Former Fort Dorchester standout Carlos Dunlap Jr. was drafted by the NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals Friday.
The 6-foot-6-inch, 277-pound defensive end was the 22nd pick of the second round and 54th overall selection in this year’s draft. Dunlap got the call from Bengals’ coach Marvin Lewis on Friday evening. On Saturday, he was on a plane bound for Ohio to meet face to face with his new coach and other officials with the organization.
In Dunlap, the Bengals are getting an athlete with the size to stop the run who also has exceptional speed and pass blocking ability. His time in the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine was 4.71 seconds.
Dunlap spent the past three seasons with the University of Florida Gators. Earlier this year, draft experts predicted he might go in the first round. However, the player’s stock dropped some after he was arrested for DUI. He pleaded no contest to the charge and started working to put the ordeal behind him.
Now his focus shifts to showing the Bengals that taking a chance on him was a good decision.
“He is excited about being with Cincinnati,” Carlos Dunlap Sr. said. “I think his goal is to give the Bengals a sack for every team that passed on him.”
Dunlap was the 10th defensive end taken. He was the 30th defensive player drafted. He was drafted only six players behind Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen, who was also predicted to go in the first round.
Dunlap’s dual threat capabilities made him a highly recruited player out of high school and a valuable member of the Gator team. Florida relied on his speed to help contain offensive players on the perimeter, but also used him as an inside pass rusher.
Dunlap led the Gators with nine sacks in 2009. A junior who decided to forgo his senior season to enter the draft, he finished his collegiate career tied for No. 10 on Florida’s all-time sack list with 19.5. He tallied 38 tackles in 13 games this season and was a force at the line of scrimmage, recording 10.5 tackles for loss and six pass breakups. He was named All-SEC by the SEC coaches, the Associated Press and Sporting News and was a semifinalist for the Lombardi Award.
In three seasons with the Gators, he was in on 84 tackles, including 26 tackles for a loss. He was a starter on the 2008-09 University of Florida team that claimed the BCS National Championship. In fact, he was named the Defensive MVP for the championship game against Oklahoma.
In his days as a Patriot, Dunlap thrilled Fort Dorchester fans on Friday nights. One of his more memorable moments from his high school days came in a game against Summerville High when he received a kick off and returned it nearly the distance of the field.