Damon Dunn

{{Infobox NFL biography

| name = Damon Dunn

| number = 81, 83, 87, 15

| position = Wide receiver

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1976|3|15|mf=yes}}

| birth_place = Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.

| height_ft = 5

| height_in = 9

| weight_lb = 182

| high_school = Arlington (TX) Houston

| college = Stanford

| undraftedyear = 1998

| pastteams =

Jacksonville Jaguars ({{NFL Year|1998}}-1999)*{{cite web |title=Transactions |url=https://www.nfl.com/transactions/league/waivers/1999/8 |website=NFL.com}}
Cleveland Browns ({{NFL Year|1999}})
New York Jets ({{NFL Year|2000}})
Cleveland Browns (2000)
Berlin Thunder ({{NFLE Year|2000}})
Los Angeles Xtreme (2001)
Dallas Cowboys ({{NFL Year|2001}})*

| highlights =

First-team All-Pac-10 (1995)

| statlabel1 = Receptions

| statvalue1 = 1

| statlabel2 = Receiving yards

| statvalue2 = 6

| statlabel3 = Return yards

| statvalue3 = 35

| pfr = DunnDa01

}}

Damon Jerrel Dunn (born March 15, 1976) is an American politician, commercial real estate developer, minister, and former football player.

Early life

Dunn was born in 1976 in Fort Worth, Texas to a 16-year-old mother, Ramona Dunn. When Dunn was three years old his father, Texas Longhorns starting wide receiver, Mike Lockett, was killed in a car accident.{{cite web|last=Barnes|first=Evan|title=Damon Dunn: Republican for State Office |url=http://www.lasentinel.net/Damon-Dunn-Republican-for-State-Office.html|work=Los Angeles Sentinel|access-date=December 30, 2010|date=December 10, 2009}}{{cite web|last=DeVaughn|first=Mark|title=Damon Dunn for CA Sec. of State!|url=http://stanford.scout.com/2/936969.html|work=The Bootleg|publisher=Scout.com|access-date=December 30, 2010|date=January 11, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716022415/http://stanford.scout.com/2/936969.html|archive-date=July 16, 2011|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}} 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.{{cite web|title=1997 Graduated Senior Bios|url=http://www.gostanford.com/sports/m-footbl/archive/stan-fb-arch-97senrbio.html|work=GoStanford.com|publisher=CBS Sports|access-date=December 30, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110819114730/http://www.gostanford.com/sports/m-footbl/archive/stan-fb-arch-97senrbio.html|archive-date=2011-08-19|url-status=dead}}

College

After high school Dunn attended Stanford University on a football scholarship after being recruited by Bill Walsh.{{citation needed|date=May 2014}} Dunn also ran track at Stanford.{{citation needed|date=May 2014}} 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.{{citation needed|date=May 2014}} While at Stanford Dunn set numerous records and was awarded an NCAA Academic Scholarship, All-Pac-10 Honors and Academic All-Pac-10 Honors, and the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Award. During his career at Stanford Dunn participated as an 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 policy. He was not picked in the 1998 NFL draft.{{cite web|title=The Positions: WR|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/events/1998/nfldraft/topplayers/byposition/WR.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010124000200/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/events/1998/nfldraft/topplayers/byposition/WR.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 24, 2001|work=CNNSI.com|date=April 13, 1998|access-date=December 31, 2010}} The season after he graduated from Stanford, Dunn was on the practice squad of the National Football League team Jacksonville Jaguars.{{cite news|last=FitzGerald|first=Tom|title=Dunn is a Cowboy with a tale to tell|url=https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/Dunn-is-a-Cowboy-with-a-tale-to-tell-2891608.php|access-date=December 31, 2010|newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle|date=August 7, 2001}} 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.{{Cite web|url=http://www.nfl.com/players/damondunn/profile?id=DUN527300|title=Damon Dunn Stats, News and Video - WR|website=NFL.com }} In 2001, Dunn played for the XFL team Los Angeles Xtreme; the XFL folded after that season.{{cite web|title=Damon Dunn|url=http://www.all-xfl.com/losangelesxtreme/team/roster/DamonDunn.htm|work=all-xfl.com|access-date=December 30, 2010}} Dunn joined Dallas Cowboys training camp before the 2001 NFL season. He left the NFL after being injured there.

Other ventures

After retiring from the NFL, Dunn and a former Stanford roommate became partners in an Irvine, California-based real estate business, which developed several shopping centers.

Politics

=California Secretary of State=

In 2009, Dunn announced that he would run for California Secretary of State challenging incumbent Democrat Debra Bowen. The Los Angeles Sentinel quoted Dunn: "There are a lot of African Americans that are conservative fiscally, but we don't have the welcoming face in the Republican Party."{{cite web|title=Damon Dunn: Republican for State Office|date = 10 December 2009|url=http://www.lasentinel.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4792:damon-dunn-republican-for-state-office&catid=83&Itemid=173|publisher=LA Sentinel|access-date=17 March 2016}}

In March 2010, Orly Taitz qualified to run for the office of California Secretary of State. At the same time, she unsuccessfully challenged the eligibility of her Republican Party primary opponent, Dunn, claiming that he was pretending to be a Republican. While playing for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Dunn had registered to vote as a Democrat in 1999 but that registration expired in 2005.[https://web.archive.org/web/20100417101208/http://articles.latimes.com/2010/apr/13/local/la-me-taxday14-2010apr14/2 Activist who challenges Obama's citizenship is booted from Tax Day Tea Party], Los Angeles Times, Seema Mehta, April 13, 2010. Retrieved 17 March 2016.

On May 12, 2010, Pamela Barnett (named plaintiff from Taitz's lawsuit Barnett v. Obama) filed a lawsuit in the Sacramento County Superior Court alleging that Dunn was not eligible to run for Secretary of State.{{Cite web|url=http://totalbuzz.freedomblogging.com/2010/05/12/suit-filed-on-behalf-of-obama-birthplace-lawyer/34921/|title=Lawsuit would benefit Obama birthplace lawyer|first=Martin|last=Wisckol|work=The Orange County Register|access-date=August 15, 2010|date=May 12, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100515041250/http://totalbuzz.freedomblogging.com/2010/05/12/suit-filed-on-behalf-of-obama-birthplace-lawyer/34921/|archive-date=2010-05-15|url-status=dead}}{{cite news|work=The Washington Independent|title=Orly Taitz Challenges the Eligibility of an African-American Politician|url=http://washingtonindependent.com/78850/orly-taitz-challenges-the-eligibility-of-an-african-american-politician|first=David|last=Weigel|author-link=David Weigel|date=March 10, 2010|access-date=August 15, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100322220636/http://washingtonindependent.com/78850/orly-taitz-challenges-the-eligibility-of-an-african-american-politician|archive-date=2010-03-22|url-status=dead}}{{cite news|url=http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/the-hilarious-haters/orly-taitzs-claims-about-damon/|title=Orly Taitz's Claims About Damon Dunn's Eligilibity: False!|last=Kornhaber|first=Spencer|date=March 8, 2010|work=OC Weekly|access-date=May 4, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100514122309/http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/the-hilarious-haters/orly-taitzs-claims-about-damon/|archive-date=2010-05-14|url-status=dead}}

The San Francisco Chronicle endorsed Dunn for the June 2010 primary.{{cite news|title=Chronicle endorsements|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/06/08/ED2B1DR7PM.DTL|newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle|date=June 8, 2010|page=A15}} Ronnie Lott, a Hall of Fame NFL player, endorsed Dunn the following month.{{cite web|last=Marinucci|first=Carla|title=CA GOP Sec of State candidate Damon Dunn, former NFL player, lands endorsement of Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/nov05election/detail?entry_id=68901|work=San Francisco Chronicle Politics Blog|access-date=December 31, 2010|date=July 28, 2010}}

Taitz was defeated by Dunn in the June 8 primary by a margin of about three to one,{{Cite web|url=http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_15256843|title=Mercury News (AP): "Dunn to face Bowen for Calif secretary of state"|work=San Jose Mercury News|access-date=August 15, 2010|date=June 8, 2010}}{{Dead link|date=March 2016}} losing by over 900,000 votes.[http://vote.sos.ca.gov/returns/sec/59.htm California Secretary of State's website]. Retrieved June 21, 2010. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100609224019/http://vote.sos.ca.gov/returns/sec/59.htm |date=June 9, 2010 }}

On June 17, 2010, Taitz filed a lawsuit in the Orange County Superior Court contesting the election results, again alleging Dunn's ineligibility.{{Cite web|url=http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/the-hilarious-haters/orly-taitz-continues-jihad-aga/|title=UPDATED: Orly Taitz Continues Jihad Against Damon Dunn (And, Now, Us)|access-date=August 15, 2010|date=July 1, 2010|first=Spencer|last=Kornhaber|work=OC Weekly|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100812101827/http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/the-hilarious-haters/orly-taitz-continues-jihad-aga/|archive-date=2010-08-12|url-status=dead}} On March 17, 2011, the judge ruled against Taitz.{{cite news|url=http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/2011/03/donald_trump_gives_orly_taitz.php#|title=Donald Trump Gives Orly Taitz Sloppy Wet Kiss|work=OC Weekly|first=Matt|last=Coker|date=March 18, 2011|access-date=March 18, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110320225015/http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/2011/03/donald_trump_gives_orly_taitz.php|archive-date=March 20, 2011|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}} On May 1, 2012, a California Court of Appeal affirmed the superior court's ruling.{{Cite web|url=http://appellatecases.courtinfo.ca.gov/search/case/dockets.cfm?dist=43&doc_id=1981747&doc_no=G045351 |title=Docket |publisher=California Appellate Courts |access-date=May 2, 2012}}{{cite news|url=http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/2012/05/orly_taitz_damon_dunn_appeal_d.php|title=Orly Taitz Booted From California Court of Appeal in Election Fraud Case|first=R. Scott|last=Moxley|date=May 2, 2012|work=OC Weekly|access-date=March 17, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120505222240/http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/2012/05/orly_taitz_damon_dunn_appeal_d.php|archive-date=May 5, 2012|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}

=Mayor of Long Beach=

In 2014 Dunn ran for Mayor of Long Beach.{{cite news|url=https://www.ocregister.com/2014/05/29/in-a-liberal-city-candidates-dont-want-to-be-a-republican/|title=In a liberal city, candidates don't want to be a Republican|newspaper=Orange County Register|first=Joshua |last=Stewart|date= May 29, 2014|access-date=23 July 2018}} He qualified for the runoff by finishing second in the primary election, and faced Robert Garcia on June 3.{{cite web|last=Bradley|first=Eric|title=Robert Garcia wins, Damon Dunn second as Long Beach mayor race goes to runoff|url= http://www.presstelegram.com/government-and-politics/20140408/robert-garcia-leads-long-beach-mayor-race-almost-certainly-going-to-runoff|work=Long Beach Press Telegram|access-date=March 17, 2016|date=April 9, 2014}}

Dunn lost the election to Robert Garcia, former vice-mayor on June 3, 2014.[http://www.presstelegram.com/20140604 Robert Garcia beats Damon Dunn, becomes Long Beach’s youngest mayor]{{Dead link|date=November 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, Long Beach Press Telegram, June 4, 2014. Retrieved March 17, 2016.

Electoral history

{{Election box begin no change

| title = California Secretary of State election, 2010

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

| candidate = Debra Bowen (incumbent)

| party = California Democratic Party

| votes = 3,786,174

| percentage = 53.1

}}