Thomas Edward Dohring is a former American football

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...

 player. 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...

 for the University of Michigan

University of Michigan

The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...

 from 1987 to 1990 and professional football for the Kansas City Chiefs

Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...

 in 1992.

Early years

A native of Detroit, Michigan

Detroit, Michigan

Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...

, Dohring attended Divine Child High School

Divine Child High School

Divine Child High School is a private Catholic high school in Dearborn, Wayne County, Michigan, United States. The principal is Peggy Knuth and the Assistant Principal is Damian Hermann. The school's pastor is Father Jim Bilot...

 in Dearborn, Michigan

Dearborn, Michigan

-Economy:Ford Motor Company has its world headquarters in Dearborn. In addition its Dearborn campus contains many research, testing, finance and some production facilities. Ford Land controls the numerous properties owned by Ford including sales and leasing to unrelated businesses such as the...

.

University of Michigan

Dohring 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...

 as an offensive tackle at the University of Michigan

University of Michigan

The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...

 from 1987 to 1990. Dohring started 34 consecutive games for Michigan during those years. He helped lead the 1990 Michigan Wolverines football team

1990 Michigan Wolverines football team

The 1990 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1990 college football season. The team's head coach was Gary Moeller. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium...

 to a Big Ten Conference

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...

 championship and a victory over Ole Miss in the 1991 Gator Bowl

1991 Gator Bowl (January)

The January 1991 Gator Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1991. The Michigan Wolverines, co-champions of the Big Ten Conference, defeated the Ole Miss Rebels of the Southeastern Conference, 35–3....

. First-year head coach Gary Moeller

Gary Moeller

Gary O. Moeller is an American football coach best known for being head coach at the University of Michigan from 1990 to 1994. During his five seasons at Michigan, he won 44 games, lost 13 and tied 3 for a winning percentage of .758...

 praised the work of Dorhing and the other offensive linemen for the 1990 team: "It's nice to have the running backs we do, but when you're running behind Tom Dohring, Joe Cocozzo

Joe Cocozzo

Joe Cocozzo is a former American football guard who played in the National Football League for the San Diego Chargers. Cocozzo attended the University of Michigan.-External links:...

, Matt Elliott

Matt Elliott (American football)

Eric Matthew Elliott played all three interior offensive line positions for the University of Michigan, starting 35 games for the Wolverines during his college career...

 and Greg Skrepenak

Greg Skrepenak

Gregory Andrew Skrepenak is a convicted felon, a former Luzerne County, Pennsylvania commissioner and a former professional American football offensive lineman in the National Football League for the Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders and the Carolina Panthers. He was convicted after admitting he...

, it's a big help." Dohring was selected by the conference coaches as a member of the first-team All-Big Ten offensive unit at the end of November 1990.

Kansas City Chiefs

Dohring was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs

Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...

 in the eighth round (218th overall pick) in the 1991 NFL Draft

1991 NFL Draft

The 1991 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 21–22, 1991 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Manhattan, New York...

. After suffering a sprained ankle in August 1991, Dohring spent the 1991 NFL season

1991 NFL season

The 1991 NFL season was the 72nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXVI when the Washington Redskins defeated the Buffalo Bills....

 on the injured reserve list. He sustained another ankle injury in August 1992 and spent most of the 1992 NFL season

1992 NFL season

The 1992 NFL season was the 73rd regular season of the National Football League.Due to the damage caused by Hurricane Andrew, the New England Patriots–Miami Dolphins game that was scheduled for September 6 at Joe Robbie Stadium was rescheduled to October 18. Both teams originally had that...

 on the Chiefs' practice squad. He was activated in late November 1992 to replace running back Bill Jones who was released. He made his NFL debut as the Chiefs' right tackle on December 6, 1992, in a loss to the Los Angeles Raiders. Dohring was deactivated in early January 1993 to make room on the roster for Albert Lewis

Albert Lewis (American football)

Albert Ray Lewis is a former American football player who played in the National Football League for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders...

. He was released by the Chiefs in late August 1993.