Dotson, Gene - Baseball, Football, 1988
Gene Dotson honed his skills as a four-sport athlete in football, baseball, basketball, and track at Benedictine Military School in the early 1970s. A quarterback, he led his team to a 9-1 mark his senior season. In basketball, he was a two-year letterman and played in the positions of outfield and pitcher in baseball. He recorded four no-hitters during his high school career and had a 5-2 record as well as earning a run average under one. Dotson went on to star in baseball and football at The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina. He started as a freshman split end on the football team and became the first freshman to letter for four years sing the 1950s. Dotson became the starting quarterback his sophomore year and additionally handled the punting his junior and senior years at the school. In 1975, he was named All-American Honorable Mention Punter by the Football News.
Dotson also letter in baseball all four years at The Citadel. He was named to the All-Southern Conference team his junior year, setting a record for the most home runs and a season (8 in 27 games) and leading the team with 26 RBIs. He also received the Senior Sportsmanship Award as the best all-around senior athlete. After graduation, Dotson signed a professional baseball contract with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1976 and was sent to the rookie league in Sarasota, Florida. He played for the Class A Gastonia Cardinals and was promoted to the Florida Sate League mid-season after leading the league with 13 homers, 58 RBIs, and a .314 batting average. In 1978, Dotson moved up to the Class AA Arkansas Travelers. The next year, Dotson was promoted to the Class AAA Springfield Redbirds, where he hit .287 with 17 home runs and 78 RBIs. In 1982, Dotson’s contract was purchased by the Nankai Hawks, a Japanese major league team. He started at centerfield for the Hawks and hit .308 early in the season until a hand injury ended his career.