04/12/2013 Previe: 2013 Garnet and Gold GameFlorida State's four-player quarterback battle takes center stage Saturday at 2 p.m. inside Doak Campbell Stadium. 03/01/2013 Signee Breakdown: John Franklin IIIAs part of an ongoing series of articles, get a glimpse of each member of FSU's 2013 signing class. Up next: dual-threat quarterback John Franklin II. 02/12/2013 Signee Breakdown: Marquez WhiteAs part of an ongoing series of articles, get a glimpse of each member of FSU's 2013 signing class. Up next: cornerback Marquez White. 02/08/2013 Signee Breakdown: Tyrell LyonsAs part of an ongoing series of articles, get a glimpse of each member of FSU's 2013 signing class. Up next: linebacker Tyrell Lyons. 02/07/2013 Signee Breakdown: Jeremy KerrAs part of an ongoing series of articles, get a glimpse of each member of FSU's 2013 signing class. Up first: tight end Jeremy Kerr. The Dawsey File Lawrence Dawsey is in his sixth season on the Florida State staff and his third season as the Seminoles' passing game coordinator and receivers coach. Florida State's receivers have prospered under Dawsey's direction. In 2011, six different receivers averaged better than 11 yards per reception for a passing offense that produced 25 TD receptions and 3,341 yards through 13 games. Rashad Greene, Rodney Smith, Kenny Shaw, Bert Reed and Christian Green finished with at least 25 receptions and more than 400 yards. Dawsey guided Greene, FSU's leading receiver, to one of the best freshman campaigns in FSU history as he posted the second-most receptions (38), receiving touchdowns (7) and third-most receiving yards (596) by a FSU freshman. He ranked among the top five freshmen nationally in receiving touchdowns. Reed left Florida State after four years under Dawsey's tutelage among the top five Seminoles in career receptions and top 15 Seminoles in career receiving yards. Green, a converted quarterback who redshirted in 2010, broke out in 2011 leading the team with a 17.3 yard per catch average and finishing third in receiving yards. Dawsey's unit looks to be even stronger in 2012 returning six of his top seven receivers from a year ago and adding redshirt Kelvin Benjamin, a big, physical 6-6 talent along with veteran receiver Willie Haulstead, who missed the 2011 season, to the mix. In 2010, Dawsey added passing game coordinator to his title and four receivers caught at least 30 passes as Florida State ranked fifth in the ACC in pass receptions and sixth in receiving yards. Reed, Haulstead and Smith combined for 127 receptions, 1,649 yards and 11 touchdowns. In 2009, Dawsey tutored Rod Owens and Reed who became the first pair of Seminole receivers to collect at least 60 receptions each in the same season since 1995. Owens (61) and Reed (60) joined the prolific `95 tandem of Andre Cooper (71) and E.G. Green (60) as the only duos to match that standard in program history. Five Seminoles in 2009 - Owens, Reed, Jarmon Fortson (45), Taiwan Easterling (35) and Richard Goodman (27) - caught at least 20 passes. FSU had not had five receivers with 20 or more catches since the 1992 season. The production of Dawsey's receivers has helped the Seminoles improve in total offense over each of the past five seasons, including its average of 421.7 yards per game in 2009 which was the best season at FSU since 2001. FSU's wideouts had a hand in quarterbacks Christian Ponder and EJ Manuel completing 67.7 percent of their pass attempts, which was the highest by the `Noles since Charlie Ward's 1993 Heisman Trophy winning and National Championship campaign.
In Dawsey's first two seasons at Florida State he helped Greg Carr climb the charts as one of the most productive receivers in school history. Greg Carr finished his career with 148 catches for 2,574 yards and 29 career touchdowns. In 2007, Dawsey's first season, Florida State boasted three receivers - Preston Parker, De'Cody Fagg and Carr - with 700 or more receiving yards for the first time in school history. Beyond the playing field, Dawsey too has established himself as one of the nation's top recruiters. He's picked up the Seminoles' efforts in the Tampa area and helped the Seminoles attract the nation's No. 1 recruiting class in 2011. He was named one of ESPN.com's Top 25 Recruiters of the Year in 2011. Dawsey was also named the 2011 ACC Recruiter of the Year by SI.com and one of the Top 25 recruiters in the nation in 2011 and 2012 by Rivals.com. Also in 2012, he was selected as one of the top 50 recruiters in the country by 247Sports. Dawsey's first coaching job came as a high school assistant at Tampa Catholic in 1998. He did not return to the sideline until serving as a training camp assistant coach with the NFL's St. Louis Rams in 2001 and returned to the high school ranks in 2002 at Blake in Tampa. He spent the 2003 season as a graduate assistant on Nick Saban's LSU staff, where he worked with Jimbo Fisher and also crossed paths with fellow graduate assistant and current FSU assistant James Coley. The Tigers posted a 13-1 record and won the BCS National Championship. Dawsey had the opportunity to work with LSU receiver Michael Clayton, who later became the No. 1 selection of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and broke several of Dawsey's rookie receiving records with the club. The season at LSU opened the door for Dawsey's first, full-time college position as he returned to Tampa as the wide receivers coach at USF from 2004-2006. As a recruiter, he was instrumental in landing the talent which helped the Bulls break on to the national scene. USF's passing offense also took flight during Dawsey's three seasons and ranked among the best in the Big East. Dawsey was an integral part of the Seminole football dynasty as a player. His four seasons at wide receiver corresponded with the first four 10-win, top-five poll finishes by FSU. As a player, he was known for his work ethic, accountability, precision route-running, down-field blocking and the ability to rise to the occasion in big games. Those are the same qualities he has instilled in his current group of receivers. A third-round selection by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1991, Dawsey enjoyed a seven-season NFL career. He also played for the New York Giants (1996), Miami Dolphins (1997) and New Orleans Saints (1999). Dawsey was named the NFL Rookie of the Year by Sports Illustrated and named to the All-Rookie Team by Pro Football Weekly in 1991 after he led Tampa Bay with 55 receptions and set the club's rookie record with 818 receiving yards. Dawsey also led the team in receptions (60) and receiving yards (776) in 1992. Dawsey's family also has enjoyed success as well. His daughter Dominique and son-in-law Michael Moffitt, both Florida State graduates, have each earned their M.D. at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tenn. Dominique is a clinical resident in Anesthesiology at Brigham and Women's Hospital - a Harvard University Hospital. Dawsey's Coaching Ledger
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||