2017, he amassed 24 tackles and 2.5 sacks, taking full advantage of what he called, "a great opportunity to go out there and finally show the coaches what I could do."
He has not skipped a beat so far this season, as he already has 12 tackles and a sack through five games, including a career high four solo tackles against Arizona on Sept. 29. He says this offseason he was primarily focused on preparing himself mentally, whereas last season he felt he still needed to prove himself.
The 22-year-old also has an impressive track record off the field. He has already obtained a bachelor's degree in communications and is currently working toward a master's degree in communication management.
Dorton had high hopes of becoming a regular game contributor early in his college career, but after battling injuries early in his stint at USC, he knew it was time "to focus on school a little more," and seized an opportunity to work toward graduating early and earning a master's degree, something no one in his family possesses.
Dorton has his sights set on the NFL, and plans to get into sports broadcasting or sports marketing when his playing days are over. While he says "the NFL is always in the back of my mind," Dorton is currently focused on helping drive the Trojans to a second straight Pac-12 Championship and "going out on top as a senior."
Despite accomplishing so much and building up so much potential at Troy, the fifth-year senior is quick to credit others for his success. He says his learning specialist Martin Jauregui within USC's Student-Athlete Academic Services department "has had a huge role in my success, especially at the graduate level.
He then added that his father, "has always been the guy who's kept me on track and been there for me, and I wouldn't be where I am today if it hadn't been for him."
Unsurprisingly, Jauregui called Dorton, "easily one of the most humble people that I have ever met."
While certainly humble, Dorton exudes a quiet confidence in both his abilities on the football field and in the classroom. While he says he has "been in some dark places" in the past, he has come to take things in stride and grown more self-assured. He attributes this confidence to his commitment to preparation. He says he approaches his work "as the same guy every day," knowing that the formula to success on and off the field lies in hard work.
Offering some insight into his routine, Dorton says he listens to Nipsy Hussle, a Los Angeles rapper whose music he has loved since he was a kid. Dorton says the artist produces "motivational music that gets my mind right before anything, whether it's a test that I have to take or getting ready for practice or a game."
When Dorton has played his final snap wearing the cardinal and gold, he hopes his legacy will be that he successfully passed down the knowledge and tradition to the younger players on the team that he once gained from upperclassmen when he was getting started at USC.
Players Mentioned
DL
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Wednesday, October 14
Wednesday, October 14
Wednesday, October 14
