ORONO – Dennis Dottin-Carter arrived at the University of Maine in 1999 with his heart set on becoming an outstanding Division I-AA linebacker.

Things haven’t worked out exactly the way he had hoped.

Dottin-Carter is an integral member of the Black Bears’ defensive unit, having been involved in 40 tackles, including 17 tackles for a loss and 91/2 sacks, while being named to the All-Atlantic 10 and All-New England first-team defense. However, the 6-foot, 233-pound junior has built a reputation not as a linebacker, but as a defensive end.

“My mentality has always been to try to be one of the best, no matter what I’m doing or where I’m doing it,” Dottin-Carter said Thursday, 48 hours before UMaine was scheduled to take on Georgia Southern in Saturday’s 1 p.m. NCAA Division I-AA national quarterfinal game at Statesboro, Ga.

Dottin-Carter was a captain at Cambridge Rindge & Latin High School in Massachusetts, where he was an all-state linebacker and earned a full scholarship to UMaine. He never imagined a day when he would be a defensive lineman.

“When I was a true freshman, the upperclassmen would joke with me, ‘they’re going to move you to D-tackle or D-end,'” Dottin-Carter recalled, citing his size. “I said, ‘that’s not going to happen, I’m going to play linebacker. If they move me, I’m going to leave.’ ”

His UMaine career began in promising fashion. As a redshirt freshman in 2000, Dottin-Carter registered 38 tackles as a backup inside linebacker.

But during the offseason, he encountered some problems that put his future at UMaine in jeopardy.

“Two years ago I got into a little trouble and basically I was fighting to stay in school,” said Dottin-Carter, who didn’t elaborate. “Getting back on track was going home and seeing things and doing a lot of praying, making sure that things were going good in my life, putting more effort into school.”

He got things straightened out prior to the 2001 season and was welcomed back. But there was a catch. The staff wanted him to play defensive tackle.

“It really broke my heart,” Dottin-Carter admitted, “but I was definitely getting a second chance. My scholarship could have been taken away. I just said I’m going to do whatever’s asked of me, no matter what it is, because I’m capable of doing it and doing it well.”

Dottin-Carter responded, earning the team’s Roger Ellis Outstanding Defensive Lineman Award after making 26 tackles, including 51/2 sacks. He missed four games with a torn biceps muscle, which required offseason surgery.

“We put him in the defensive line and he’s really flourished,” said UMaine coach Jack Cosgrove. “He’s done a great job for us in terms of being a playmaker. His quickness and his running ability have been the key to his success.”

Still, the transformation wasn’t complete until last August when the Bears reported to training camp. Still not at full strength coming off the surgery, Dottin-Carter was moved over one spot to defensive end.

The position seems to have been a good match for his combination of strength and speed.

“It fit him,” Cosgrove said. “As a linebacker I think he was good enough to play here, but at that position [end] he became an all-conference performer.”

Dottin-Carter, who also has been bothered by nagging back problems, appears to have made the most of what was originally an unwanted opportunity.

“I definitely like it,” he said of playing end. “Coming off a season at defensive tackle, it was a pretty easy switch.”

Looking back, Dottin-Carter believes the challenges he has faced at UMaine have been most beneficial.

“I believe that God brought me here for a reason and I’m going to stay here and stick it out, get my degree,” said Dottin-Carter, who is a kinesiology and physical education major. “It has been really great to be a part of this team with everything we’ve accomplished.”