Kendrick Dorn is one of the more versatile players on this year’s Georgia State roster, making the position switch from running back to wide receiver.
Not to mention, Dorn also has hidden musical talents. But first, let’s dissect the reasoning behind the position switch.
“Well, when the coaches first got here in the spring, I used to always be at the facility putting in extra work, and a couple of them noticed I had good footwork,” Dorn said in regards to what initially ignited the position switch.
Dorn credits Director of Player Personnel and Recruiting coach Daniel Wilcox for encouraging him to consider playing wide receiver.
“Really, it was Wilcox’s idea after he saw one of my Instagram posts I was doing a drill and he said ‘you need to be playing receiver’ I just laughed. But after a day of practicing with the running backs, the head coach called me in to ask me if I could play wide receiver for the team. I said ‘I can try it out,’ and I ended up loving it.”
During his career as a running back at Georgia State, Dorn has 110 yards on 31 carries with one touchdown, according to georgiastatesports.com. Dorn has also displayed the ability to catch the ball coming out of the backfield when given the opportunities. Last year, he had 11 receptions for 66 yards.
So does he see himself more successful this season as a receiver or a running back? Well, in this case, size definitely matters to Dorn.
“I love playing both positions, but I would say wide receiver because I’m a good-sized wide receiver,” Dorn said. “When I was playing running back, I was doing fine, but I wasn’t the typical 6-foot 220 running back; I’m only 205 pounds.”
Dorn certainly can earn playing time at his new position, being that Penny Hart and Todd Boyd are the only two receivers returning to the Panthers’ roster that have solidified their spot on the depth chart. But head coach Shawn Elliott reminds his players often that “nothing is given, everything is earned.”
Fortunately for Dorn, he has used the offseason to help make the transition smooth.
“I have been working on my releases and my hand movement at the line and working on getting separation so I can make the route as easy as possible,” Dorn said. “Also, during the route, I’ve been working on leaning the defender and stacking him – making it difficult to be guarded.”
However, the process hasn’t necessarily been that smooth. Dorn has been dealing with an injury that prevents him from actually catching the ball with two hands.
“The biggest challenge for me right now is to come back with confidence. I broke my hand, so when I get out of my cast/club I’m playing in, I just need to come back and play better than before.”
Another talent
We’ve all heard the saying; it’s good to have a backup plan (or a “plan B,” if you will). For Dorn, that backup plan may very well be a music career – an R&B singing career, to be exact.
“Music has always been around for me, everyone in my family does music,” Dorn said as to why he wanted to engage in a music career. “My dad is a singer and so is everyone on his side of the family.”
After a football injury caused him to miss time on the field last year, Dorn flirted with the idea of becoming a musician.
“I recently started engineering when I got hurt last year,” Dorn said. “I had to find something other than football that interested me and music was it. I started off engineering, but then I started singing because it was more fun.”
One artist that has Dorn’s attention music-wise is PnB Rock.
“He’s killing the game right now,” Dorn said of the 25-year-old singer and songwriter from Philadelphia. “I’m hoping I can work with him soon.”
As for Dorn, he recently released an EP called “Tranquility” — a project that he has invested quality time creating. Tranquility is available on Apple Music, Spotify, SoundCloud and Tidal, just to name a few.
According to Dorn, however, the spelling of his stage name is Kendrik — as opposed to the original spelling of his name (Kendrick).
So what can we expect from Kendrik in the future?
“We are about to get one of the songs titled “One Chance” on the radio, so we are going to push that hard and continue to make new music every day.”
Keep an eye out for Dorn’s performance on the football field and an ear out for his music on the air-waves.
