Lions to appear in an NFL regular season game
DeDe Dorsey, Running Back
DeDe Dorsey is the first Lindenwood player to play a regular season game in the NFL. He played on the special teams for the Indianapolis Colts in 2006 for 13 regular season games. He also appeared in four postseason games that year, including the Colts’ 29-17 win over the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI.
The next two years, Dorsey was a member of the Cincinnati Bengals, playing in 16 games. He rushed 26 times for 191 yards, an average of 7.3 yards per carry. He had nine carries for first downs and two runs of 20 yards or more. He also caught six passes for 68 yards and returned two kickoffs for 10 yards. In 2007, he scored his first touchdown when he blocked a punt and returned it 19 yards for a score against the Arizona Cardinals.
In 2009, Dorsey played for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League. He was named MVP of the league’s championship game after scoring two touchdowns in a 20-17 win over Florida. He rushed 11 times for 66 yards in that contest. After spending training camp with the Detroit Lions in 2010, he returned to Las Vegas and was a member of that team which won another UFL title. In 2013, Dorsey signed a contract to play in the Canadian Football League.
Dorsey played at Lindenwood from 2004-05. He was converted to running back midway through his junior season and rushed for 2,541 yards and 27 touchdowns in just 16 games. As a senior, he rushed for 1,600 yards and 16 scores. He also had two receiving touchdowns and was in the top ten nationally in rushing, scoring, and all-purpose yards. He earned AFCA All-American honors that year, the first Lindenwood player to earn that honor. Dorsey was also named to the NAIA All-Decade team by the CollegeFanz Sports Network as a first-team running back.
Brian Schaefering, Defensive End
Brian Schaefering was a member of the New York Jets practice squad before signing with the Cleveland Browns in 2009. On Dec. 6 of that year he played in his first regular season game, making one tackle against all-Pro LaDainian Tomlinson. He appeared in five games and collected 12 tackles and 1.5 sacks.
In 2010, Schaefering played in 16 games for the Browns, including nine starts. He made 31 tackles on the season, including 24 solo stops. He had a season-high seven tackles against the defending Super Bowl Champions Pittsburgh Steelers.
In 2011, Schaefering again played in 16 games for Cleveland. He made 29 tackles, including 18 solo stops. He assisted on a sack versus Cincinnati and made a career-high eight tackles against Baltimore. In 2012, Schaefering signed late in the season with the Dallas Cowboys. He made three tackles in three games with Dallas.
Schaefering played one season at Lindenwood in 2007. He was a first-team all-conference selection and honorable mention All-American selection. That year, Schaefering led the team with 6.5 sacks and was tied for second in the HAAC and 19th in the NAIA with 0.70 sacks a game. He also recorded 19 solo tackles, 18 assisted tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, one fumble recovery, and one blocked kick. Schaefering helped Lindenwood to a 10-2 record that year, including a 10-0 mark in games in which he appeared.
Pierre Desir, Cornerback
Pierre Desir was the first Lindenwood player taken in the NFL Draft when he was selected in the fourth round of the 2014 draft by the Cleveland Browns. He made his Cleveland Browns debut on Nov. 30 against Buffalo. Desir played two seasons for Cleveland, and started the 2016 season with the San Diego Chargers. He finished that year on the Seattle Seahawks practice squad. In 2017, Desir moved to Indianapolis to join the Colts, and as made his mark in his first two years with the team. In the spring of 2019, Desir inked a three-year contract with the Colts through the 2021 season.
complete information about Pierre Desir
Other Lions to sign NFL contracts:
Ryan Silch (2000)
Zac Atterberry (2008)
Roren Thomas (2010)
Marcel Thompson (2010)
Jamere Holland (2011)
Andrew Helmick (2013)
Denodus O'Bryant (2013)
Connor Harris (2017)
Ace Rogers (2018)
Jon Harris (2019)
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