Damon Dunn
Encyclopedia
Damon Jerrel Dunn is a former American football
player and Republican Party
candidate for California Secretary of State in the 2010 election
.
to a 16-year-old mother, Ramona Dunn. When Dunn was three years old his father, Texas Longhorns
starting fullback Mike Lockett, was killed in a car accident. Dunn grew up in a trailer on his grandparents' farm. Dunn was an honor student in Sam Houston High School
in Arlington, Texas
and an All-State Texas football player.
on a football scholarship after being recruited by Bill Walsh. Dunn also ran track at Stanford. At Stanford Dunn was coached by Tyrone Willingham
and Dunn has said he viewed him as a father figure, having grown up without a male role model in his life. While at Stanford Dunn set numerous records and was awarded a NCAA Academic Scholarship, All-PAC 10 Honors and Academic All-Pac 10 Honors, and the NFL and College Hall of Fame Award. During his career at Stanford Dunn participated as a associate pastor in the Jerusalem Baptist Church, where he managed youth ministries.
. He was not picked in the 1998 NFL Draft
. The season after he graduated from Stanford, Dunn was on the practice squad of the National Football League
team Jacksonville Jaguars
. Dunn then played for the Cleveland Browns
in 1999. The next year, Dunn played in the Berlin Thunder
of NFL Europe
, the New York Jets
of the NFL, and the Browns in 2000. In 2001, Dunn played for the XFL
team Los Angeles Xtreme
; the XFL folded after that season. Dunn joined Dallas Cowboys
training camp before the 2001 NFL season
. He left the NFL after being injured there.
as a Republican
, challenging
incumbent Democrat Debra Bowen
. He explained why he chose to be a Republican: "No entitlement program got me out of poverty. It was hard work." Additionally, the Los Angeles Sentinel quoted Dunn: "There are a lot of African Americans that are conservative fiscally and socially as well, but we don't have the welcoming face in the Republican Party." In the May 2009 special election
, Dunn voted for the first time; he voted against all of the budget propositions 1A through 1E. While playing for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Dunn registered to vote as a Democrat
in 1999; that registration expired in 2005.
Dunn stated that he was unfamiliar with the American electronic voting
controversy when he announced his candidacy. The San Francisco Chronicle
endorsed Dunn for the June 2010 primary. Ronnie Lott
, a Hall of Fame NFL player, endorsed Dunn the following month. In the election, which took place on November 2, 2010, Bowen won with 53.1% of the vote; Dunn finished with 38.6%; Dunn won his home county, taking Orange County
54.1% of the vote in Orange County
.
Foundation. Dunn served as president of his local Fellowship of Christian Athletes
chapter and has spoken nationally at FCA events. Dunn is also a licensed Baptist
minister and a member of Saddleback Baptist Church
. He lives in Irvine, California
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player and Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
candidate for California Secretary of State in the 2010 election
California Secretary of State election, 2010
The 2010 California Secretary of State election was held on November 2, 2010, to choose the Secretary of State of California. The primary election was held on June 8, 2010. Incumbent Debra Bowen won reelection.- Candidates :...
.
Early life
Dunn was born in 1976 in Fort Worth, TexasFort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
to a 16-year-old mother, Ramona Dunn. When Dunn was three years old his father, Texas Longhorns
Texas Longhorns football
The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National...
starting fullback Mike Lockett, was killed in a car accident. Dunn grew up in a trailer on his grandparents' farm. Dunn was an honor student in Sam Houston High School
Sam Houston High School (Arlington, Texas)
Sam Houston High School is a secondary school serving grades 9-12 students who live in the eastern part of Arlington, Texas and the western part of Grand Prairie, Texas. It is part of the Arlington Independent School District, in Arlington, Texas...
in Arlington, Texas
Arlington, Texas
Arlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas within the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. According to the 2010 census results, the city had a population of 365,438, making it the third largest municipality in the Metroplex...
and an All-State Texas football player.
College
After high school Dunn attended Stanford UniversityStanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
on a football scholarship after being recruited by Bill Walsh. Dunn also ran track at Stanford. At Stanford Dunn was coached by Tyrone Willingham
Tyrone Willingham
Lionel Tyrone "Ty" Willingham is a former American football player and coach. He was the head coach at Stanford University , the University of Notre Dame , and the University of Washington , compiling a career college football record of 76–88–1.-Early career:Willingham attended...
and Dunn has said he viewed him as a father figure, having grown up without a male role model in his life. While at Stanford Dunn set numerous records and was awarded a NCAA Academic Scholarship, All-PAC 10 Honors and Academic All-Pac 10 Honors, and the NFL and College Hall of Fame Award. During his career at Stanford Dunn participated as a associate pastor in the Jerusalem Baptist Church, where he managed youth ministries.
NFL career
Dunn graduated from Stanford in 1998 with a degree in public policyPublic policy
Public policy as government action is generally the principled guide to action taken by the administrative or executive branches of the state with regard to a class of issues in a manner consistent with law and institutional customs. In general, the foundation is the pertinent national and...
. He was not picked in the 1998 NFL Draft
1998 NFL Draft
The 1998 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 18-19, 1998...
. The season after he graduated from Stanford, Dunn was on the practice squad of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
team Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Dunn then played for the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in 1999. The next year, Dunn played in the Berlin Thunder
Berlin Thunder
The Berlin Thunder were a professional American football team in NFL Europe, which was a springtime American football league serving primarily as a developmental league for the National Football League. Most of the players were young American professional players assigned by NFL teams to receive...
of NFL Europe
NFL Europe
NFL Europe was an American football league which operated in Europe from 1991 until 2007. Backed by the National Football League , the largest professional American football league in the United States, it was founded as the World League of American Football to serve as a type of spring league...
, the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the NFL, and the Browns in 2000. In 2001, Dunn played for the XFL
XFL
The XFL was a professional American football league that played for one season in 2001. The league was founded by Vince McMahon, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of WWE...
team Los Angeles Xtreme
Los Angeles Xtreme
The Los Angeles Xtreme was a professional American football team based in Los Angeles, California. The team was a member of the XFL begun by Vince McMahon of World Wrestling Entertainment and by NBC, a major television network in the United States. The team played its home games in the Los Angeles...
; the XFL folded after that season. Dunn joined Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
training camp before the 2001 NFL season
2001 NFL season
The 2001 NFL season was the 82nd regular season of the National Football League.Following a pattern set in 1999, the first week of the season was permanently moved to the weekend following Labor Day...
. He left the NFL after being injured there.
Other ventures
After retiring from the NFL, Dunn co-founded a successful real estate company doing work across the country.Secretary of State candidacy
In 2009, Dunn announced that he would run for California Secretary of StateCalifornia Secretary of State
The Secretary of State of California is the chief elections officer of that U.S. state. The Secretary of State is also responsible for the California State Archives, as well as chartering corporations. The Secretary of State is elected to four year terms, concurrent with the other constitutional...
as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, challenging
California Secretary of State election, 2010
The 2010 California Secretary of State election was held on November 2, 2010, to choose the Secretary of State of California. The primary election was held on June 8, 2010. Incumbent Debra Bowen won reelection.- Candidates :...
incumbent Democrat Debra Bowen
Debra Bowen
Debra Lynn Bowen , a member of the Democratic Party, has been Secretary of State of California since January 8, 2007. Before that she was a member of the California State Legislature from 1992 to 2006. In March 2008, she was given the Profile in Courage Award by the John F. Kennedy Presidential...
. He explained why he chose to be a Republican: "No entitlement program got me out of poverty. It was hard work." Additionally, the Los Angeles Sentinel quoted Dunn: "There are a lot of African Americans that are conservative fiscally and socially as well, but we don't have the welcoming face in the Republican Party." In the May 2009 special election
California state special elections, 2009
The California state special elections, 2009 were held on May 19, 2009 throughout the state of California. The elections were authorized by the State Legislature and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as a part of a budget signed into law on February 19, 2009...
, Dunn voted for the first time; he voted against all of the budget propositions 1A through 1E. While playing for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Dunn registered to vote as a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
in 1999; that registration expired in 2005.
Dunn stated that he was unfamiliar with the American electronic voting
Electronic voting
Electronic voting is a term encompassing several different types of voting, embracing both electronic means of casting a vote and electronic means of counting votes....
controversy when he announced his candidacy. The San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
endorsed Dunn for the June 2010 primary. Ronnie Lott
Ronnie Lott
Ronald Mandel "Ronnie" Lott is a former American football player who starred as a cornerback, free safety, and strong safety in college football and the NFL. He is most well known for his crushing hits on opposing players...
, a Hall of Fame NFL player, endorsed Dunn the following month. In the election, which took place on November 2, 2010, Bowen won with 53.1% of the vote; Dunn finished with 38.6%; Dunn won his home county, taking Orange County
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
54.1% of the vote in Orange County
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
.
Personal life
While in the NFL, Dunn worked with the Make-a-Wish Foundation visiting kids with terminal diseases. Dunn started the Fighting Giants Ministry that ministers to children with life changing injuries. Dunn has also worked with St. Augustine Soup Kitchen, the Cops-N-Kids program and the Cleveland ClinicCleveland Clinic
The Cleveland Clinic is a multispecialty academic medical center located in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. The Cleveland Clinic is currently regarded as one of the top 4 hospitals in the United States as rated by U.S. News & World Report...
Foundation. Dunn served as president of his local Fellowship of Christian Athletes
Fellowship of Christian Athletes
The Fellowship of Christian Athletes is a non-profit interdenominational Christian organization founded in 1954 and that has been based in Kansas City, Missouri since 1956. It falls within the tradition of Muscular Christianity. Although established by evangelical Protestants, the concept has...
chapter and has spoken nationally at FCA events. Dunn is also a licensed Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
minister and a member of Saddleback Baptist Church
Saddleback Church
Saddleback Church is an evangelical Christian megachurch located in Lake Forest, California, situated in southern Orange County, affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. The church was founded in 1980 by pastor Rick Warren...
. He lives in Irvine, California
Irvine, California
Irvine is a suburban incorporated city in Orange County, California, United States. It is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Formally incorporated on December 28, 1971, the city has a population of 212,375 as of the 2010 census. However, the California...
.