DANTE BOOKER

Indianapolis Colts web site

Akron Beacon Journal article

Senior Season (2002)

Junior Season (2001)

The Dante Booker File

Other Articles on Dante

Season Stats (2001)

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- Dante Booker didn't play football in high school after his freshman year. Basketball was his game.

Booker averaged 20 points and 13 rebounds per game as a three-time all-city basketball selection at Akron (Ohio) Ellet High School.

But there's not much room in college for power forwards who stand just 6-3. So the Akron native gave football another try. After two years in junior college, he walked on at Auburn.

Two productive years in Alabama have brought Booker to the NFL. Considering the winding path it took to get to the Indianapolis Colts' training camp, the undrafted rookie defensive tackle is confident he can make the team.

"I was kind of a long shot going down to Auburn, too," said Booker, whose modest numbers as a senior were 12 tackles in 10 games. "You just have to get an opportunity, and I did. It paid off."

His best college game, a career-high five tackles and one sack as a junior, came against Ball State.

Booker has added 10 pounds to get to 285, still undersized for defensive tackles by NFL standards. But he's encouraged that Colts coach Tony Dungy favors smaller and quicker tackles in his Cover-2 scheme.

"They just want us to shoot the gaps," said Booker, 25. "We don't have to worry about getting tangled up with offensive linemen. It's a gap. Get through the creases.

"I'm not used to it. At Auburn, they wanted us to take on the guy across from you. You want to grab him and get your hands on him. You're just holding up the linemen so the linebackers can make the play. Here, you just go get it. I like that."

-- Phillip B. Wilson