[3] Doherty, having recovered from a bone he broke while playing with his club, started against Armagh in the 1990 Ulster Senior Football Championship final, won by Donegal.
[4] He was a member of the Donegal team that won the county's first All-Ireland Senior Football Championship in 1992.
Martin Shovlin played instead of him in the semi-final against Mayo; however, Doherty started the final against Dublin.
He believes it was his performance in the 1992–93 National Football League final in which Donegal drew nine points apiece with Dublin at Croke Park that led to him receiving the All Star; Doherty marked Charlie Redmond who proceeded to get himself sent off, as did Keith Barr shortly afterwards.
Five years later, at the age of 22, he captained his local Naomh Columba Senior Team to their second county title in 1990.