Mike Doss
Encyclopedia
Michael Allen Doss is an American football
safety who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts
in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Ohio State
.
, leading them to back-to-back state football titles, as well as a USA Today
National Championship as a running back
, linebacker
, and safety. As a senior, he had 1,454 yards rushing, 22 touchdown
s, 111 tackles
, and three interception
s and won all-state honors and an All-America
honorable mention by USA Today.
, where he started 40 out of 50 career games and was a three-time All-Big Ten
selection and a three-time All-America choice by the Sporting News. He had 331 career tackles, eight interceptions, eight fumble
s recovered, and six sack
s. With Doss starting all 14 games as a senior, Ohio State won the national championship against the University of Miami
in the Fiesta Bowl
as Doss intercepted a Ken Dorsey pass to give Ohio State the lead. He also was a consensus First Team All-America, a Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and a two-time semi-finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award
.
On Saturday, September 10, 2011, Doss was inducted into the Ohio State Football Hall of Fame.
drafted Doss in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft
. In that season, he started 15 games at strong safety, amassing 101 tackles and three interceptions. Doss was released by the Colts after the 2006 season.
. He played in eight games.
on December 9, 2008 after the team released defensive end
Josh Mallard
. He was released by the team on April 27, 2009.
In 2010 Doss was has named the winner of the Canton Jaycees Distinguished Service Award. Doss and the Mike Doss Foundation have been responsible for the Make A Difference Youth Football Camp at Fawcett Stadium. Approximately 200 children, ages 8–12, have participated annually. Doss also is responsible for the Back to School Block Party for Canton City Schools students. By partnering with local companies and organizations, Doss’ organization has distributed goods with a total value of $20,000. Doss also continues to provide gifts to local children during the holiday season and serves as a motivational speaker for students in Canton City Schools as requested.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
safety who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft
2003 NFL Draft
The 2003 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936. The draft was held April 26–27, 2003 at the Theatre at...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
.
Early years
Doss attended Canton McKinley High SchoolCanton McKinley High School
Canton McKinley Senior High School is a public high school in Canton, Stark County, Ohio, U.S. It is one of the largest and oldest high schools in Ohio.-Athletics:...
, leading them to back-to-back state football titles, as well as a USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
National Championship as a running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
, linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
, and safety. As a senior, he had 1,454 yards rushing, 22 touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s, 111 tackles
Tackle (football move)
Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....
, and three interception
Interception (football)
An interception, intercept or pick is a move in many forms of football, including Canadian and American football, as well as rugby league, rugby union, Australian rules football and Gaelic football, which involves a pass, either by foot or hand, being caught by an opposition player, who usually...
s and won all-state honors and an All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
honorable mention by USA Today.
College career
Doss played as a safety at Ohio State UniversityOhio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
, where he started 40 out of 50 career games and was a three-time All-Big Ten
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
selection and a three-time All-America choice by the Sporting News. He had 331 career tackles, eight interceptions, eight fumble
Fumble
A fumble in American and Canadian football occurs when a player, who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed or scoring. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession...
s recovered, and six sack
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
s. With Doss starting all 14 games as a senior, Ohio State won the national championship against the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
in the Fiesta Bowl
Fiesta Bowl
The Fiesta Bowl, now sponsored by Frito-Lay and named with their Tostitos brand, is a United States college football bowl game played annually at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Between its origination in 1971 and 2006, the game was hosted in Tempe, Arizona at Sun Devil...
as Doss intercepted a Ken Dorsey pass to give Ohio State the lead. He also was a consensus First Team All-America, a Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and a two-time semi-finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award
Jim Thorpe Award
The Jim Thorpe Award, named in memory of multi-sport legend Jim Thorpe, has been awarded to the top defensive back in college football since 1986...
.
On Saturday, September 10, 2011, Doss was inducted into the Ohio State Football Hall of Fame.
Indianapolis Colts
In 2003, the Indianapolis ColtsIndianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
drafted Doss in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft
2003 NFL Draft
The 2003 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936. The draft was held April 26–27, 2003 at the Theatre at...
. In that season, he started 15 games at strong safety, amassing 101 tackles and three interceptions. Doss was released by the Colts after the 2006 season.
Minnesota Vikings
On April 4, 2007 Doss was signed to a one-year contract by the Minnesota VikingsMinnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
. He played in eight games.
Cincinnati Bengals
Doss was then signed by the Cincinnati BengalsCincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
on December 9, 2008 after the team released defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
Josh Mallard
Josh Mallard
Josh Mallard is an American football defensive end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the seventh round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
. He was released by the team on April 27, 2009.
Personal
In 2005, Mike Doss founded The Michael A. Doss Foundation (Make A Difference campaign). MDF was founded to assist in the advancement of education, relief of the underprivileged and underserved youth and the promotion of social welfare by lessening neighborhood tensions, eliminating prejudice and discrimination, and combating community deterioration and juvenile delinquency. More information is available at www.MADifference.org.In 2010 Doss was has named the winner of the Canton Jaycees Distinguished Service Award. Doss and the Mike Doss Foundation have been responsible for the Make A Difference Youth Football Camp at Fawcett Stadium. Approximately 200 children, ages 8–12, have participated annually. Doss also is responsible for the Back to School Block Party for Canton City Schools students. By partnering with local companies and organizations, Doss’ organization has distributed goods with a total value of $20,000. Doss also continues to provide gifts to local children during the holiday season and serves as a motivational speaker for students in Canton City Schools as requested.