Broncos Profile: Brodrick Bunkley

Each month, I will showcase a current Denver Broncos player and inform you of their lives and accomplishments before coming to Denver. In doing so, I hope to shine a light on each players own unique journey on the road to Mile High. This month’s featured player is defensive tackle Brodrick Bunkley.

Brodrick Bunkley was born on November 23, 1983 in Tampa, Florida. He played his high school football at George D. Chamberlain High School in Tampa where he played defensive tackle. As a senior, Bunkley earned 18.5 sacks and helped lead the team to the state finals. He was rated as the No. 2 defensive tackle by the Florida Times-Union and was selected to play in the 2002 Georgia-Florida All-Star game. Other honors included being ranked No. 14 overall on the Florida Kids Top 100 list and he was ranked the No. 2 defensive lineman. He was also named to the 2001 Florida Kids All-Gridiron Football Dream Team. After being recruited heavily by all the major colleges in the state, Bunkley selected Florida State over Florida and Miami.

As a true freshman in 2002, Bunkley played in eight games and earned 13 tackles, one tackle for a loss, and three quarterback hurries. As a sophomore, he played in all 13 games and ranked third among defensive lineman with 38 tackles, eight of which were for a loss. He also earned five quarterback hurries, two pass break-ups, one and a half sacks and a fumble recovery. As a junior, Bunkley started seven games at defensive tackle and earned three tackles for a loss, one sack, and one quarterback hurry. In his senior season, he started all 13 games and recorded 66 tackles, including a school record 25 tackles for a loss. He also earned nine sacks, 15 quarterback hurries, and two fumble recoveries. He was named a FWAA team first team All-American and a CNNSI.com first team All-American. He was also named a second team All-ACC honoree.

Bunkley was selected in the first round (14th overall) by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2006 NFL Draft. He played sparingly his rookie season as a second-string defensive tackle. Bunkley became a starter in 2007, recording 24 tackles, three sacks, and a fumble recovery. In his remaining tenure with the Eagles from 2008-2010, Bunkley started in 37 games and recorded 81 tackles, three sacks, seven pass deflections and two fumble recoveries. Before the 2011 season, Bunkley was traded to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. However, that trade was voided after Bunkley did not report to the team. He was instead traded to the Denver Broncos for an unspecified pick in the 2013 NFL Draft.

So far in 2011, Bunkley has started in eight games and has recorded 19 tackles. He has helped tremendously with the teams biggest need defensively by assisting in stopping the run. Bunkley will continue to help improve the Broncos defense and will no doubt be a key component in keeping the team in the race to win the AFC West.

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