Warrick Dunn

Warrick De'Mon Dunn (born January 5, 1975 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana) is a former American football running back, and current minority owner of the Atlanta Falcons. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 12th overall in the 1997 NFL Draft, after playing college football at Florida State. Dunn was named AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1997 and earned three Pro Bowl selections in his career. He played for the Atlanta Falcons from 2002 to 2007 between stints in Tampa Bay. After his career, Dunn took a stake in the Falcons' ownership group led by Arthur Blank.

Early years
At Catholic High in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Dunn played quarterback, cornerback, and running back. During his sophomore year he helped lead Catholic High to the state 4A championship game for the first time in its history. He was an All-America honorable mention selection by USA Today as a senior.

On January 7, 1993, Dunn's mother Betty Smothers, an off-duty police officer escorting a businesswoman to a bank to make a night deposit, was ambushed and killed by armed robbers. Three men were sent to prison for the murder, and 2 remain on death row. Dunn, two days after his 18th birthday, became the head of his family and raised his siblings. In 2007, Dunn met with one of the convicted men at the Louisiana State Penitentiary.

College career
Dunn enjoyed a successful college career at Florida State University, graduating in 1997 with a bachelor's degree in information studies. He holds several Florida State rushing records including the marks for most career rushing yards (3,959) and most rushing yards in a season (1,418) set in 1995. Dunn is the only Seminole to rush for over 1,000 yards in three consecutive seasons. He was a three time All-ACC selection.

Dunn's jersey, along with those of other Seminoles players such as Fred Biletnikoff, Ron Sellers, Ron Simmons, Charlie Ward, Deion Sanders, and Chris Weinke, has been retired by the university. His number, 28, may still be worn by Seminole players, but his jersey will be displayed in the Moore Athletic Center at FSU. He also won a National Championship in 1993 with Florida State. Dunn's number 28 is now worn by senior running back Pat Davis and freshman corner back Dionte Allen since a number can be worn by more than one player as long as they are never on the field at the same time.

Dunn was also an accomplished track and field star, named as an Associated Press All-American as a member of Florida State's Men's 4x100m relay team. Dunn competed on the Seminoles' Track & Field team as a sprinter during all four years he was enrolled at Florida State.

First stint with Buccaneers
Dunn was selected in the first round of the 1997 NFL Draft with the 12th overall pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In his rookie season Dunn made an immediate impact for the Buccaneers squad. As the year finished he was selected to the NFC Pro Bowl team and was named the Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year. Dunn spent the first five years of his career in Tampa Bay where he was named to the Pro Bowl twice (1997, 2000).

Atlanta Falcons
A free agent in the 2002 offseason, Dunn signed with the Atlanta Falcons. Once again, he made a positive impact on his team with 9 total TDs and in that year, he led the league with a 5.4 yards per carry average. Dunn scored the most rushing touchdowns in his career, 9, in the 2004 season despite splitting carries with T.J. Duckett and also led the team in rushing with 1,106 yards. Having led his team in rushing yards again in 2005, Dunn was named the NFC's Pro Bowl team, marking his third selection to the team. For his career, Dunn has only missed 10 games and has a total of 2,256 carries for 9,461 yards 43 touchdowns and a 4.2 average. Dunn finished his first 10 seasons with over 1,000 combined rushing and receiving yards. During the 2007 season, with Falcons starting quarterback Byron Leftwich out with a high ankle sprain, Dunn served as the third string emergency quarterback behind Joey Harrington and Chris Redman, a position he played in high school. As of November 22, 2007 Dunn is one of only 10 running backs 5'11" and under to rush for 10,000 yards.

On March 3, 2008, the Falcons released Dunn per his request. This came a day after the Falcons signed former San Diego Chargers backup running back Michael Turner. On December 17, 2009 he became a minority owner of the Atlanta Falcons.

Second stint with Buccaneers
On March 10, 2008, Dunn returned to the Buccaneers after signing a two-year, $6 million contract. In week 6 against the Carolina Panthers, Dunn had his first 100 yard game since re-joining the Buccaneers. Dunn was released by the Buccaneers on February 25, 2009.

Charity
Dunn established the Warrick Dunn Foundation and the Homes for the Holidays program, which helps struggling single parents purchase homes. The program buys homes through a down payment provided by Dunn, who also worked with area sponsors to furnish and outfit the homes. The program, as of April 2010, has assisted 93 single parents and 250 dependents in Atlanta, Baton Rouge, Tampa, and Tallahassee. Dunn's goal is help these parents realize the dream that his mother was not able to give to him and his siblings, to own their own home. Dunn's achievements have been recognized over the years. He received a Giant Steps Award in civic leadership from former President Bill Clinton for his program. In 2005, Dunn was presented with the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award; named after the Chicago Bears running back who died in 1999, the award is the only NFL award that recognizes a player for his community service as well as for his excellence on the field. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Dunn challenged all NFL players, except for those who play for the New Orleans Saints, to donate at least $5,000 to the effort. The effort received over $5 million in contributions.

In 2007, Dunn, along with Andre Agassi, Muhammad Ali, Lance Armstrong, Jeff Gordon, Mia Hamm, Tony Hawk, Andrea Jaeger, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Mario Lemieux, Alonzo Mourning and Cal Ripken, Jr., founded Athletes for Hope, a charitable organization that helps professional athletes, sports industry professionals and fans get involved in charitable causes.

For his exceptional involvement on and off the field, Dunn was awarded with the 2009 Bart Starr Award.

Writing
Dunn's 2008 autobiography, Running For My Life ISBN 978-0-06-143264-4, details his mother's murder and his battles with depression throughout his life.