FOXBORO - Cameron Dorner’s first big NFL win didn’t come with a touchdown celebration or a headline-grabbing stat line. It came with a phone call, a final meeting, and a chance to keep going in New England.
The undrafted wide receiver stayed around after roster cuts and landed on the Patriots practice squad, a result that clearly meant a lot to the 22-year-old after a summer spent grinding in one of the team’s deepest position groups.
“I mean, I found out from Eliot (Wolf) and my coaches when I had my final meeting,” Dorner said in front of his locker Tuesday. “That was a pretty cool moment for me.
Obviously, coming where I come from, not a lot of NFL players, and playing Division II ball ... It was a big accomplishment for me.”
Dorner’s path has been anything but ordinary. He came out of North Texas after starting his college career at Division II Shepherd University, then signed as a free agent after the NFL Draft and put together a strong camp.
The problem was opportunity. New England’s receiver room was packed with A.J.
Brown, Romeo Doubs, Mack Hollins, Kyle Williams, DeMario Douglas and Efton Chism III, leaving Dorner behind a crowded line of options when the cuts came.
Even so, he made enough of an impression to stick. Dorner was one of 37 players released this weekend, but the Patriots brought him back on the practice squad after he had caught four passes for 37 yards in the three preseason games. He also did plenty of work in practice, where he was a steady presence for the third-string offense all summer alongside rookie quarterback Behren Morton.
When the games started, Dorner flashed enough to keep people noticing. He made a few plays in the preseason, including a long catch against the Indianapolis Colts that was wiped out by a penalty.
Now the job changes again. The practice squad comes with weekly uncertainty, different uniforms, and no guarantee that the next call is coming. Ahead of Week 1, Dorner wore a No. 22 practice jersey while simulating Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Rashid Shaheed.
That’s part of the grind for an undrafted rookie trying to carve out a place in the league. Dorner sounds ready for it.
“I can't stop smiling for sure,” Dorner said. “I'm happy to be here.
It was one of the best moments of my life. All that hard work that I put in ...
I can't complain. All the coaches here have been super great to me, pushing me to be the best player I can, and also be a better man off the field and stuff like that.
So, you know, it was a pretty cool moment.”
He said his support system helped carry him to this point, pointing to his parents, Doug and Marti, who pray with him before every game, along with his older brother, who was there for the final preseason game. He also credited the coaches and teammates around the facility.
“It’s a credit to all the coaches that are in this building,” he said. “I'm happy to be here because I've leaned a lot from a lot of the players too. My teammates have taught me a lot, and I'm just a product of good coaching.”
For Dorner, the long-term goal is still bigger than the practice squad. He wants to get on the active roster and eventually play on Sundays, with Week 7 against the Chicago Bears and former Shepherd teammate Tyson Bagent sitting there as a possible target. For now, though, he’s focused on whatever the Patriots need from him.
“This is just the start,” Dorner said. “Right now my focus is just helping the team do whatever they can to get ready for Week 1 for sure.”
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