John Dorsey has had time reflect on those who helped him reach a point in his life where he is GM of the Browns. (John Kuntz, cleveland.com)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- John Dorsey isn't sure where he first saw it. He thinks he read it in a book, maybe some time in the 1980s. At this point, it has been with him so long that he will preface it with some form of, "I always say ..."

Like when he told Adam Schefter in 2017: "I've always said, I guess I learned this, outside of your family there are five people you'll usually meet in life that impact your life in a very unique way."

Or when he told Mary Kay Cabot in 2018: "I always say that in the journey of life outside of your parents' influence, you'll meet five people in the course of your life that will influence you in a positive way ..."

It doesn't always come out the same, but you get the idea.

Dorsey believes we all meet five people who impact our lives in a unique and/or positive way. "That's real," Dorsey told Schefter.

At 58, Dorsey has had time to compile a list in his head of those who helped him get to a point in life where he is the GM of the Browns. He has also had time to understand why he was drawn to such a list.

"The appealing thing is we try to strive to be better every day and that's the ultimate goal," Dorsey said recently. "If you can be good professionally and personally and be a driving member of the community, that's what it's all about."

Most Browns fans surely have a narrower goal for Dorsey (Just win, buddy boy!). To understand how he will go about achieving that goal -- How does he draft? How does he build a culture? How does he make decisions? -- maybe we need to meet the people on Dorsey's list.

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Robert "Red" Pulliam, pictured shaking hands with the Fork Union Military Academy team mascot, coached the Blue Devils for 26 years. (Photo courtesy of Fork Union)

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1. Fork Union, Va., 1978

Meet Robert "Red" Pulliam.

He was the football coach at Fork Union Military Academy (FUMA) in Virginia for 26 years. By the time Dorsey showed up in the late 1970s, Pulliam was well on his way to becoming a legend at the school. But he was about more than football. Pulliam's titles ranged from coach to English teacher to interim president. He died in 2015 at age 87.

"Red Pulliam was probably the most humble, fair person you'd ever meet. A lot of young cadets worship the man. We're building a statue for him. We're probably going to name the field after him," said John Shuman, the school's current football coach, who played for Pulliam in the mid-1970s and later coached under him.

Vinny Testaverde, Eddie George and Carlos Hyde also played at FUMA, which can serve as a stop between high school and college where a player can get on track academically.

Or get on track other ways.

"With Coach Pulliam, he turned a bully into a man," said Dorsey. "He did that with his consistent demand to reach the highest peak you can with whatever you do. He taught you the details of how to go about your life."

Dorsey said Pulliam challenged him, and stressed details and organization. Shuman guesses that Dorsey probably still folds his clothes the way he learned at FUMA.

"The guys who get it, they remember everything," said Shuman.

Pulliam coached at a military academy, but he didn't play the drill sergeant role. He didn't swear. He didn't raise his voice. He could give second chances and overcome an issue with a private talk.

Shuman remembers how the 1975 team had a chance to play an all-star team in Puerto Rico over Thanksgiving break. Players pushed back, saying they'd rather go home over break. Pulliam gave them the chance to vote by visiting his office one-by-one.

"In the hall, we're all saying we're voting 'no,'" Shuman said. "I think everybody went in there and said 'yes.' Just the spirit of the man, humbleness and fairness. You just respected the ground he walked on."

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Former Packers team president Bob Harlan looks at the Vince Lombardi Super Bowl trophies in the Packers Hall of Fame at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. (Associated Press)

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2. Green Bay, Wisc., 1984

Meet Bob Harlan.

Harlan joined the Packers as assistant GM in 1971 and was assistant to the team president in 1984 when the Packers drafted Dorsey -- an All-American linebacker from UConn -- in the fourth round.

Harlan was elected president of the Packers in 1989, three months before Dorsey suffered a knee injury that ended his playing career. Two years later, Dorsey began scouting for the Packers.

"I was always impressed with John on what he liked and didn't like in a player. He was very thorough in his evaluations,' Harlan said. "Two people that jumped out to me (at Green Bay) were Ted Thompson and John. Both kind of came in green and grew rapidly and became very capable scouts."

At the same time, Dorsey was paying attention to Harlan, who changed the culture in Green Bay, which had endured a 23-year stretch that featured just four winning seasons. Harlan hired Ron Wolf, which led to Mike Holmgren, which led to Brett Favre. What followed was six straight playoff appearances, two Super Bowls and one title.

On Fridays, Harlan was known to walk around the team facility in Green Bay and talk with people one-on-one. While the mission of those talks would include setting goals for the organization, Harlan did it on a personal level.

"I think you have to earn the respect of people through your actions and show them that you do care," Dorsey told Schefter.

Harlan wanted to be accessible in Green Bay (he retired in 2008). He answered his own phone. He had an open-door policy.

"I didn't want to be known as a boss," Harlan said. "I always felt, you hire people and you let them do their jobs."

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Former Packers GM Ron Wolf poses with his bust the induction ceremony at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015. (Associated Press)

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3. Green Bay, Wisc., 1991

Meet Ron Wolf.

He is easily the most recognizable name on Dorsey's list, and one you probably assumed would be included. Dorsey was already a scout when Wolf was hired as Packers GM.

In Wolf's system, Dorsey rose to director of college scouting (1997), spent a year as the Seahawks' pro personnel director under Holmgren, then returned to the Packers, where he eventually became director of football operations.

"(Dorsey) didn't leave any stone unturned," Wolf said of Dorsey's scouting ability. "He was exceptional in the area of getting information you really had to have when trying to evaluate a player."

In Green Bay, if a player runs a red light, it is the lead story in the papers, Wolf said. Dorsey was the scout that could find the red flags that might lead to such an incident.

"He was exceptional at digging out that information," Wolf said. "The evaluation system we put together was through trial and tribulations. We kind of narrowed it down and it's essentially making sure you read a player's mind properly. Obviously in this business you can't do that. But we try to read them."

Dorsey considers Wolf his most impactful mentor. He took what he learned working for Wolf and tweaked it to his own strengths and weaknesses to build rosters and cultures in Kansas City, and now Cleveland.

But boil down all Wolf's teachings, and you're left with one big lesson: You need to win.

"That's all the game is about," Wolf said. "All these other things are little attachments. That's why they keep score, because of winning."

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Bishop Robert Morneau walks through the hallways of St. Peter The Fisherman Catholic School during an event in 2011. (Associated Press)

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4. Green Bay, Wisc., early 2000s

Meet Bishop Robert Morneau.

As you can see by now, Green Bay had a big impact on Dorsey's life. But Morneau's impact came outside of football.

Morneau, 80, was an auxiliary bishop for the Diocese of Green Bay for 35 years. Dorsey developed a relationship with Morneau in 2004 or 2005, around the time Dorsey married his wife, Patricia. Their relationship grew from there.

"After sitting there talking with him about Catholicism you begin to realize that you've had a void in your life and you re-establish the faith you had as a young child," Dorsey said.

If you're wondering why Dorsey takes so many chances on players with baggage, Morneau might be the answer.

"(He taught me) compassion, faith. There's always good in people, you just gotta see it," Dorsey said on Schefter's podcast.

It's easy to draw a line from that quote to players such as Antonio Callaway, Tyreek Hill and Marcus Peters. Even Baker Mayfield.

"First off, my faith says that every man may deserve a second chance," Dorsey said after drafting Mayfield. "Have you ever been 19 before? Have you ever been 20 before? Young men do certain things, and you know what? They learn from that. I like the guy. He's very mature. He's very smart. I bet you that we all learn from our mistakes. I've learned from my mistakes in the past, too."

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John Dorsey doesn't know if he's met the fifth person on his list of impactful people. Could it be Jimmy Haslam? (John Kuntz, cleveland.com)

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5. Parts Unknown, TBD

Meet the fifth person on Dorsey's list. And then let Dorsey know who it is, because he hasn't figured that out yet.

"I haven't taken time to reflect," Dorsey said. "My whole time is consumed in getting this thing turned around." We know it's not his wife, because, as Dorsey notes, "she sits above all that other stuff."

So who? All the people on Dorsey's list so far are older than him. Three are connected to football. Two played roles in his rise to GM.

Not to disregard Dorsey's personal life outside of football, but let's assume person No. 5 is in football.

You could argue that Sashi Brown has had a unique and positive impact on Dorsey's life, but this belief runs deeper than that. We're looking for someone who -- through a personal connection -- has taught Dorsey lessons that he can use in life.

Could it be Jimmy Haslam? Could it be Baker Mayfield? Maybe it's too soon to tell with anybody in Cleveland.

Once he has time to reflect, perhaps Dorsey will realize a coach or teacher from his days at UConn deserves to be on the list. Or somebody from Kansas City.

Until then, he'll roll with what he has learned from his Fab Four, and maybe end up on somebody else's list.

"I go about my business and just try to be the best I can and, you know what, enjoy the day," Dorsey said. "You go to bed and wake up the next morning and make an impact on another day."

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