His name is Clint Dolezel. If that’s not a name you recognize, you should. Not just because he is the starting quarterback of the Arena Football League’s Dallas Desperados. Not just because he has thrown more touchdown passes than anyone in the history of professional football (he is on pace for career touchdown pass number 1,000 this year). No, you should know Clint Dolezel most of all because before he started torching defenses in the AFL, he played here, at Texas A&M-Commerce.
Dolezel, born in Lorena, TX came to the then East Texas State University for several reasons. As Dolezel recalls, “My girlfriend at the time lived nearby, and also, being a family man, I wanted to play somewhere where my parents could come and see the games. And [A&M] had a good football team that was toward the top of their conference every season, so it seemed like a good fit.”
As it turned out, the time he spent learning the Lions’ offense paid dividends later in his career.
“I think [it] was a big help. It wasn’t a typical ‘run all the time, throw when you have to’ style of offense, there was a lot more of a passing game.”
He also started calling some of his own shots very early on.
“Coach Vowell ran a ‘check with me’ offense, where I could [change the play] from a run to a pass based on the defense I saw. That helped me a lot once I got to the AFL, especially now that I call my own plays and am offically the offensive coordinator of
the team.”
The connections with A&M did not end there. As luck would have it, another former Lion quarterback was instrumental in getting Dolezel in the AFL.
“Mike Trigg was huge. I actually met him at my bachelor party in Dallas, and he asked me if I wanted to play for him.”
At the time, Trigg was the coach of the Milwaukee Mustangs, about to join his team in Europe to practice for the upcoming season. Dolezel was forced to cut his honeymoon short to join his new team overseas.
“I got married and then two days later I was in Spain,” he said.
Now age 38, he has become the most prolific passer in the game, owning the career marks for both touchdown passes at 995 and passing yardage at 44,564. He is also a champion, having led the Grand Rapids Rampage to victory in ArenaBowl XV in 2001.
With little left to prove, questions about retirement are almost inevitable, but for Dolezel the plan was to play the numbers.
“My goal has always been to play until I’m 40, which would be two more years. After that, if my body’s still okay, then I’ll go from there,” he said.
Already serving as the offensive coordinator of the Desperados, it seems likely Dolezel will move into coaching after he hangs up his pads.
“I hope so,” he said. “I enjoy it so much. With arena football, it doesn’t take up all of your time, and since my family is so important to me, having some time off to spend with my kids is great.”