Dorsey Levens is a former American NFL running back. Born May 21, 1970 in Syracuse, New York, Levens had a strong high school football career, going on to play at Notre Dame; only to find himself competing with Ricky Watters, Jerome Bettis, Rodney Culver, Reggie Brooks, and Anthony Johnson, all of whom would play in the NFL. Levens eventually earned the starting tailback job at Notre Dame, but injured his knee before the season started. The next year he transferred to Georgia Tech, where - after sitting out a year - he made people notice his combination of size and speed. His 7.2 yards-per-carry average set the school record at Georgia Tech. In his senior season, Levens was voted first-team All-ACC. He rushed for 823 yards and scored 8 TDs that season. Due partially to his injury, Levens was considered to be a marginal pick in the 1994 NFL draft, and Mel Kiper Jr. labelled him the most overrated pick on the board. He was finally picked in the fifth round by the Green Bay Packers. After playing in various backup roles, he played well in the 1996 postseason, and won the starting halfback job (previously held by Edgar Bennett) in 1997. Levens emerged as one of the best running backs in football in 1997, rushing for over 1400 yards and getting voted to the Pro Bowl. However, he injured his knee again during the 1998 season and was never the same. He gained 1,000 yards for the Packers in the 1999 season, but was mostly used in a reserve role after that. Levens was released in 2001. During the 2002 season, he played with the Philadelphia Eagles, replacing an injured Correll Buckhalter, and in 2003, with the New York Giants, both times as a backup. He was released by the Giants after the 2003 season. After Buckhalter was again injured during the 2004 preseason, Levens was signed by the Eagles as a free agent. He shared duties with Brian Westbrook through the season, and retired during the 2005 offseason.
