Locomotives running back was part of HBO series with Bengals

Sam Morris / Las Vegas Sun

Las Vegas Locomotives running back Dede Dorsey is brought down by California Redwoods linebacker Maurice Crum during the inaugural game of the UFL on Thursday at Sam Boyd Stadium.

By Case Keefer (contact)

Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2009 | 2:10 a.m.

DeDe Dorsey has captivated a wide range of audiences lately.

Dorsey starred two months ago on the HBO reality series Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Cincinnati Bengals. In the show’s final episode, Dorsey became the final player to make the Bengals roster.

But before Cincinnati’s first game, Dorsey was cut to make room for first-round draft choice Andre Smith.

“I guess that’s just how it went,” Dorsey said. “They needed a spot for Andre.”

It didn’t take long, however, for Dorsey to land another starring role. He premiered last Thursday at Sam Boyd Stadium as a running back for the Las Vegas Locomotives in the upstart United Football League.

Dorsey thrilled the crowd with nine rushes for 63 yards, four receptions for 19 yards and both a rushing and receiving touchdown. He hopes to add another strong performance at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Sam Boyd against the Florida Tuskers.

As an undersized running back, the 5-foot-11 Dorsey relies on speed and elusiveness to impress.

“DeDe is obviously flash-and-dash, a take it to the house guy,” Las Vegas coach Jim Fassel said.

The Locomotives’ opponent, the California Redwoods, had trouble adjusting to Dorsey’s running style after dealing with Marcel Shipp for most of the game.

Shipp, who had 17 carries for 69 yards, uses power and tough running to grind out yards — the opposite of Dorsey.

“He’s the bigger guy and can pound a little more on the smaller guys,” Dorsey said. “I get to the edge more. I think through the combination, we’re going to have a dangerous running attack.”

Fassel said Josh Scobey, the final running back on the roster, is also going to be in the mix to receive carries. Fassel described Scobey’s running style as in between Shipp’s and Dorsey’s.

Despite the constant fight for carries, Dorsey said he bonded with Shipp and Scobey from the moment he arrived for training camp at Casa Grande Performance Institute in Phoenix.

“Of course, there’s always competition between running backs,” he said. “But we’re all friends. When they make a big run, we’ll cheer for each other.”

Dorsey said he was looking forward to Wednesday’s game for the chance to face off against two of his former Bengals teammates, linebacker Odell Thurman and safety Dexter Jackson.

Although Dorsey says he’s committed to the UFL, he admits he’d love to get back to the NFL. He wouldn’t mind participating in another season of Hard Knocks, either.

“It was a great experience,” Dorsey said. “People actually got to see what the guys are like off of the field, instead of just a number on a jersey.”