By Michael Kelley ’14
Photo by Steve Tringali ’13/ The Lafayette
Growing up, every football player dreams of playing in the National Football League. Lafayette’s very own Kevin Doty ’12 is attempting to live the dream as he is taking a leave of absence from school this semester to train full time for his professional football career.
While Doty will not graduate in the spring, he still has six years to finish his degree in mechanical engineering and graduate. “It all depends on where football takes me,” Doty said. “I could come back in the fall, or several years down the road.”
Doty, who came on strong as a reliable tight end for the Leopards last fall, is currently attending the Test Training Football Academy, a program previously used by the likes of NFL superstars Joe Flaccoand Patrick Peterson. Doty caught 27 passes for 285 yards and a touchdown last season.
Although the decision to leave school to focus on football was tough, Doty believes he made the right decision and is following his dream.
“Over the last three and a half years, I have been dividing my time between school and football and never giving 100% of my time to one of those things,” Doty said. “School would take away from football and football would take away from school.”
The opportunity arose after Doty played in two all star games, one in Allentown and one in Myrtle Beach. “After those games, I got phone calls and had pretty long interviews with scouts from NFL teams. I began to realize that this could be a reality and that I wanted to pursue this thing hard.”
One of his quarterbacks from last year, Andrew Shoop ‘13, thinks his former teammate has what it takes to make it to the next level. “Kevin is one of the hardest working players I’ve ever been around,” Shoopsaid. “He is definitely one of those guys in the weight room that goes that extra gear. He gets in some scuffles on the field but that is what his competitiveness is like. He has what it takes. It’s about getting under the right personnel.”
At the Test Training Football Academy, Doty is definitely with the right people. He trains with about fifteen other athletes from other schools who are attempting to do the same thing as him: make an active NFL roster. The group works out twice a day and the academy provides a nutrition plan, yoga, and massages. A lot of the trainers who work at the academy are ex-NFL players. The quarterbacks in the group work with Scott Brunner, a former NFL quarterback who played with the New York Giants, Denver Broncos, and former St. Louis Cardinals (now Arizona).
Doty, who has been there for two weeks, is still in the adjustment period. “The toughest part is that everyday, you’re training at a high level,” Doty said. “It is nothing too crazy though because there is not much we do that is too much different or harder than what I did at Lafayette. It is nice to not have school work and the stress that comes from that, though.”
The tight end has already signed with an agent and they are currently working on lining up a pro day. Right now, the plan is to try to go to Temple University’s pro-day, the school at which his brother plays. Already lined up for Doty is a showcase out at Akron’s facilities in mid-March.
While he knows it will be tough to get drafted, he says his best-case scenario would involve getting drafted in the sixth or seventh round. In the NFL though, there are always options to make teams as an undrafted free agent, a path that Blake Costanzo ’06 followed in his journey to the NFL. “That is definitely one guy I need to talk to more,” Doty said. “He was in the same boat I am in now.”
Doty’s Daily Schedule
6:30 a.m.: Wakes up, makes breakfast, and heads over to the facility for the first workout of the day.
9:30 a.m.: Morning Workout: Linear speed or agility and then combine drills: 40 yard dash, 20 yard shuttle or 3 cone drill.
11:30 a.m.: Lunch, film study and specific position drills
1:30 p.m.: Second Workout: Giant strength circuit with very little rest. This is where the players gain size. Protein shake follows the workout.
3:30 p.m.: Specific position drills: Catching balls from quarterbacks, working on long snapping (Doty was a long snapper for the Leopards the past two season)
5:30 p.m.: Massage, whirlpool, and therapy work. Dinner and relaxation follows.
