Box Score By Rudy Jones, FurmanPaladins.com
Take a look around Paladin Stadium today and you'll see a lot of things not present at Furman's last 2012 home game against The Citadel.
Eugene Stone Field has a new playing surface: Shaw Sport Turf's PowerBlade Bolt. Construction continues on the four-story Pearce-Horton Football Complex, a 44,000-square-foot facility including offices, locker rooms, a press box and more.
The lighting and public address systems have been enhanced and padded chair back seats are available.
The football players are sporting new uniforms courtesy of the Furman Football Players Association, a group of more than 400 former players and associates who raise funds in support of the program.
Amid all the new stuff, Furman left offensive tackle Dakota Dozier would like to help bring back something old school : on-field success and a return to the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs for the first time since 2006..
The 6-foot- 5, 303-pound Dozier has been a starter since his redshirt freshman season. He earned consensus all-Southern Conference honors as a junior and in 2012 was named to three preseason All-American teams for FCS schools entering this season.
Dozier said the improvements in and around the stadium and the fact it's the first home game of his final season will make for some special feelings today.
"The changes Furman has seen since I've been here are just crazy," Dozier said last week. "And there's some stuff I can't remember that's changed."
Dozier said he's glad the Furman administration has shown a commitment to help athletic teams succeed. In football that has ranged from practice gear to three new sets of game uniforms to the facilities upgrades.
"All the friends I have who are athletes are so excited that Furman's giving more to its athletes and athletic facilities." Dozier said.
"I know I won't be able to take full advantage of the new facilities, but that's going to be a great recruiting piece," Dozier said. "I've only played on (artificial) turf a handful of times in my career, but I've loved having it. It rained so much during (preseason) camp but we were still able to go out there and practice on it because it drains so well. If we'd only had the grass surfaces, there would have been days we couldn't have had practice because of how wet it was."
A 28-21 loss at Gardner-Webb to open the season didn't dampen Dozier's desire to make his final season memorable.
"The season didn't start off on the note we wanted it to, but the energy on this team is so high," said Dozier, who entered the season with 30 starts in 31 career games. He missed three games last season with a knee injury.
But with all the experience Dozier has, he's filling a new role this season: senior leader. The West Columbia native said that's weird in some ways. "I'm a senior and I'm a captain now. I still remember looking up to all the other guys. It makes you feel kind of old.
"But, I've finally embraced it," Dozier said. "I try to make sure I keep an eye out for the young guys; talk to as many as I can and let them know that they're not just some guy – they're actually a part of this team. Whether they're on the pounders (scout squad) or playing 80 snaps a game, they're going to contribute to us winning."
Dozier said one of the roles of a captain and team leader is to encourage younger players after games such as the Gardner-Webb loss.
"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed after that game as well," Dozier said. "But I know I have to make sure the guys know that game's over and we can't let one week affect us for the rest of the season."
With the exception of an occasional pancake block or a missed assignment leading to lost yardage, offensive linemen work in relative anonymity. Dozier is fine with that.
"You have to expect no glory," Dozier said. "I've always embraced that; that my job is to not be noticed. You just go out there and execute on every play. If you have the mentality that you need to be recognized on every play, you're probably not going to be a very good offensive lineman.
"I've enjoyed it," Dozier said. "It's a special position, because every play you get to go out there and do your best to just crush the guy in front of you. Quarterbacks throw the ball around; running backs try to make people miss; but on the offensive line you get to just hit a guy play after play after play. It's whose will is greater."
Just as the proverbial early bird caught the worm, Furman's early interest in Dozier at Brookland-Cayce High School paid off.
"I think Furman was the first school to talk to me," Dozier said. "It was early in the spring of my junior year. Jeff Farrington, who's head coach at North Greenville now, popped his head in and I got to talk to him for a few minutes.
"Throughout the rest of my junior year and all my senior year they kept a good connection with me," Dozier said. "As my senior year progressed I got more offers and more interest, but Furman was always there.
"I was, like, 'man, I like that Furman place,'" Dozier recalled. "(Living) so close to here, I'd get to go home whenever I needed to if something happened. I came on my official visit and I knew Furman was the place for me."
Dozier was a two-way starter at Brookland-Cayce, earning all-region, all-area and all-state honors. He also became the first Bearcat to be selected for the Shrine Bowl high school all-star game in two decades.
"I loved the Shrine Bowl experience," Dozier said. "It was great to have that week to get to know the guys."
He had an impressive roster of teammates, including current Clemson running back Roderick McDowell, former Tiger Malliciah Goodman, former LSU All-American Sam Montgomery, ex-University of South Carolina players Justice Cunningham, Stephon Gilmore and Alshon Jeffery and current Gamecock Jimmy Legree.
Dozier helped the South Carolina all-stars beat the North Carolina, 24-16.
But the real Shrine Bowl highlights for Dozier came off the field with his new friendships and a personal appreciation for the beneficiary of the Shrine Bowl's efforts: the Shriners Hospital for Children in Greenville.
"My little sister, Leandra Watts, actually had had hip surgery at the Shriners Hospital," Dozier said. "She was born with her hip out of socket. If they hadn't caught it, it would have been a lot worse if she had had to wait to have the surgery when she was older. Luckily, they did and now she's out here running around at every game.
"For me to able to play in the Shrine Bow and help them raise money for their organization was huge. That's something I'll always remember.
"I know a lot of guys enjoy it, but I don't think anybody could have that same kind of connection like I did," Dozier said. Shrine Bowl players visit the hospital's clients the week of each year's game. Dozier said his personal connection made that visit very special for him.
"Then, the guys on that team; several are in the NL or playing at Clemson or Carolina," Dozier said. "It's cool to know I can pick up the phone, call those guys and still have a friendship with them."
Dozier stays in contact with Jared Singleton, now an offensive lineman at Southern Conference rival Wofford.
"We routinely check up on each other and see how each other is doing," Dozier said. "We'd gone to camps together before and played that whole week together. The Shrine Bowl has a lot of great memories for me.
"After the Shrine Bowl well I got a few more calls and some more letters."
Dozier visited Appalachian State and Wofford before settling on the Paladins. Presbyterian, today's opponent, also wooed him – unsuccessfully.
"Buffalo wanted me to come take a visit, but I didn't want to go to New York," Dozier said. "That's a little chilly for me."
Furman was cool with Dozier's decision to stay in warmer climes.
He redshirted during the 2009 season and stepped into the lineup in 2010.
"I wouldn't say I put on a lot of weight, (while redshirting), but I moved a lot of weight around," Dozier said. "I haven't put on a ton of weight, but I'm gotten a lot stronger since high school.
"The hardest thing (about redshirting) was all the guys who come in here played every snap on the high school teams," Dozier said. "To come in and be told 'you've got to help us just at practice' was hard to do, but it's worked out for me.
"Could I have played my freshman year? Maybe," Dozier said. "I wouldn't have started because we had a great offensive line and I would have been a backup guy. Because I was redshirted I was able to start for four seasons and that's been a great thing. I know they had my best interests in mind.
"All the guys I talk to who redshirt and are having a difficult time with it, I try to explain to them 'you're a good player or you wouldn't be here. Your time will come,'" Dozier said.
Dozier hopes he can follow some of his Shrine Bowl teammates into the NFL. Analyst Phil Steele rates Dozier as the top offensive lineman in the FCS.
"I know I've gotten a lot of preseason recognition – and that's awesome; I love it – but I try my best to not even think about it. If that is what happens, then what I do out there on Saturdays is what's important, not talking about it.
"I want go out there, play my best on Saturdays and help Furman win as many games as possible."
"I know Furman has had a history of offensive linemen who have done very well here," Dozier said. "Joel Bell was fantastic here, won the Jacobs Blocking Award and had a shot in the league. Ryan Lee has been in the league.
"That's great for me, because NFL scouts know that Furman has good quality offensive linemen, so they keep coming back to see what's here."
Because Dozier has concentrated on football, another of his talents has gone unused recently. He played the cello from the sixth through 12th grades.
"When I was leaving elementary school the orchestra teacher came with all the instruments. I saw the cello and thought 'Man, that's kind of cool.' Nobody in my family had every done anything with a musical instrument before, so I was like 'I'll try it.' I played it every day from sixth grade all the way through 12th grade. I enjoyed it. It was a lot of fun. Not many people my size can say they play a musical instrument."
"I actually haven't played in a few years, but I feel like if one was put in my hands I could put a piece together.
Aspiring football players often pick a football player as their inspiration. Did Dozier have an icon among cellists? "I didn't," he admits. "Eugene Friesen came and played with us. I actually study to some of his music sometimes."
But Dozier said juggling music and football career in college wasn't practical. "Even in high school it became difficult to keep playing cello and football. I knew once I got here it would be even harder and football would take more time. I knew if I wanted to do well in school and football, I had to cut something, so (the cello) had to go."
So, which line goes better when trying to impress a woman: "I'm a football player" or "I'm a cellist?"
"I'm going to go with football player," Dozier said, chuckling. "The cello's nice; that might be something I'd bring up later on."
Furman was named for prominent 19th-century minister Richard Furman. Dozier's attitude is in line with the school's church-related beginnings. He has a scripture verse tattooed on each upper arm. Isaiah 40:31 "Those who trust in The Lord will renew their strength" is on the right arm and Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" is on the left
"Those are two huge verses for me," Dozier said. "I get to look at them every day and see I have a Savior who really cares about me and loves me. I know football is an amazing sport and I've been so blessed to be able to go out and play on Saturday. God has given me great ability to go out and do it. I try my best to thank Him daily and know that I wouldn't be here if it weren't for him."
