Brodrick Bunkley

Brodrick Bunkley (born November 23, 1983) is a former American football nose tackle. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State. Bunkley also played for the Denver Broncos and New Orleans Saints.

Brodrick Bunkley
Bunkley, playing for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2007
No. 78, 97, 77
Position:Nose tackle
Personal information
Born: (1983-11-23) November 23, 1983
Tampa, Florida
Height:6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:306 lb (139 kg)
Career information
High school:Tampa (FL) Chamberlain
College:Florida State
NFL Draft:2006 / Round: 1 / Pick: 14
Career history
Career highlights and awards
  • College All-American (2005)
Career NFL statistics
Total tackles:240
Sacks:8.5
Forced fumbles:0
Fumble recoveries:3
Player stats at NFL.com

Early years

A native of Tampa, Florida, Bunkley attended George D. Chamberlain High School. In his senior year, Bunkley contributed ​18 1⁄2 quarterback sacks, while the Chiefs, featuring seniors Brian Clark and Oliver Hoyte, as well as juniors Greg Lee and Joe Clermond, advanced to the Class 5A state finals, where they were upset 21–17 by the Naples Golden Eagles.[1]

Regarded as a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, Bunkley was ranked as the No. 22 defensive tackle nationwide, in a class that was highlighted by Haloti Ngata, Rodrique Wright, and Gabe Watson.[2] After official visits to Michigan State, Florida State, Florida, and Miami (FL), Bunkley chose the Seminoles.

College career

In his true freshman season at Florida State, Bunkley appeared in eight games and totaled 13 tackles, one tackle for loss and three quarterback hurries. In the next-to-last game of the regular season against Florida, Bunkley injured his left knee on an apparent “chop block” by Gators guard Mo Mitchell, which caused him to miss the remainder of the season including the 2003 Sugar Bowl.[3]

As a sophomore, Bunkley played in all 13 games, serving as a back-up to nose guard Jeff Womble. When Womble missed both the Virginia and Wake Forest due to injury, Bunkley stepped in as starter. For the season, Bunkley ranked third among defensive lineman with 38 tackles (19 solo, 19 assisted), including eight for a loss, and also had five QB hurries, two pass break-ups, one and a half sacks and a fumble recovery. Seminoles coaches named him Co-Defensive Newcomer of the Year, along with A. J. Nicholson.

After Womble's graduation, Bunkley took over as starting nose guard in 2004. However, he missed the second half of the season with a severe right high ankle sprain.[4] Having only played in seven games, he finished the year with 12 tackles (three for loss), one sack and one quarterback hurry. He underwent surgery on his ankle after the season and was then ruled academically ineligible in the spring of 2005. He attended summer school, missing a portion of fall camp awaiting his grades.[5]

With his eligibility re-instated, Bunkley started all 13 games at nose guard for the Seminoles. He ranked second nationally in tackles for loss by any defender with 25 (behind only Dan Bazuin′s 26.5), thereby establishing a new single-season school record, surpassing Darnell Dockett′s 23.5 from the 2001 season.[6] Bunkley also lead the Seminoles with nine sacks, was second on the team in quarterback hurries with 15, and tied for third with 39 solo tackles. He was named a FWAA team first team All-American and a CNNSI.com first team All-American.

Professional career

2006 NFL Draft

Projected a first-round pick, Bunkley was praised for his “tremendous first-step quickness” and “nasty attitude.”[7] At the NFL Scouting Combine, Bunkley had an impressive 44 repetitions on the 225-pound bench press.[8]

On April 29, 2006, Bunkley was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round (14th overall) of the 2006 NFL Draft. He was one of four Florida State Seminoles defensive players taken in the first round of the draft, along with Ernie Sims, Kamerion Wimbley, and Antonio Cromartie. Bunkley was also the highest selected defensive lineman since Corey Simon in 2000.

Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeight40-yard dash10-yard split20-yard split20-yard shuttleThree-cone drillVertical jumpBroad jumpBench pressWonderlic
6 ft 2 3⁄4 in
(1.90 m)		 306 lb
(139 kg)		 5.01 s1.71 s2.91 s4.16 s7.33 s32 1⁄3 in
(0.82 m)		9 ft 5 in
(2.87 m)		44 reps15
All values from NFL Combine, except for 20-ss and 3-cone (which is from Florida State Pro Day)

Philadelphia Eagles

Bunkley held out until August 4, 2006, when he agreed to a six-year contract with the Eagles.

He was the Eagles' second-string defensive tackle during the 2006 season and played sparingly.

On November 19, 2006, Bunkley was suspended by the Eagles for one game as a result of him missing the team flight to Indianapolis. Bunkley claimed he missed the team flight because he was picking up some fried chicken for the defensive line, as part of a rookie tradition.[9]

In the 2007 season, Bunkley became a starting defensive tackle for the Eagles alongside Mike Patterson. He recorded 30 tackles and three sacks. After becoming the starter in 2007, Bunkley started in every game in 2008 and 2009. In week 5 of the 2010 season, Bunkley suffered an elbow injury, but managed to play in 14 games.[10]

Denver Broncos

Bunkley was traded to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft on July 30, 2011, but the trade was voided after Bunkley did not report. He was instead traded to the Denver Broncos in exchange for an unspecified pick in the 2013 NFL Draft on August 1.

New Orleans Saints

On March 21, 2012, Bunkley agreed to terms on a 5-year, $25 million contract with the New Orleans Saints.[11]

On November 25, 2012, Bunkley was ejected from a game against the San Francisco 49ers when he kicked the 49ers’ Alex Boone in the head, after Boone attempted to punch him in the groin.[12][13] Bunkley was fined $20,000 for his illegal kick.[14] Bunkley started 15 games for the Saints in 2012 and 10 games in 2013.

In 2014 Bunkley started the first 11 games of the season, but after suffering a quadriceps injury in the Saints' game against Baltimore, he was placed on the injured reserve list on November 27, 2014.[15] The Saints released Bunkley on July 28, 2015, following a failed physical.[16]

NFL statistics
YearTeamGPCOMBTOTALASTSACKFFFRFR YDSINTIR YDSAVG IRLNG IRTDPD
2006PHI159630.0000000000
2007PHI15312473.0010000000
2008PHI164734132.0010000002
2009PHI16373071.0010000004
2010PHI14201730.0000000001
2011DEN164333100.0000000000
2012NO152310132.5000000002
2013NO1213850.0000000000
Career130240170708.5030000009

[17]

Key

  • GP: games played
  • COMB: combined tackles
  • TOTAL: total tackles
  • AST: assisted tackles
  • SACK: sacks
  • FF: forced fumbles
  • FR: fumble recoveries
  • FR Yards: Fumble Return Yards
  • INT: interceptions
  • IR YDS: interception return yards
  • AVG IR: average interception return
  • LNG: longest interception return
  • TD: interceptions returned for touchdown
  • PD: passes defensed

References
  1. "Madison, Naples Take Titles". Orlando Sentinel. December 8, 2001.
  2. 2002 Prospect Ranking: Rivals100: Defensive tackles
  3. "'noles Wait To Go Bowling". Florida Sun-Sentinel. December 2, 2002.
  4. "Bunkley, Henshaw sit with ankle injuries". Florida Times-Union. October 19, 2004.
  5. "Tampa's Bunkley back on field for FSU after eligibility scare". Tampa Bay Times. August 16, 2005.
  6. "The Dominator: Bunkley is the Unstoppable Force in FSU Defense". Florida Sun-Sentinel. December 30, 2005.
  7. 2006 NFL draft profile
  8. "Eagles' draft basket filled with 2 tackles A lineman's man, Reid goes for Bunkley, Justice". Philadelphia Inquirer. April 30, 2006.
  9. Brookover, Bob (2006-12-01). "Bunkley pays price for chicken stop". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
  10. "Reid: Eagles DT Bunkley likely lost for season with bad elbow". NFL.com. October 11, 2010. Retrieved 2010-10-11.
  11. Bunkley goes to Saints on five-year, $25M contract
  12. " New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Brodrick Bunkley's ejection, NFL.com, November 25, 2012.
  13. "Saints DT Brodrick Bunkley kicks 49ers OL Alex Boone in the head, is ejected from game", Yahoo! Sports, November 26, 2012.
  14. "NFL fines Brodrick Bunkley $20,000 for kicking Alex Boone"
  15. Mike Triplett, "Saints place Brodrick Bunkley on IR; no other changes to injury report", ESPN.com, November 27, 2014.
  16. "New Orleans Saints release Brodrick Bunkley following failed physical". The Times-Picayune. July 28, 2015.
  17. "Brodrick Bunkley Stats". ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
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