EDITOR'S NOTE: The Kennesaw State Department of Athletics will induct five new members into its Hall of Fame this fall at a ceremony on Friday, Nov. 6 at NorthStar Church in Kennesaw. The inductees will also be recognized during the Saturday, Nov. 7 KSU football contest against Delaware at Walens Family Field at Fifth Third Stadium.

Doors will open at 5:30 p.m., providing guests an opportunity to mingle before dinner begins at 6:15 p.m. The induction ceremony is scheduled to begin at 7:10 p.m. Tickets for the Hall of Fame dinner are available for $90 individually or $600 for a table.
 
KSUOwls.com will profile each inductee leading up to the ceremony. We now explore the Andre Dorsey story.

Andre Dorsey has gone from one of the best track and field athletes in Kennesaw State history to a husband, father of four and full-time chiropractor. Now, his induction into the KSU Athletics Hall of Fame gives him an opportunity to share his journey with the next generation.

“My house is like a wildlife reserve, but they are truly awesome and the reason why this induction is probably the best thing I have ever achieved in my athletic career,” Dorsey said of his children. “Now they can see what happened when their father repeatedly failed, got hurt, got told he wasn't good enough — and kept going.”

So how did a kid from Louisiana who wasn't even sure college was an option become a KSU Hall of Famer?

Chalmette, Louisiana: Where the Mindset Began

Long before Dorsey became a Kennesaw State Hall of Famer, he was a kid growing up in Chalmette, Louisiana, a small community just outside New Orleans. Summers meant riding bikes for miles with neighborhood kids, tearing around on dirt bikes and camping on a levee after Friday night football games.

The same kids often played sports together from childhood through high school, and family extended well beyond the walls of a home. In Chalmette, Dorsey learned that people could fight, argue and disagree, then show up for one another at a block party or backyard crawfish boil.

It was a place shaped by New Orleans culture, close-knit families and the kind of adversity that, Dorsey said, taught people to keep moving forward.

“We constantly got hit with adversity, and we keep bouncing back stronger than before,” he said.

That mindset would follow Dorsey throughout his life.

Financial instability meant college was not something he could take for granted. His future might have looked very different without the influence of his nana and uncle, whom he credits with keeping him on the right path when he could have “just been a statistic.”

At the time, Dorsey did not know where that path would lead. He was simply learning to navigate a world in which opportunities had to be recognized, seized and sometimes fought for. Track and field would eventually give him one of those opportunities.

The Beginning of His Track Career

Dorsey was playing baseball during his sophomore year at Chalmette High School when the school's throws coach, James “Biggie” Bickford asked him to try the javelin. The coach had watched Dorsey play and recognized that he had a decent arm and could jump, even though he was on the smaller side.

“I made a deal with him that if I tried it out, he wouldn't make me run laps,” Dorsey said. “He didn't have to convince me any further after that deal.”

A few weeks later, Dorsey began competing in jumping events, and his career took off.

“I was naturally ‘good’ at it, even though the marks weren't immediately screaming it,” he said. “It wasn't something I had ever done before, so the newness helped drive the competitive desire to be good at something I had never done.”

Track and field is a highly technical sport, and Dorsey enjoyed figuring out how different elements worked. That curiosity, combined with his competitive drive, helped him develop into a versatile athlete.

Finding KSU

After high school, Dorsey planned to join the Marines, following a path taken by many in his family. That plan changed on a Friday night before a football game during his senior year.

As he was walking out of the tunnel, Dorsey learned that Coach Biggie had told him Kennesaw State assistant track and field coach Duane Morris wanted to speak with him.

“I didn't even think about track being an option to get out of St. Bernard and get an education until that moment,” Dorsey said. “It's like doors I didn't know were there opened, and I had to reevaluate how I took advantage of the opportunity. I definitely looked at the sport in a different light and started applying myself a whole lot more and taking it seriously.”

Dorsey took his official visit to Kennesaw State during a snowstorm in 2011. The campus offered the balance he wanted: a small-town atmosphere, proximity to home and access to the opportunities of the Atlanta area.

“I liked that it was still a small-town feel and that I could focus on what I needed to do and make the most out of the chance I was being given,” he said. “I didn't have to worry about how we could afford college or all the extracurricular activities that were commonplace in my early life. I was close enough to home to not be homesick, close enough to Atlanta and Athens to have fun, and I had my aunt an hour and a half away.”

During the visit, Dorsey learned about director of track and field Andy Eggerth's approach to the jumping events and the program's training methodology.

“It kind of made everything click that I'm in the right place,” he said.

Proving He Belonged

Dorsey wasted little time establishing himself as one of the top athletes in the ASUN Conference.

During the 2012 outdoor season, he was named the ASUN Outdoor Championship Most Outstanding Freshman Performer and earned Most Valuable Performer honors after scoring 31 points at the conference meet. He finished in the top seven in five events, including three top-three performances: first in the javelin at 56.07 meters, second in the high jump at 2.01 meters and third in the triple jump at 14.35 meters.

Dorsey continued his success during the 2012-13 season, earning ASUN indoor and outdoor championship honors. He qualified for the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships in the triple jump, finishing 11th indoors and 14th outdoors.

The 2013-14 indoor season proved to be the best of Dorsey's career. He collected multiple regular-season victories, including a personal-best triple jump of 16.27 meters (53 feet, 4 1/2 inches) at the Armory Collegiate meet. He also set Kennesaw State's indoor school records in the high jump and triple jump, marks that still stand.

At the ASUN Indoor Championships, Dorsey won the high jump, long jump and triple jump while finishing second in the shot put. He earned Most Outstanding Field Athlete honors and became the only jumper to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships in all three jumping events.

Dorsey earned second-team All-America honors in the triple jump and long jump and was named the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association South Region Field Athlete of the Year.

“This was the moment I truly believed that I had what it took to be good at this weird sport,” Dorsey said. “After having so many tell me I wasn't good enough, to do something that very few people have ever done in recent generations was a huge statement I got to make to prove people wrong.”

The season also changed how he viewed his potential.

“During that season, everything felt like it started coming together, and it didn't feel like I was trying any harder than normal,” he said. “Another door was opening, and I just wanted to keep moving forward. It opened my eyes that, with everything I'd done to that point and how hard I worked, it was just the beginning.”

Competing alongside athletes who would go on to represent their countries at the Olympics and world championships gave Dorsey a broader perspective on the level he had reached.

“That was cool to look back at,” he said.

Dorsey carried that momentum into the 2014 outdoor season, earning Most Outstanding Performer and Most Outstanding Field Performer honors at the ASUN Outdoor Championships. He scored 45 points across six events, collecting three gold medals and a silver, and competed in all three jumping events at the NCAA East Preliminary Round.

At the 2015 ASUN Indoor Championships, Dorsey won all three jumping events and again earned Most Outstanding Performer and Most Outstanding Field Performer honors. He and teammate Bilal Abdullah competed in the heptathlon at the NCAA Indoor Championships.

An injury later cost Dorsey his 2015 outdoor season, but the indoor championship remained a meaningful experience.

“I would say the one I'm glad I got to do was NCAA Indoor 2015,” Dorsey said. “I was hurt and awaiting surgery. Bilal made it as well in the same event, so we both went and competed. I got to help him during the meet, watch him get on the podium and break school records to do so.”

Watching his teammate succeed gave Dorsey a different perspective on competition.

“Watching him succeed like that was really cool, and I was incredibly proud that I got to be a part of that, even though I could barely jog without being in excruciating pain,” he said.

Dorsey returned for a record-setting final outdoor season in 2016. He established Kennesaw State's outdoor triple jump record with a mark of 16.10 meters (52 feet, 10 inches) and recorded the second-best marks in program history in the long jump and high jump.

He won four gold medals at the ASUN Outdoor Championships, earning Most Outstanding Performer and Most Outstanding Field Performer honors. He again qualified for the NCAA East Preliminary Round in all three jumping events before advancing to the NCAA Championships.

In his final collegiate competition as an Owl, Dorsey finished 19th in the long jump and 22nd in the high jump.

A Champion's Mindset: Pushing Himself and His Teammates

Dorsey was part of a senior class that helped lead Kennesaw State to eight consecutive ASUN Conference team championships. The program's success reflected a culture of high expectations and a belief that its athletes could compete with the best.

“We were constantly told that if we did what we needed to do, we weren't going to be beaten,” Dorsey said. “The goal was always the national stage and, if we were lucky, the world stage. We had a smaller team than everyone else, but we had better athletes.”

Dorsey held himself and his teammates to a high standard throughout his time at KSU.

“I held myself to a higher standard than what was expected of us,” he said. “I also tried to let my team know what that standard was so that we were all on the same page. I'm going to push you because I want you to push me.”

That mentality was tested repeatedly by injuries.

“I truly don't remember a single season I have ever played a sport where I didn't get injured,” Dorsey said.

He sustained an ankle injury during his first collegiate meet and spent much of the outdoor season in a walking boot. To remain competitive, he had to adapt his training and relearn his events using his other foot.

“I had to buckle down and relearn my events with the other foot to stay at KSU,” Dorsey said. “I was more worried about them sending me home and saying I wasn't needed anymore than I was about not competing anymore. I was way too hardheaded for that mindset to creep in. If I wasn't doing rehab, I was doing prehab.”

His persistence became a defining part of his collegiate career. Rather than allowing setbacks to end his progress, Dorsey continually found ways to keep working toward his goals.

Lessons That Lasted Beyond the Track

Dorsey credits his relationships with KSU coaches, professors and athletic trainers with helping shape the person he became beyond athletics.

“I would tell so many people thank you for everything you did to help me be a successful part of society,” Dorsey said. “All my success is truly owed to every single person who kept me humble or lifted me up during the hard times. I very easily could have gone down the path I was expected to go down and just been a statistic. I'm able to give my family the life I never had because of so many people who were selfless and honest with me.”

He said the professors he encountered at KSU genuinely cared about their students. Their influence, along with that of his track coaches, encouraged him to pursue a future beyond athletics.

One relationship helped determine his next career.

Dr. Keith Rau, Kennesaw State's chiropractor, treated Dorsey throughout his athletic career. Dorsey credits Rau's care with helping him manage injuries and continue competing. Rau also helped him envision a future in chiropractic care.

According to Dorsey, Rau personally walked him into the admissions department at Life University and encouraged him to pursue the profession.

“He told me I was going to be a chiropractor,” Dorsey said. “After he helped me so many times in my career, who was I to tell him no? He's taken care of so many professional athletes and is one of the humblest humans I've ever met. If he thinks I'm smart enough to get another degree, I'm going to listen.”

Dorsey followed Rau's advice, earned his Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Life University and went on to establish his career in health care. He now runs Calhoun Chiropractic.

The transition from collegiate athlete to health care professional gave Dorsey a way to apply the lessons he learned at KSU while helping others navigate their own physical challenges.

A Hall of Fame Moment for the Next Generation

For Dorsey, induction into the KSU Athletics Hall of Fame represents more than recognition of his records and championship performances. It offers a chance to reflect on the setbacks, sacrifices and persistence that shaped his journey.

“It's like the little bow that is wrapping up a cool time of my life,” he said. “I got to prove to the world, but more importantly to myself, that I did it. I busted my butt, and it shows, even if I never got the USA logo on my chest.”

Dorsey said he retired from competition before he was truly ready, but he has come to accept that his life took a different path for a reason. Today, he is a husband, father of four and chiropractor, with a new generation watching him.

His children were not around to witness his collegiate career, but the Hall of Fame induction gives him a way to share that chapter of his life with them.

The Champions Fund
The Champions Fund is a newly created, 100% tax deductible, philanthropic opportunity to contribute strategic revenue to Kennesaw State Athletics, with the goal of strengthening our ability to recruit and retain top-tier talent in this new era of collegiate athletics. Contributions to the Champions Fund will help aid in funding student-athlete recruitment and retention, as well as helping the Owls provide competitive excellence through investments in coaching, travel and facilities. The fund will also give an elevated student-athlete experience, including enhanced academic, nutrition, wellness and leadership programs. Donate to the Champions Fund here and help us support our Kennesaw State Owls.