Today’s most unusual NFL feature comes from the Newark Star-Ledger, which profiles Jets defensive line coach Karl Dunbar, who has revealed that in 1991, just after he finished his rookie season with the Steelers, he posed as a crack user to help the police department in his hometown bring down a drug dealer -- who then ordered a hit on Dunbar.
Dunbar was a local football star in Opelousas, Louisiana, and he was able to gain the trust of a drug dealer the police had been targeting, which successfully led to his imprisonment.
“They thought that football players were guys who smoked a lot of drugs and had a lot of money,” Dunbar said. “I gave him the money, and I took the stuff. He bought into the whole thing.”
That was all good for the police department, but the problem was that the drug dealer was able to put a price on Dunbar’s head from his jail cell. That led to Dunbar needing police protection, but Dunbar enjoyed working with the police so much that he became a full-time officer after his playing career ended.
Dunbar worked in policing for only a couple years before going into coaching, but he said his time working with the police makes him more confident as a coach.
“To me, when you go through a situation in your head and the things you’ve been through in your mind come to fruition, why should you be nervous?” Dunbar said. “You’ve already been there.”
As the Jets head into Heinz Field today, Dunbar can feel confident knowing he’s survived in a much more hostile environment.