Scout Radio: RB DeDe Dorsey

His college running backs coach predicted that he'd be the NFL's next Willie Parker, an undrafted free agent who's had great success in Pittsburgh. And it appears he's got the inside track to be Joseph Addai's partner this season in Indy's backfield. He talked to Scout.com's Ed Thompson this week in this Scout Radio exclusive.

Last year at this time, Colts running back DeDe Dorsey was getting ready for his first NFL training camp with the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent out of Lindenwood College. But in the span of one year, he switched teams -- after the Bengals unsuccessfully tried to sneak him through waivers to add him to their practice squad -- earned a Super Bowl ring with the Colts, and is now heading into this year's camp as the heavy favorite to pair up with Joseph Addai in Indy's tandem-back rushing offense.

But getting a Super Bowl ring and having the opportunity to hit the field for the first time as a pro running back instead of a special teams player hasn't changed him at all on a personal level.

"You should be who you are, no matter what the situation is," he said during a recent Scout Radio interview.  "I was taught as a young person not to let my circumstances change my character or my personality."

But as a player, he feels there have been big changes as he used his first year on the Colts' 53-man roster to refine his skills and technique.

(Getty Images)

"I've really tried to work on all aspects of being a running back," he said.  "Playing with the Indianapolis Colts, we're a big passing team, so you have to be on top of your game, especially with pass protection and your pass blocking. So I worked on making sure I was solid in my schemes as well as in the act of pass blocking. There are monstrous linebackers to deal with out there, so I'm going to continue to work on that in training camp.

"The other big thing is knowing your assignment. Having as complex of an offense as we do, it's vital that you know what you're doing on every play."

With Dominic Rhodes' departure to Oakland via free agency during the offseason, Dorsey is the most likely player to step into Rhodes' spot sharing carries with Joseph Addai. But don't expect Dorsey to step into the role of being the north-south power-runner that Rhodes handled so well during the playoffs and in the Super Bowl. At 5-foot-10, 196 pounds, it's his quickness and breakaway speed that has drawn comparisons to another undrafted free agent who has made quite a name for himself with the Pittsburgh Steelers -- Willie Parker.

"I'm definitely a smaller guy running the ball, so I try to use speed more than power," Dorsey explained. "When you watch me, I think you'll see that any time I get the choice between speed or power, I'll be more likely to use speed."

And Dorsey has already been doing some offseason lobbying to have an opportunity to use that speed to Indy's advantage more often. 

"I've definitely put in the special teams coach's ear that I wouldn't mind being back there returning kickoffs," he said with a laugh. "So hopefully during training camp I'll get to work on it a little bit."

Listen to the rest of this exclusive interview with this 5-minute audio clip where DeDe talks about his role in offseason workouts and minicamps, the similarities between him and Addai, joking around with Peyton Manning, some insight on rookie Michael Coe, and his camp essentials as he prepares to pack his bags for training camp. Scout.com subscribers can click this link: Listen to Audio

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A member of the Professional Football Writers of America, Ed Thompson's NFL and college football player interviews and features have been published across the Scout.com network and syndicated through FoxSports.com's NFL team pages.