Roger Lee

Carlos Dunlap says hello to Patty Amaro, an old friend from his high school days, during Tuesday's Fort Dorchester basketball game.

Quarterbacks and offensive coordinators in the SEC should be able to rest a little bit easier now.

On Monday, Florida defensive end Carlos Dunlap announced he will forgo his senior season and enter the NFL draft. In an interview granted Tuesday, the 6-foot-6-inch, 290-pound Fort Dorchester High School graduate said the decision to go ahead and turn pro rather than return to Florida for his final year of college eligibility wasn’t an easy one to make.

“Playing for the Gators has been great, but I talked things over with my family and prayed on it and I feel this is the right decision,” Dunlap said. “Of course part of me wants to try for another national championship, but I feel the time has come for me to pursue my childhood dream.”

Dunlap is the son of Carlos Dunlap Sr. and Diane Brown. His father said many things factored into the decision, including the recent funeral of a friend.

“I think that made him think about how short life is,” his father said. “Because life is too short, sometimes you have to seize the moment. Also, we have received a lot of advice about how it may be the best thing for him. Of course, there are no guarantees either way.”

Dunlap was a starter on the 2008-09 Florida team that claimed the BCS National Championship. In fact, he was named the Defensive MVP for the championship game against Oklahoma.

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. However, due to his size and power, the Gators also used him as an inside pass rusher.

“Carlos has all of the physical tools to be successful at the next level,” Florida coach Urban Meyer told gatorzone.com. “I believe if he continues to grow and mature he will have a very long career in the NFL. He provided matchup problems for opposing teams and was a big part of our success during the last several years. We wish him the best of luck.”

Dunlap led the Gators with nine sacks in 2009 and finishes 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.

Draft experts predict Dunlap could be drafted in the first round. He is among Scouts Inc.’s Top 32 players. On the list, he is the 14th highest ranked defensive player and the No. 3 ranked defensive end.

Dunlap said his parents have always encouraged him to follow his dreams so the NFL has been a goal for some time.

“They always told me the ceiling is as high as I make it and that it’s up to me to make things happen,” he said. “I plan to start training Monday, but I’m not sure exactly where I’ll be training.”

His father said the paperwork for entering the draft has to be turned in by Jan. 15. The family is in the process of interviewing agents and once they settle on one, Dunlap will decide where to conduct his training to prepare for the NFL combine. The NFL draft will be held April 22-24.

Contact Roger Lee @ 873-9424 ext. 213 or rlee@journalscene.com.

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