THE
ATHLETE
Carlos Dunlap is an American football defensive end for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). Dunlap is a graduate of The University of Florida (added that since he is done this month), where he received his BA in Family, Youth and Community Sciences (fix degree if it has changed) and is currently in pursuit of his MBA from The University of Miami.
Born in North Charleston, South Carolina, on February 28th, 1989 Dunlap is the son of Mr. Carlos Dunlap Sr. and Dr. Diane Ross. He has two siblings, an older brother and a younger sister. Growing up Carlos loved to play sports. He attended Fort Dorchester and played for the Fort Dorchester Patriots high school football team. During his time at Fort Dorchester, Dunlap was a stellar athlete. During his junior year he made 103 tackles, 22 for loss and 9 quarterback sacks. As a senior he recorded 105 tackles, 35 for loss and 24 sacks and was chosen to play in the first Offense-Defense All-American Bowl. For the college recruitment season in 2007 he was considered a five star recruit and ranked the number one weak side defensive end in the nation. Though granted offers from numerous highly ranked schools such as Clemson, Auburn, and Tennessee, Dunlap decided to attend The University of Florida and become a Gator under the leadership of Urban Meyer.
Much like his high school tenure, Dunlap was a standout star at The University of Florida. As a true freshman in 2007, he played in 13 games, recording seven tackles and a quarterback sack. As a sophomore in 2008, Dunlap played in all 14 of the Gators games recording 39 tackles, a team-high 9.5 sacks and three blocked punts. He was the defensive MVP of the Gators win over the Oklahoma Sooners in the 2009 BCS National Championship Game, recording four tackles, and a shared sack during the game. He also was a second-team All-SEC selection. As a junior in 2009 Dunlap played in 13 games. During the season he recorded 38 tackles and nine sacks. He was a consensus first-team All-SEC selection. He was a key member of the Florida Gators team that won the 2009 national championship He ended his collegiate career with 84 tackles 19.5 sacks and three blocked kicks. After playing for UF for three years he decided to enter the NFL draft of 2010.
In 2010, Dunlap was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round. Continuing his legacy he has made notable strides to improve the defensive line of the Bengals. Dunlap is a naturally gifted playmaker and his statistics have continued to bear it out. He led the team in 2015 with career-best 13.5 sacks. He is ranked fourth in the NFL and third in the AFC, the best-ever rankings by a Bengal. In 2015 he the team’s single-game high of three sacks on His 13.5 sacks rank second in Bengals history, surpassing Eddie Edwards’ 13.0 in 1983 and trailing only Coy Bacon’s 22.0. He made his first pro-bowl appearance in 2016.