Dorsey Levens was born on May 21, 1970, in Syracuse, New York. Levens went to Nottingham High School in Syracuse where his prowess in football led to a football scholarship from Notre Dame. Levens played for the Fighting Irish for two years in 1989 and 1990, as he rushed for 185 yards and three touchdowns, plus caught four passes for 47 more yards. After transferring to Georgia Tech, Levens played two years (1992 and 1993) for the Ramblin’ Wreck, Levens rushed for 1,036 yards and 10 touchdowns, plus caught 21 passes for 276 yards and two more scores.
The 6’1″, 230-pound Levens was drafted in the fifth round of the 1994 NFL draft by the Green Bay Packers. After not getting a lot of playing time his rookie year in the regular season, Levens still scored a touchdown in a Wild Card playoff game vs. the Detroit Lions in a 16-12 win. In 1995, Levens became more of a presence in the offense, as he backed up Edgar Bennett at halfback, as he gained 120 yards rushing and scored three touchdowns, plus caught 48 passes for 434 yards and four more scores. In the 1995 postseason, No. 25 scored another touchdown, when he caught an 18-yard pass for a score against the Atlanta Falcons in another Wild Card playoff game, as the Packers won 37-20.
By 1996, No. 25 made even more of an impact for the Packers on offense, as he rushed for 566 yards and five touchdowns, plus caught 31 passes for 226 yards and five more scores. In the 1996 postseason, Levens really made his mark in the NFC championship game, as he rushed for 88 yards and caught 5 passes for 117 yards and a touchdown in a 30-13 win over the Carolina Panthers. In Super Bowl XXXI vs. the New England Patriots, Levens was the Packers’ leading rusher, carrying the ball 14 times for 61 yards, as the Packers won their first Super Bowl in 29 years, 35-21.
After Bennett went down with a season-ending Achilles tendon tear, Levens became a full-time starter at halfback in 1997. Levens had his best year ever, as he gained 1,435 yards rushing and scored seven touchdowns, while also catching 53 passes for 370 yards and five more touchdowns. Because of that production, Levens was named to the Pro Bowl squad.
In the 1997 postseason, Levens rushed for 316 yards and two scores, plus caught 14 passes for 112 more yards. In 1998, Levens only played in seven games due to a knee injury and gained 378 yards rushing and had one score. Still, in the 1998 Wild Card playoff game vs. the San Francisco 49ers, No. 25 was able to gain 116 yards on the ground and had one touchdown, as the Packers lost 30-27.
Overall, Levens spent eight years in Green Bay where he gained 3,937 yards and scored 28 touchdowns, while also catching 271 passes for 2,079 yards and 16 more touchdowns in the regular season. In the postseason, Levens is the all-time leading rusher in Green Bay history, as he toted the rock for 647 yards, while also scoring four touchdowns. Levens also caught 41 passes for 387 yards and two touchdowns in his postseason career as a Packer.
In 2002, Levens joined the Philadelphia Eagles, as he gained 411 yards on the ground with one touchdown, plus caught 19 passes for 124 more yards and a score. Levens played with the New York Giants in 2003, as he rushed for 197 yards and three scores, before he returned to Philadelphia for the 2004 season, as he rushed for 410 yards and four scores. In the 2004 postseason, Levens ran for 55 yards and a score for the Eagles. After the 2004 season, Levens retired. Overall in his career in the NFL, Levens rushed for 4,955 yards and scored 36 rushing touchdowns, plus caught 304 passes for 2,334 and 17 more scores.
Dorsey Levens retired as a Packer in 2006. Levens was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame in 2009.
In 2006, Levens had a cameo role as the head coach of Xavier in We Are Marshall. In 2015, Levens had a major role in Tyler Perry’s play Madea on the Run.
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