Dorsey Levens facts for kids
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| Position: | Running back | ||||||||||||
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| Born: | May 21, 1970 Syracuse, New York, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 230 lb (104 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Nottingham (Syracuse) | ||||||||||||
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| NFL Draft: | 1994 / Round: 5 / Pick: 149 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
Herbert Dorsey Levens (born May 21, 1970) is a former American football player who was a star running back in the National Football League (NFL). He is best known for his time playing for the Green Bay Packers.
Levens was a key player for the Packers team that won Super Bowl XXXI against the New England Patriots. During his career, he also played for the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants. He was so good in the 1997 season that he was chosen to play in the Pro Bowl, which is the NFL's all-star game. For his great career, he was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame.
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Early Life and College Football
Dorsey Levens was born in Syracuse, New York. He first went to college at the Notre Dame, a school famous for its football team. The team had many talented running backs, including future NFL stars like Ricky Watters and Jerome Bettis. This made it hard for Levens to get playing time. Just when he was about to become the starting running back, he hurt his knee.
Because of this, Levens transferred to Georgia Tech. After sitting out one year because of transfer rules, he had a great season. He was voted to the First-team All-ACC, which means he was considered one of the best players in his college conference. In his last year at Georgia Tech, he ran for 823 yards and scored eight touchdowns.
Professional Career
Joining the Green Bay Packers
Because of his past injury, some football experts were not sure if Levens would be a successful NFL player. He was chosen by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 1994 NFL draft.
For his first two seasons, Levens mostly played as a fullback, whose job is often to block for other runners. By 1995, he had earned the starting fullback position.
Super Bowl Champion
In 1996, Levens became the backup halfback. He had an amazing game in the NFC Championship against the Carolina Panthers. He ran for 88 yards and caught passes for 117 yards and a touchdown, helping the Packers win 30–13.
This win sent the Packers to Super Bowl XXXI. In the biggest game of the year, Levens was the team's leading rusher with 61 yards. The Packers won the Super Bowl, 35–21, their first championship in 29 years.
Becoming a Star Player
The next year, in 1997, the Packers' starting running back, Edgar Bennett, had a serious injury. Levens stepped up and became the new starter. He had a fantastic season, rushing for over 1,400 yards. His great performance earned him a spot in the Pro Bowl.
Sadly, Levens broke a bone in his leg during the 1998 season. He returned later that year and played well in a playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers, rushing for 116 yards and a touchdown.
He had another strong season in 1999, running for over 1,000 yards. However, more knee injuries in 2000 meant he played less, as a talented new player named Ahman Green became the starter.
The "Madden Curse"
Levens was featured on the cover of the video game Madden NFL 2000 in Europe. Some fans believe in something called the "Madden Curse," where players who appear on the game's cover often have a bad season or get injured afterward. Since Levens had injuries after being on the cover, some people see him as an early example of the curse.
The Packers released Levens after the 2001 season. In 2009, he was honored by being elected to the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame.
Career with Other Teams
After leaving Green Bay, Levens didn't stop playing. He joined the Philadelphia Eagles for the 2002 season as a backup player. The next year, he played for the New York Giants.
In 2004, he returned to the Eagles. He shared running duties with another player, Brian Westbrook, and helped the team reach Super Bowl XXXIX. He officially retired from football in 2006 as a Green Bay Packer.
NFL Career Statistics
These tables show how Dorsey Levens performed during his NFL career.
Rushing Stats This table shows how many yards Levens gained by running with the ball.
| Year | Team | GP | Att | Yards | Avg | Lng | TD | FD | Fum | Lost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | GB | 14 | 5 | 15 | 3.0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1995 | GB | 15 | 36 | 120 | 3.3 | 22 | 3 | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996 | GB | 16 | 121 | 566 | 4.7 | 24 | 5 | 31 | 2 | 0 |
| 1997 | GB | 16 | 329 | 1,435 | 4.4 | 52 | 7 | 68 | 5 | 3 |
| 1998 | GB | 7 | 115 | 378 | 3.3 | 50 | 1 | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 | GB | 14 | 279 | 1,034 | 3.7 | 36 | 9 | 56 | 5 | 5 |
| 2000 | GB | 5 | 77 | 224 | 2.9 | 17 | 3 | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| 2001 | GB | 15 | 44 | 165 | 3.8 | 40 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002 | PHI | 16 | 75 | 411 | 5.5 | 47 | 1 | 13 | 1 | 1 |
| 2003 | NYG | 11 | 68 | 197 | 2.9 | 17 | 3 | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004 | PHI | 15 | 94 | 410 | 4.4 | 45 | 4 | 24 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 144 | 1,243 | 4,955 | 4.0 | 52 | 36 | 264 | 13 | 9 | |
Receiving Stats This table shows how many yards Levens gained by catching passes.
| Year | Team | GP | Rec | Yards | Avg | Lng | TD | FD | Fum | Lost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | GB | 14 | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1995 | GB | 15 | 48 | 434 | 9.0 | 27 | 4 | 24 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996 | GB | 16 | 31 | 226 | 7.3 | 49 | 5 | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997 | GB | 16 | 53 | 370 | 7.0 | 56 | 5 | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| 1998 | GB | 7 | 27 | 162 | 6.0 | 17 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 | GB | 14 | 71 | 573 | 8.1 | 53 | 1 | 26 | 0 | 0 |
| 2000 | GB | 5 | 16 | 146 | 9.1 | 37 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 2001 | GB | 15 | 24 | 159 | 6.6 | 19 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002 | PHI | 16 | 19 | 124 | 6.5 | 24 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 2003 | NYG | 11 | 5 | 39 | 7.8 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004 | PHI | 15 | 9 | 92 | 10.2 | 23 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 144 | 304 | 2,334 | 7.7 | 56 | 17 | 118 | 0 | 0 | |
Life After Football
After retiring from the NFL, Levens became a football analyst. He appeared on websites and TV programs to share his expert opinions on NFL games.
Levens has also tried acting. He had a small part as a coach in the 2006 movie We Are Marshall. In 2012, he played Coach James in the movie Gridiron UK. In 2015, he also had a major role in Tyler Perry's play Madea on the Run.
