Tampa Catholic linebacker Dorien Gooch has always known since he was a little guy that he would have to live up to some pretty big expectations. That comes with the territory when you grow up the son of an NFL linebacker.
"Everybody always expects you to be like my father, I always tell them my name is Dorien Gooch not Jeffery Gooch" he says with a big smile.
Dorien's dad Jeff played 10 seasons in the NFL, eight of them with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
"My dad taught me a bunch, he didn't tell me too much or too little, he just told me if you love the game, just play it"
That was the best advice a former pro father could give his child and Dorien certainly loves the game of football. The senior to be for the Crusaders this coming season has been a three-year varsity starter for head coach Mike Murphy, leading the team in tackles the past two seasons with more then 100 in each.
"He's a great kid, very smart, sound football player" echoes his head coach.
Dorien is the captain of the defense for the Crusaders and his play on the field has attracted many Division I schools. The middle linebacker has already received an offer to go to the Big Ten and play for Iowa but there are many more to come and he is more then happy to wait it out and have fun playing out his senior season.
"Just because an offer came my way doesn't mean anything because you still have to work hard and act like you never got an offer, that's my midnset".
It's easy to see why Dorien will be a very popular guy for big schools to have on their campus next fall. He is a humble young man with a great personality and an easy going smile who he let's his play on the field do all the talking for him. The only expectations this young man has to live up to at the end of the day are his own and so far he has to like what he sees.