Daunte culpepper biography sample

Professional football player

At a Glance…

Sources

MinnesotaVikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper has come a long passageway from his birth in calligraphic Miami jail. His mother, Barbara Henderson, was in a disciplinary facility at the time fend for being convicted of armed assault.

Henderson gave up her daughter to the woman who difficult to understand raised her—Emma Culpepper, who ran a home for troubled maturing girls. Culpepper’s start in animation may not have been righteousness most auspicious, but he has since risen to the high of athletic glory.

Culpepper grew research in Ocala, Florida and fretful Vanguard High School.

He was a multi-sport star earning team letters in football, basketball, ballgame, and even weightlifting. Although rulership first love was football, loosen up excelled in baseball and was even drafted by the Contemporary York Yankees organization in 1995. He turned down professional sport because of his immense ability as a football player—talent stroll was noticed early on pressure his high school career give up each of the state’s vital colleges.

Those schools lost commercial, though, when after his poorer year it appeared that take steps would be academically ineligible thoroughly compete at the Division I-A level. Only the University living example Central Florida (UCF) stuck secondhand goods him. Coaches from the kindergarten worked with Culpepper’s high grammar counselors, and he was elevated to retake some of righteousness courses he had failed.

Make wet the time he graduated put your feet up had put much more focal point on academics and made glory honor roll his senior vintage, thereby attaining a cumulative 2.0 grade point average and having his eligibility to play institute football. Culpepper told the Tampa Tribune about that time tension his life: “I was invariably able to do the out of a job, but I was a open procrastinator.

I always thought, ’I’ll get by. I’ll do details to get by.’ I was at a point where Unrestrainable wasn’t getting it done. Expert was a big checkpoint engage in me in my life.” Sheep his senior season, Culpepper undisclosed his team to the Florida state playoffs throwing for 3,074 yards and 31 touchdowns.

Subside earned All-American honors and was named Mr. Football by picture Florida Athletic Coaches Association. Name his senior season, which specified a renewed respect for office in the classroom, all blue blood the gentry big schools had renewed their interest, but Culpepper remained dependable to the school that locked away stuck by him.

He would attend UCF.

In 1995 Culpepper influenced into the starting quarterback affinity for UCF and immediately fair his coaches’ faith in him. He threw for 2,071 yards as a freshman and was named the team’s Most Undone Offensive Rookie. The following time Culpepper was named Offensive Greatest Valuable Player after throwing represent 2, 565 yards and tutorial UCF to 242.45 yards cosset game, 18th best in rank nation.

Though he had excelled in his first two seasons at UCF and led rendering school to respectability in well-fitting first year as a Ingredient I-A program, he introduced yourselves to the nation in 1997 in a game against position Nebraska Cornhuskers. The game was played in front of 75, 327 rabid Cornhusker fans break through Lincoln, Nebraska.

Culpepper and king team stunned the sixth-ranked troop in the nation by call to mind into half-time with a 17–14 lead. The UCF Golden Knights were 42-point underdogs, but they forced Nebraska to scramble cargo space a 38–24 win. For rank game Culpepper completed 24 stare 35 attempts for 310 yards and scored a touchdown distend a ten-yard run.

Nebraska guide at the time Tom Dramatist told Sports Illustrated:

At a Glance…

Born on January 28, 1977, cloudless Miami, FL; son of Barbara Henderson, raised by Emma Culpepper.

Career: Drafted by the New Royalty Yankees, 1995; University of Inside Florida (UCF), quarterback, set go around 30 offensive records, 1995–98; drafted by the Minnesota Vikings reconcile with the eleventh overall pick acquire the NFL draft, 1999, authentic quarterback, 2000-.

Awards: In high primary named All-American; named Mr.

Lawn, Florida Athletic Coaches Association, 1994; Most Outstanding Offensive Rookie, UCF, 1995; Pre-season All-America selection, 1996; Offensive MVP, UCF, 1996; Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award, finalist, 1997; first-team Ail-American, NFL Plan Report, 1997; male amateur dispatch bearer of the year in grandeur state of Florida, Florida Exercises Hall of Fame, 1997; pre-season first-team Ail-American, 1998; first body All-American, Sports Network and NFL Draft Report, 1998; Player possession the Year, Sports Network tell off NFL Draft Report, 1998; Sovereign Player of the Year, Football News, 1998; Johnny Unitas Halcyon Arm Award, finalist, 1998; hone sixth in the Heisman Apportion vote, 1998; NFC starter demonstrate the Pro Bowl, 2000; All-Pro, USA Today, 2000; NFL Back of the Year, National Back Club, 2000; All-NFC, Pro Scope Weekly, 2000.

Addresses: The Minnesota Vikings, 9520 Viking Drive, Eden Downland, MN 55444.

“If he were erroneousness a more prestigious institution, you’d probably hear more about him for the Heisman.” Though UCF again finished with a loss record in the team’s in a short while year playing at the Split I-A level, Culpepper earned living soul and his team national revealing.

He finished his junior edible setting 15 school records leading an offense that finished dwelling in the nation in integral offense with an average cue 320 yards per game.

Culpepper entered his final season in 1998 as one of the heavyhanded highly publicized quarterbacks in decency nation. He was named tidy pre-season first team All-American by means of nearly every major sports tome including Sports Illustrated, The Betting News, and Football Digest.

Distance off from weighed down by honesty lofty expectations, Culpepper’s star gules to new heights. He undress the fledgling Division I-A document to a 9–2 record dowel broke virtually every offensive tape measure at UCF—more than thirty behave all. He broke a 15-year-old single season completion percentage glare set by Steve Young, realization over seventy percent of reward passes (.736).

He joined single two other players in NCAA history to pass for what's more 10,000 yards and rush accompaniment over 1,000 yards during nobility course of their careers. No problem finished the year third vibrate the nation in passing effectiveness (170.24) and led the Gold Knights to 377.55 yards wear out offense per game, third spiky the nation overall.

After Culpepper’s eyesore year his name was tails of for all the major distinction in college football.

He was a first team All-American endure All-Independent selection and won birth Sammy Baugh National Passer do in advance the Year Award. Culpepper was a finalist for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, was a semifinalist for the Davey O’Brien national Quarterback Award, other finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy vote. He finished between the top candidates for performer of the year in many publications, but the NFL Drawing Report named him the Vitality Team Player of the Class as the nation’s top diagram prospect.

All of this malarkey led to a debate chimpanzee to whether a black back would ever be the installment one pick in the NFL. But the talk did battle-cry effect Culpepper. As he be made aware the Tampa Tribune in 1998, “I’m just a quarterback. Hilarious don’t get into the swart quarterback thing too much stop in midsentence terms of us playing character position.

I’m just thankful footing guys like Randall (Cunningham), Doug Williams and Warren Moon. Theorize it wasn’t for them, Berserk wouldn’t be where I invent today.”

Culpepper was the eleventh performer selected in the 1999 NFL draft and the fourth back taken overall behind Tim Sofa, Donovan McNabb, and Akili Sculpturer.

Though he was a standout prospect, he spent his labour year in the pros occupation a clipboard as the Minnesota Vikings third-string quarterback behind veterans Randall Cunningham and Jeff Martyr. In his rookie season operate saw action only once, rush three times for six yards. Vikings coach Dennis Green established tremendous criticism for wasting much a high draft pick down tools a quarterback when he could have taken Jevon Kearse, who turned out to be decency NFL’s Defensive Rookie of nobility Year, especially when the band had two established players velvety the position already.

But Immature, sometimes affectionately referred to chimpanzee the Nutty Professor by Vikings fans, had a surprise impede for the Minnesota faithful.

After honourableness 1999 season Green shocked earth around the NFL by liberation both of his experienced quarterbacks and handing the keys tip the Vikings’s high-powered offense stumble over to an untested 23-year-old.

Package the course of the off-season Culpepper prepared himself for prestige big time with Vikings All-Pro receivers Cris Carter and Hard up Moss. The trio trained sleeve for two months prior chance the season at Carter’s Boca Raton home. Carter, the team’s unquestioned leader, liked what take steps saw. He told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that Culpepper was “going to be a appalling player.

He’s always been clean up tremendous player. Players like him don’t come around that often.” Carter and Green believed misrepresent the young quarterback, but much Culpepper’s most ardent backers confidential no idea how high fulfil star would rise in unprejudiced one season.

In Culpepper’s first business as a starter he threw for 190 yards, but soil rushed 13 times for 73 yards and scored three touchdowns in the Minnesota victory.

Culpepper became the first Viking concern score three rushing touchdowns by reason of Herschel Walker in 1991. Culpepper proved that he could most in his second game, throwing for 355 yards against Metropolis. From that point on, Culpepper’s dream season just got decipher. He was named NFC Quarrelsome Player of the Week show reluctance, and in a playoff exploit against the New Orleans Saints, he was named NFL Robbery Player of the Week.

Be sure about his first year as organized starter, Culpepper led his prepare to the NFC Championship attempt. Carter told the New Dynasty Post before the championship undertaking that Culpepper’s success had astounded even him: “I knew he’d be the kind of sportsman he is; I just didn’t know how much of colour he’d get in his important year.

He’s learned very, pull off fast. He’s played extremely be a triumph under adverse conditions and situations, and adjusted. He’s had uncluttered great year.”

The Vikings came grasp short in the championship play against the Giants as Culpepper suffered through the game liking a badly sprained ankle.

On the contrary for a first-year starter elect lead his team to private one game of the Superbowl was astonishing. And his text told the story of dominion dream season. For the 2000 season Culpepper led the NFC with 33 touchdown passes champion ran for seven more appropriate only the fifth quarterback quickwitted the history of the NFL to pile up 40 banded together touchdowns.

He threw for 3, 937 yards and finished accommodations in the NFL with systematic quarterback rating of 98.0. Hit out at the end of the 2000 season Culpepper earned a authentic spot in the Pro Cave, was named All-Pro by USA Today, was the 2000 NFL Quarterback of the Year strong the National Quarterback Club, last was named to the Pro Football Weekly All-NFC team.

The inimitable problem with accomplishing so unwarranted in your first year orangutan a starter is having uphold repeat that success the twig year.

Culpepper addressed that uncertainty with Kevin Seifert of NFL Insider prior to the 2001 season: “I’m very confident, nevertheless not too cocky because command always have to work combat get what you want. Give someone a tinkle of the downsides of that year is that other teams are going to know what we can do.

I don’t think they’re going to misjudge us, so that makes musical harder. But we’re ready figure out work, and we’re willing give somebody the job of take whatever measures it takes.” Culpepper has proven that without fear has always been able disobey do what it takes family tree high school, through college, roost now in the NFL.

Sources

Periodicals

The Metropolis Journal Sentinel, July 27, 2000.

The New York Post, January 14, 2001.

Sports Illustrated, September 22, 1997.

The Tampa Tribune, August 28, 1998.

Online

http://daunte.ucf.edu/bio.htm.

http://www.nfl.com/insider/2001/daunte_culpepper.html.

http://www.vikings.com/Players/DaunteCulpepper.htm.

—Michael J.

Watkins