By Hunter Reid, Sports Information Director
 
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- When Dakota Dozier announced in the fall of 2008 his commitment to attend Furman University and play football, more than a few observers noticed but most assuredly failed to note he also played the cello.   As a 6-foot-4, 290-pound all-state, Shrine Bowl selection out of 3A Brookland-Cayce High School sporting a last name befitting an offensive lineman, Dozier, one of South Carolina's most prized recruits, could have signed on with any one of many suitors. 
 
More than a few Furman fans were happy with his decision to become a Paladin some 15 years ago — none more than head coach Bobby Lamb '86, a 1995 Furman Athletic Hall of Fame inductee.
 
"Dakota was physically gifted and smart; therefore, he was able to play early in his career," said Lamb about one of the most talented players he lured to Furman during his eight years as head coach (2002-09).  "He was not only a great player and leader but was an even better person."
 
The list of those who would disagree with Lamb's assessment rivals that of Italian World War II heroes — as in non-existent.
 
Almost from the start Dozier's career arced upward.  Following a redshirt 2009 campaign, he moved into the lineup at left tackle, making his career debut in a 45-15, season opening win over Colgate at Paladin Stadium — the first start by a Furman freshman offensive lineman since Ben Hall versus Clemson in 1996.  He went on to register starts in 10 of the Paladins' 11 games that season, logging 606 plays and collecting SoCon All-Freshman Team honors in balloting by league head coaches.
 
Dozier's 2010 season was an appetizer for the full-course meal he served up over the next three years — a stretch that saw him garner consensus All-Southern Conference honors as a sophomore, junior, and senior, as well as All-America laurels in both 2012 and '13.  He was the battering ram for Jerodis Williams, one of the most talented running backs in program history whose 1,055 and 1,170-yard performances in 2011 & '12, respectively, helped him top 3,000 yards in his career, finishing in the company some guys named Ivory, Tremble, Jennings, and Gardner.
 
As a senior in 2013 Dozier cemented his legacy.  Serving as a team captain, he was instrumental in helping Furman rally from a 2-4 start with a 27-10 win over Appalachian State in Paladin Stadium and 16-14 triumph over Georgia Southern in Statesboro.  Those victories, in addition to sending the Mountaineers and Eagles off with league parting gifts, were part of five consecutive SoCon wins that netted the Paladins a share of the league regular season championship — the program's first in a decade — and automatic bid to the FCS playoffs.
 
In paving the way for the third 1,000-yard rusher of his tenure in Hank McCloud (1,092 yards), Dozier was accorded SoCon Jacobs Blocking Award honors for 2013, joining a pantheon of now 16 outstanding Paladin offensive linemen to win the Jacobs.  He completed his Furman tenure seeing action in 44 games and making 43 starts while totaling over 2,800 plays.
 
Dozier's NFL potential, obvious from early in his career, was burnished with an impressive outing against 13th-ranked LSU his senior year, which led to invitations from the prestigious East-West Shrine Game and NFL Combine in early 2014.  Named Furman Male Athlete of the Year that spring, he was selected by the New York Jets in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft, becoming the highest Paladin draft pick since 2000.
 
A tackle in college, Dozier made the switch to guard in the NFL, playing in 38 games over four seasons for the Jets before signing on with Minnesota in 2019.  In three seasons with the Vikings he played in 38 games, his most action coming in 2020 when he logged starts in all 16 contests.  He signed a one-year contract with the Chicago Bears in the spring of 2022.
 
He is married to Haley Blankenship '15, and the couple have two children, Zak and Evelyn.