Eastern Michigan Athletics
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From Ypsilanti to Ford Field: Brian Dooley’s Unfinished Business with Michigan Panthers
5/30/2025 5:32:00 PM | Football
The Michigan Panthers wrap up their regular season Saturday, May 31, at Ford Field
Complete Interview.
DETROIT, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — The wild ride continues for Brian Dooley.
This weekend, as the Michigan Panthers take the field at Ford Field for their final home game of the regular season, fans in Southeast Michigan will have one more chance to cheer on one of their own. From Eastern Michigan's record-breaking offensive line anchor to starting lineman in the United Football League, Dooley's story is equal parts heart, grit, and homegrown loyalty.
"I'm just grateful," Dooley says with a smile during an interview with EMU staffers Elena Davis and Greg Steiner. "It's pretty wild still being able to play football in Michigan — even though I'm living down in Texas now. You fly in, play, then fly back out. It's a crazy schedule, but man, it's fun."
This isn't just another game for Dooley. It's another chapter in a career built on perseverance. At Eastern Michigan, Dooley was the program's iron man — setting the school record with 60 career starts and logging over 4,000 snaps. But numbers alone don't capture the soul of his story.
That came in 2023, when Dooley gave up his full-ride scholarship so a fellow offensive lineman could stay on the team — a teammate who was working construction and donating plasma just to afford tuition.
"It wasn't about attention," Dooley says. "That's just how I was raised. If a guy's struggling and you've got the ability to help, you help. I always said that if I ever got something extra, it was going right back to the O-line."
That same selflessness earned him national praise and nominations for the Wuerffel Trophy and Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year — and a lasting legacy in Ypsilanti.
Dooley credits EMU Head Coach Chris Creighton's mentorship with shaping how he carries himself today.
"He always preached how you treat people," Dooley says. "That stuck with me. Respecting people, being kind — those values matter, and I've tried to take that to every team I've been on."
Since college, Dooley's path has taken him from EMU to a stint with the NFL's Tennessee Titans, and now to the Michigan Panthers in the UFL. Despite moving to Texas, where the team trains and lives during the season, Ford Field still feels like home.
"We don't practice here, but when we come back for home games, it means a lot," he says. "You're putting two teams on one plane and flying in together. It's different, but there's something special about coming back to Michigan to play."
For Dooley, this weekend is more than a game — it's a celebration of roots.
He reflects on his days at Eastern with deep pride — not just as an athlete, but as a student. He earned two degrees, built lifelong friendships in the classroom, and still remembers the professors who helped guide him along the way.
"One of our professors passed away during COVID," Dooley says. "She was so loved. I've actually thought about starting a scholarship in her name for the criminal justice department. She did so much for the football guys and helped so many people find careers."
Giving back is a theme that runs through Dooley's life. From mission trips to Guatemala, to over 100 hours of community service in local schools, to the now-famous scholarship gift — Dooley is determined to be more than a player.
"I don't have a tattoo like Maxx Crosby," he laughs, referencing his former EMU teammate now starring for the Raiders. "I've just got scars and broken bones. But I'm proud of what we built. Guys like Maxx, Brogan, DT, Creel — they're all still finding ways to give back. That's what real EMU guys do."
As the Panthers prepare for a postseason run, Dooley knows the importance of the moment — especially with this being the final chance to play in front of Michigan fans this season.
"If we don't get home-field advantage in the playoffs, this is it," he says. "So I'm asking everyone — come out, show up, get loud. We feed off that. We feel it."
He may not have broken out his signature pregame watch gifts for Panthers coaches just yet, but the idea is brewing.
"I've thought about it," he says. "I definitely want to do something — just depends on how things shake out next season. But yeah, I still rock the watches on game day. It's part of the fit now."
Stylish, humble, and loyal to his roots — Brian Dooley represents everything Eastern Michigan hopes to instill in its players. As his football career continues, his foundation in Ypsilanti remains a driving force.
"When someone says 'Eastern Michigan,' the first word that comes to mind is 'family,'" Dooley says. "That's what it always was. And always will be."
DETROIT, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — The wild ride continues for Brian Dooley.
This weekend, as the Michigan Panthers take the field at Ford Field for their final home game of the regular season, fans in Southeast Michigan will have one more chance to cheer on one of their own. From Eastern Michigan's record-breaking offensive line anchor to starting lineman in the United Football League, Dooley's story is equal parts heart, grit, and homegrown loyalty.
"I'm just grateful," Dooley says with a smile during an interview with EMU staffers Elena Davis and Greg Steiner. "It's pretty wild still being able to play football in Michigan — even though I'm living down in Texas now. You fly in, play, then fly back out. It's a crazy schedule, but man, it's fun."
This isn't just another game for Dooley. It's another chapter in a career built on perseverance. At Eastern Michigan, Dooley was the program's iron man — setting the school record with 60 career starts and logging over 4,000 snaps. But numbers alone don't capture the soul of his story.
That came in 2023, when Dooley gave up his full-ride scholarship so a fellow offensive lineman could stay on the team — a teammate who was working construction and donating plasma just to afford tuition.
"It wasn't about attention," Dooley says. "That's just how I was raised. If a guy's struggling and you've got the ability to help, you help. I always said that if I ever got something extra, it was going right back to the O-line."
That same selflessness earned him national praise and nominations for the Wuerffel Trophy and Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year — and a lasting legacy in Ypsilanti.
Dooley credits EMU Head Coach Chris Creighton's mentorship with shaping how he carries himself today.
"He always preached how you treat people," Dooley says. "That stuck with me. Respecting people, being kind — those values matter, and I've tried to take that to every team I've been on."
Since college, Dooley's path has taken him from EMU to a stint with the NFL's Tennessee Titans, and now to the Michigan Panthers in the UFL. Despite moving to Texas, where the team trains and lives during the season, Ford Field still feels like home.
"We don't practice here, but when we come back for home games, it means a lot," he says. "You're putting two teams on one plane and flying in together. It's different, but there's something special about coming back to Michigan to play."
For Dooley, this weekend is more than a game — it's a celebration of roots.
He reflects on his days at Eastern with deep pride — not just as an athlete, but as a student. He earned two degrees, built lifelong friendships in the classroom, and still remembers the professors who helped guide him along the way.
"One of our professors passed away during COVID," Dooley says. "She was so loved. I've actually thought about starting a scholarship in her name for the criminal justice department. She did so much for the football guys and helped so many people find careers."
Giving back is a theme that runs through Dooley's life. From mission trips to Guatemala, to over 100 hours of community service in local schools, to the now-famous scholarship gift — Dooley is determined to be more than a player.
"I don't have a tattoo like Maxx Crosby," he laughs, referencing his former EMU teammate now starring for the Raiders. "I've just got scars and broken bones. But I'm proud of what we built. Guys like Maxx, Brogan, DT, Creel — they're all still finding ways to give back. That's what real EMU guys do."
As the Panthers prepare for a postseason run, Dooley knows the importance of the moment — especially with this being the final chance to play in front of Michigan fans this season.
"If we don't get home-field advantage in the playoffs, this is it," he says. "So I'm asking everyone — come out, show up, get loud. We feed off that. We feel it."
He may not have broken out his signature pregame watch gifts for Panthers coaches just yet, but the idea is brewing.
"I've thought about it," he says. "I definitely want to do something — just depends on how things shake out next season. But yeah, I still rock the watches on game day. It's part of the fit now."
Stylish, humble, and loyal to his roots — Brian Dooley represents everything Eastern Michigan hopes to instill in its players. As his football career continues, his foundation in Ypsilanti remains a driving force.
"When someone says 'Eastern Michigan,' the first word that comes to mind is 'family,'" Dooley says. "That's what it always was. And always will be."
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