cowboyjoe
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I wonder how far he will fall in the NFL Draft!
Gators star defensive end Carlos Dunlap an 'emotional wreck' since his arrest on DUI charges, father says Al Messerschmidt / Getty Images
More Gators headlines .By Ben Volin Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Updated: 8:26 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 3, 2009
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It's not hard to imagine how Florida star defensive end Carlos Dunlap is feeling this week.
"How would anyone feel when they have the golden opportunity God has given them to be on such a platform, and then the situation is taken from you, whether it's your own doing or not?" his father, Carlos Sr., said Thursday.
"Carlos is very, very disturbed about this, but this is something the lord has placed in his hands."
Dunlap, 20, was arrested early Tuesday morning in Gainesville on DUI charges. Police officers found him slumped asleep over the steering wheel in his 2000 Chrysler while stopped at an intersection. Tuesday afternoon, Urban Meyer suspended Dunlap from Saturday's SEC Championship Game against Alabama.
Dunlap Sr., a bail bondsman in Charleston, S.C., said everyone in the family is still in shock over the incident. Dunlap, a junior, has been a model citizen in his three years at UF, never once getting in trouble with the Florida coaching staff or legal authorities.
"I still can't believe it. I'm still waiting for somebody to wake me up," Carlos Sr. said. "He's the one that kept me grounded all my life. He's always been the one that wanted to tell everyone else what not to do, and lead by example. He's not the kid you saw in the paper. He's still a great kid. Somewhere, something went wrong."
Meyer expressed similar shock on Tuesday.
"Stunning is probably a good word," Meyer said. "Young guys make decisions all the time. This one's a serious one."
Dunlap Sr. said his son, who leads the Gators with seven sacks this year, has been an emotional wreck since the incident.
"He's very loving and caring, and concerned and worried about how people perceive him," Dunlap Sr. said. "This is something we have to work out in the court of law, but in the court of love, Carlos is very torn. But he will bounce back from this. We're a strong, surviving family."
Dunlap loves the Florida football team too much to be anywhere near the Georgia Dome on Saturday, his father said.
He will watch the game with his family, either in Gainesville or Charleston or perhaps somewhere in Atlanta. But Dunlap knows that he needs to stay away from the team this week.
"We don't want to do anything to hurt the University of Florida football team," Carlos Sr. said. "We love the team to death and we don't want to be any distraction. We want to be a complement to the team, not a hindrance to the team. Our presence at the game will not be what the team needs to be focused on."
The arrest could hurt Dunlap's NFL draft value should he decide to leave UF after this season. Dunlap began the week at No. 3 overall on Mel Kiper's Big Board on ESPN.com, and fell to No. 17 after the incident.
But Carlos Sr. said Dunlap is only thinking about one thing right now – finishing his degree. Dunlap is on track to graduate next December.
"We came to the University of Florida for a four-year education," Dunlap Sr. said. "He has another year in school to go. Everybody's talking about the draft. We're not talking about the draft. It's never even been a thought. We as a family never even sat down and talked about leaving school."
"My son's job this year was what they were talking about – finish the mission."
Gators star defensive end Carlos Dunlap an 'emotional wreck' since his arrest on DUI charges, father says Al Messerschmidt / Getty Images
More Gators headlines .By Ben Volin Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Updated: 8:26 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 3, 2009
Post a Comment E-mail Print ShareLarger type Smaller type
It's not hard to imagine how Florida star defensive end Carlos Dunlap is feeling this week.
"How would anyone feel when they have the golden opportunity God has given them to be on such a platform, and then the situation is taken from you, whether it's your own doing or not?" his father, Carlos Sr., said Thursday.
"Carlos is very, very disturbed about this, but this is something the lord has placed in his hands."
Dunlap, 20, was arrested early Tuesday morning in Gainesville on DUI charges. Police officers found him slumped asleep over the steering wheel in his 2000 Chrysler while stopped at an intersection. Tuesday afternoon, Urban Meyer suspended Dunlap from Saturday's SEC Championship Game against Alabama.
Dunlap Sr., a bail bondsman in Charleston, S.C., said everyone in the family is still in shock over the incident. Dunlap, a junior, has been a model citizen in his three years at UF, never once getting in trouble with the Florida coaching staff or legal authorities.
"I still can't believe it. I'm still waiting for somebody to wake me up," Carlos Sr. said. "He's the one that kept me grounded all my life. He's always been the one that wanted to tell everyone else what not to do, and lead by example. He's not the kid you saw in the paper. He's still a great kid. Somewhere, something went wrong."
Meyer expressed similar shock on Tuesday.
"Stunning is probably a good word," Meyer said. "Young guys make decisions all the time. This one's a serious one."
Dunlap Sr. said his son, who leads the Gators with seven sacks this year, has been an emotional wreck since the incident.
"He's very loving and caring, and concerned and worried about how people perceive him," Dunlap Sr. said. "This is something we have to work out in the court of law, but in the court of love, Carlos is very torn. But he will bounce back from this. We're a strong, surviving family."
Dunlap loves the Florida football team too much to be anywhere near the Georgia Dome on Saturday, his father said.
He will watch the game with his family, either in Gainesville or Charleston or perhaps somewhere in Atlanta. But Dunlap knows that he needs to stay away from the team this week.
"We don't want to do anything to hurt the University of Florida football team," Carlos Sr. said. "We love the team to death and we don't want to be any distraction. We want to be a complement to the team, not a hindrance to the team. Our presence at the game will not be what the team needs to be focused on."
The arrest could hurt Dunlap's NFL draft value should he decide to leave UF after this season. Dunlap began the week at No. 3 overall on Mel Kiper's Big Board on ESPN.com, and fell to No. 17 after the incident.
But Carlos Sr. said Dunlap is only thinking about one thing right now – finishing his degree. Dunlap is on track to graduate next December.
"We came to the University of Florida for a four-year education," Dunlap Sr. said. "He has another year in school to go. Everybody's talking about the draft. We're not talking about the draft. It's never even been a thought. We as a family never even sat down and talked about leaving school."
"My son's job this year was what they were talking about – finish the mission."