Three Seasons After His Death, Keeley Dorsey Takes Field Once More

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- "Miss Dorsey," the voice on the other end of the telephone said, "I regret to inform you your son Keeley has passed away."

Tammie Dorsey received that call on Jan. 17, 2007, telling her that her 19-year old son, Keeley Dorsey, had died. That was more than two years and seven months ago, but those words remain etched in her memory, just as permanent as her son's name is engraved on the concrete grave marker.

"I remember those words like it was yesterday," Tammie said.

On Saturday, the University of South Florida played Wofford in the Bulls' season opener at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. This was supposed to be Keeley's senior year.

Ever since Keeley's death during a weightlifting session at the school, no one has worn Dorsey's No. 10 at USF.

That changed with the 40-7 victory by the Bulls. For each game, a USF senior will wear No. 10 in honor of Dorsey.

"It means a lot, especially knowing Keeley would have been graduating with us this year," said senior quarterback Matt Grothe, who named his 7-month old beagle "Keeley's Little Angel" in Keeley's honor. "Knowing Keeley, it's an honor for all of us to wear that jersey and hopefully we can represent it well."

Tammie Dorsey said Thursday she is glad her son is being honored by USF. "I'm OK with it," she said. "I'm pretty excited. I'm not upset, like I thought I would be."

USF defensive tackle Aaron Harris was the first to wear No. 10.

"I think it will be emotional for everyone that wears it," Harris said earlier in the week. "I don't know about added pressure, but it will be more motivation. Just thinking about a guy that's supposed to be playing his last year of football – and he can't."


Keeley's last year of football was in 2006. He was a freshman running back at USF.

In the 2006 season opener against McNeese State, Keeley took the second carry of his collegiate career up the middle. He then darted to the outside, juked inside -- spinning around a helpless defensive back grasping at air -- and raced down the sideline, completing the 52-yard touchdown run on the game's final play.

"That was his proudest moment," Tammie said.

Keeley's freshman season not only began with a splash, but it also ended it with one.

In USF's final game with the waning seconds ticking off the Legion Field scoreboard at the Papajohns.com Bowl, Keeley grabbed one handle of a cooler full of blue Powerade. He lifted it up and helped douse USF coach Jim Leavitt.

Keeley didn't even get to play one snap in USF's victory, but by his Tigger-like bouncing afterward, there was no way anyone in Birmingham, Ala., that December afternoon in 2006 could have been happier than Keeley.

Less than a month later, Keeley was dead.

The medical examiner ruled he died by natural causes or, specifically, "sudden cardiac death of undetermined etiology." But why he died didn't make it any easier for Tammie to accept.

"Anyone that knew Keeley, you just can't forget him," Tammie said. "I mean, he's in my heart."

Shortly after his death, Tammie got a tattoo on her right thigh. It was the same tattoo that Keeley had on his back: "Enjoy life today, yesterday is gone, tomorrow may never come."

A few months ago, Tammie added another tattoo on her left thigh. This one was of a photo of Keeley wearing his favorite ballcap, the one with his "K" on it and the words "God couldn't wait."

God may not have been able to wait, but Tammie continues to wait. She waits for the day that she's strong enough to replace what was supposed to be the temporary grave marker in the southeast corner of the Southside Cemetery that reads:

KEELEY MAURICE DORSEY
AUG 5 1987 - JAN 17 2007

Her son's grave site hasn't changed much over the years. The yellow plastic flowers still remain -- "Yellow was his favorite color," Tammie said -- along with a plaque with Keeley's "Live one day at a time" motto.

A miniature cement football lies in the grass next to a USF cap that has seen better days. The once-green hat bill and iconic U have been faded gray while baking a couple of years under the Tallahassee sun.

One of these days, Tammie said she will replace the grave marker with a tombstone. Just don't ask her when. She doesn't know.

"I think the reason I haven't done his tombstone is because, in a way, it would make it permanent," Tammie said. "And I don't know if I'm ready to make it that permanent."

How could she ever make it permanent?

Tammie used to wish there was a different way to get to work so she didn't have to drive by the cemetery. She no longer makes daily visits to the cemetery as she did for the first year after Keeley's death. She still does go about twice a month, plus "birthdays, Mother's Day, Christmas, Thanksgiving and the anniversary."

On her visits, Tammie talks to Keeley. She tells him how his older brother Markell and his younger brother Nahriek are doing.

Markell, 25, is a member of the United States Marine Corps stationed in Iraq. Tammie usually only trades E-mails with Markell, but a few months ago she received a call in the middle of the night from Iraq.

Her worst nightmare was happening again: another call about another son.

"Mom," Markell said, "I got shot."

Markell was fine, though. He said he had been shot twice from behind. Once in the shoulder area -- the bullet zipped right through his body. The second bullet lodged in his hip, but was removed by surgery.

Tammie wanted to get more details, but then again she really didn't want to know any more specifics. When your oldest son is a Marine fighting in Iraq, sometimes she thought, it's better not to know everything.

Tammie was initially surprised when Markell joined the Marines last year. Looking back, she thinks he needed to establish his own identity and find his own way. He also needed a way to help deal with losing his brother and best friend despite their four-year age difference.

"They were inseparable," Tammie said. "They were both Leos and loved football. Markell took Keeley's death especially hard.

"Growing up they kept secrets and they kept 'em good. Typical boy stuff you don't want Mom to know: the first girl, the first sneak-out."

Her youngest son, 14-year-old Nahriek wants to follow in Keeley's footsteps and play college football.

"When Keeley died -- I'm trying not to cry -- it also took Markell away," Tammie said. "Markell wasn't around as much. He was distant and it made Nahriek be more by himself. I think he's just now starting to get over it. I think that's why he's really gotten into playing football."

Playing football was what Keeley especially loved. Nobody loved football like Keeley.

When he was seven, he slept with a football every night.

"He still did so even through high school," Tammie said. "He would carry it with him and sit on the couch and just hold that football."



Keeley played at Tallahassee's Lincoln High School. He was a talented quarterback and running back, but an even better teammate.

Former Lincoln coach David Wilson laughs when he remembers Keeley's smile and his persistence. Keeley would constantly badger Wilson at all hours to unlock the equipment shed filled with resistance cords, blocking sleds, weighted vests and other equipment, so Keeley could work on improving his game.

Keeley's persistence eventually wore down Wilson.

"Finally I just got tired of going out to open the thing for him," Wilson said. "I gave him his own key. I told him, 'I know what's in the room, so if anything's missing, you've got to deal with me.' "

Soon after that, Keeley was organizing drills and workouts for 50-60 players on the practice field.

During Keeley's senior year, Wilson had to make a tough decision. He needed Keeley to move from starting quarterback to running back to allow a freshman to play quarterback. Keeley never objected.

That freshman, B.J. Daniels, is now ironically a redshirt freshman quarterback at the University of South Florida.

"Keeley was switched to running back and I started at quarterback," Daniels said. "But Keeley embraced it. It was a weird situation. I was taking his position, but he was always helping me out.

"He was that type of guy, a team player."

Daniels honored Keeley by getting a tattoo on his arm. It's the same tattoo that was on Keeley's back and is on Tammie's right thigh: "Enjoy life today, yesterday is gone, tomorrow may never come."

USF held a team meeting this summer. Usually it's only the seniors who address the team, but Daniels piped up. He knew he wasn't a senior, but he had something to say – and he wanted the entire team to hear what he not only had to say, but needed to say.

"I went up and told them, know what wearing No. 10 represents," Daniels said. "Keeley meant a lot to me.

"He might not have been here long, but he made his impact."