Gary Edward Dunn (born August 24, 1953) is an American former professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

defensive tackle A defensive tackle (DT) is a position in American football that typically lines up on the line of scrimmage, opposite one of the Guard (American football), offensive guards; however, he may also line up opposite one of the offensive Tackle (gridir ...

for the

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...

, where he played for 12 seasons.

Early life

Gary Dunn was born August 24, 1953, in

Coral Gables, Florida Coral Gables is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The city is part of the Miami metropolitan area of South Florida and is located southwest of Greater Downtown Miami, Downtown Miami. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ...

. His grandfather was

Bowman Foster Ashe Bowman Foster Ashe (April 3, 1885 – December 16, 1952) was a U.S. educator who served as the first president of the University of Miami. Early life and education Bowman Foster Ashe was born in Scottdale, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh, on ...

, the first president of the

University of Miami The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private university, private research university in Coral Gables, Florida, United States. , the university enrolled 19,852 students in two colleges and ten schools across over ...

. Dunn attended

Coral Gables Senior High School Coral Gables Senior High School is a secondary school located at 450 Bird Road in Coral Gables, Florida, United States. The school opened in 1950. Its architectural design reflects a Spanish influence. Open courtyards adorned with water fountain ...

in Coral Gables.

College career

Dunn attended the

, where he was a standout

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

player for the

Miami Hurricanes The Miami Hurricanes, known informally as The U, UM, or The 'Canes, are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. The Hurricanes compete in NCAA Division I, Division I of the National Coll ...

Professional career

In 1976, Dunn was drafted by the

, where he was a mainstay on the vaunted Steelers' defense for 12 seasons, serving as team captain four years. While with the Steelers, he was a two-time

Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual History of the NFL championship, league championship game of the National Football League (NFL) of the United States. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966 NFL season, 1966 (with the excep ...

champion and had 18 career sacks, including of such legendary

NFL Hall of Fame The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The ...

quarterbacks as

Joe Namath Joseph William Namath (; ; born May 31, 1943), nicknamed "Broadway Joe", is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) for 13 seaso ...

Bob Griese Robert Allen Griese ( ; born February 3, 1945) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for the Miami Dolphins of the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL). He earned All-American hono ...

and

Jim Kelly James Edward Kelly (born February 14, 1960) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons with the Buffalo Bills. He also spent two seasons with the Houston Gamblers o ...

. After missing 10 starts in the 1985 season, Dunn underwent knee surgery twice during the off season. In the 1986 season, he recovered and started all 16 games and had 49 tackles.

Personal

Gary Dunn is the grandson of

, the first president of the

, and he and his wife Caron live in

Tavernier, Florida Tavernier is a census-designated place (CDP) and unincorporated community in Monroe County, Florida, United States on Key Largo, the largest island in the upper Florida Keys. Tavernier's population was 2,530 at the 2020 census, up from 2,136 i ...

, with their two children, Iris and Eddie. They own Oceanview Inn and Pub in

Islamorada, Florida Islamorada (also sometimes Isla Morada) is an Incorporation (municipal government), incorporated village in Monroe County, Florida, United States. It is located directly between Miami and Key West on five islands—Tea Table Key, Lower Matecumbe ...

References

1953 births Living people American football defensive tackles Coral Gables Senior High School alumni Miami Hurricanes football players Pittsburgh Steelers players Players of American football from Coral Gables, Florida Sportspeople from Monroe County, Florida 20th-century American sportsmen {{defensive-lineman-1970s-stub