My father, David Dunn was born on June 10, 1972. Ever since he was little, he had a lifelong dream of playing in the NFL, and it was in his favor because his uncle, Paul Dunn, just so happened to play for the Cincinnati Bengals. He was a competitive, two sport athlete at Morse High School worthy of competing at the college level. He wasn’t the best academically so, when his dream college, the University of Miami, showed up to his school, checked his grades, and left immediately, it was a wake-up call. He got his stuff together as best he could and went off to Bakersfield Junior College. In the classroom he still struggled but never gave up. On the field he was an All-American punt and kick returner allowing him to transfer to Fresno State University where he excelled.
As his college days ended, he began to look toward the NFL and his future. As draft day approached, he got excited to see where he would go. He said, “April 23, 1995, was the day I received a phone call from the Cincinnati Bengals telling me I was selected as the seventh player in the fifth round of the NFL draft. I will never forget. My childhood dream came true.” He went on to describe the opportunity, “I was so excited and proud to have this opportunity. I was also like, ‘what am I gonna do in Cincinnati? lol.’” This was a once in a lifetime opportunity and experience that he was grateful for. He was ready to work and had nothing to lose.
Training camp came and went, and his NFL debut came quickly. When asked about walking through the tunnel onto the gameday field for the first time he remembered, “When I first walked out the tunnel for my first NFL game it was like I was in a dream. You hear that song played by Phil Collins, ‘In the Air Tonight.’ I was so excited I could barely feel my body. That song in that atmosphere is amazing.” As he retold the story it was apparent he wished he could go back and re-experience this feeling.
He had a pretty good rookie season, ending with 44 receptions, 660 yards, and 5 touchdowns. He was inspired and learned from some of the best teammates in the game naming, “Tim Brown, Jerry Rice, Hines Ward, and Andre Rison,” who are all Hall of Famers and former teammates of his on the Raiders and the Steelers as particularly influential. He said, “they were the best teachers for me. I learned a lot from them because they were older and more experienced.”
David Dunn went on to play for 6 more years with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns, and the Oakland Raiders. While he doesn't have many regrets, he does have is what he calls, “missed opportunities.” He feels that if he had applied himself and spoke out more, he would have taken advantage of such opportunities. Regardless, he had a solid career and is now a coach here at Lincoln High School. He uses his past as a resource and an example of how you can get to where you want to go to inspire his team and enjoys looking back.
