Cam Dorner had just finished watching the NFL draft with family and friends. And then he got the call he had been waiting for.
Around 8 p.m. Saturday, the New England Patriots signed the Oakdale High graduate and wide receiver to a priority contract as an undrafted free agent.
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Dorner got the news from his agent.
Priority contracts carry guaranteed base salaries and signing bonuses. They are handed out right after the draft ends to undrafted players who have multiple suitors and have a better chance of making the 53-man roster than other free agents.
Dorner is the first Oakdale player to have achieved this status in the NFL. Former Oakdale quarterback Collin Schlee was invited to rookie mini-camp with the Baltimore Ravens and Washington Commanders last year as an undrafted free agent and had tryouts with a few other NFL teams.
“This is probably one of the biggest days of my life, accomplishing everything I ever dreamed of,” Dorner told the News-Post in a phone interview after his signing with the Patriots was announced. “It’s everything I worked for, through college and all of the adversity. I am extremely proud to play at the highest level and have the chance to compete at the highest level.”
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Dorner’s rise to the NFL includes stops at Oakdale High, where he was a standout football and basketball player, Division II Shepherd University, which has only sent seven previous players into the professional football ranks, and the University of North Texas, where he caught 56 passes for 911 yards and eight touchdowns on the Division I level.
“Just really happy for him,” Oakdale coach Kurt Stein said. “He’s worked so hard. Excited for him to get an opportunity to earn his spot.”
In New England, Dorner will join a team that finished 16-4 last season and reached the Super Bowl with one of the best young quarterbacks in the league in Drake Maye.
Dorner is set to report to the Patriots on May 8 for the team’s rookie mini-camp.
“I am just excited for the opportunity to showcase what I can do,” Dorner said. “The people who know me know what type of journey I am on. It takes nothing but hard work.”
