Former Rebels RB Dorsey signs with Redskins (UPDATED)

By Ryan Greene

Thursday, Feb. 5, 2009 | 12:50 a.m.

When it comes to striking it big in the NFL, there's nothing wrong with riding coat tails.

In a way, grasping on to those of San Diego Chargers running back Darren Sproles got Dominique Dorsey to the doorstep. Now he hopes to prove himself and stick around awhile.

The 5-foot-7 former UNLV running back, second on the school's career rushing list, signed a free-agent deal on Wednesday with the Washington Redskins, where he'll try to make the squad as a kick returner and change-of-pace, third-down back.

"They were pretty much excited about me being able to do everything," Dorsey said. "They kind of made the comparison to Sproles. He kind of opened up a lot of doors. But I had to do a lot to get here myself."

Dorsey's not lying in that regard.

After compiling 2,834 yards on the ground in a Rebels career that concluded in 2004, Dorsey made a name for himself in the Canadian Football League. His biggest impact came in a two-year run with the Toronto Argonauts, which concluded just a few months ago.

In his first season in Toronto, Dorsey led the CFL in all-purpose yards with 1,628 despite missing five games with an injury. In 2008, he was unanimously selected as the team's most outstanding player and was also tapped as the CFL's Outstanding Special Teams Player.

"It was a big decision for me to make personally," Dorsey said of leaving Toronto, where he said he began to feel home. "I gained a lot of respect and a lot of love from my teammates and my fans up there. They're pretty much one of the reasons I'm getting an opportunity. On the same token, this is something I've been wanting to do all of my life. I think that I made the right decision."

Dorsey signed a three-year deal with the 'Skins, who went 8-8 this past season after a 6-2 start, and only a modest amount of money is guaranteed in the contract.

The comparison to Sproles is only natural.

The fourth-year running back out of Kansas State, who checks in at 5-6 and 181 pounds, broke out late this season when LaDainian Tomlinson was hobbled. He ran for 330 yards on 61 carries, mostly late in the season, and compiled 342 more yards on 29 carries. He also was a dangerous punt and kick returner, who put the team on his back in advancing San Diego to the Divisional Playoffs. They lost on the road to eventual Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh.

"I don't really watch the games, but I'm not gonna sit here and say I haven't seen Sproles before," he said. "People might say it's a disadvantage, but to our advantage, we're smaller, and it's kind of hard to find someone of our stature when you get caught up in a mixture."

Dorsey will report to Washington in March. If things don't happen to work out, a return to Canada would be the likely occurrence, as he's already built quite a reputation north of the border.

For now, though, this is a shot worth taking.

"I'm pretty sure some team would want me up there, but if things didn't work out, Toronto would be the place where I'd like to continue playing," he said.