There was no question where Blake Dunham, 6-0, 200, Ath., was going to play his college career. He grew up watching North Texas and listening to father broadcast the games. So as he worked hard to become a true college prospect, he knew what colors he was going to wear if he got the offer.

Dunham played for Argyle High, 3-A, Region II, District 9, just a few short miles from the campus of North Texas. Argyle Head Football Coach Todd Rodgers, said “when other programs came looking at him he told them about his desire to play for North Texas.”  There were several Bowl Championship Subdivision teams (old 1-A) that were ready to offer but he let it be known he was holding out for one offer. So, when North Texas offered “he jumped on it.”

North Texas Head Football Coach Todd Dodge recruited Dunham as an athlete for several reasons.

Sometimes when a player is recruited as an athlete, it generally means they are going be moved to a position they are unfamiliar with and one they know nothing about. It is sort of on the job training. Dunham is an exception to the rule because he has already played on offense, defense and special teams.  

Rodgers said Dunham is a “team player, who works hard and can contribute” to the North Texas program in several positions. To point out the versatility of Dunham, the coach stated “we used him at outside linebacker, running back, deep snapper and he was on every special team.”

This is the type of player North Texas Head Coach Todd Dodge needed to shore up and help build depth at several positions in all three phases of the game. Since he has already proven he can handle several positions effectively it means his experience will not require a long learning curve. 

Dunham was used on specials teams because he was always around the action. On kick-offs he was able to get downfield, work his way through traffic and get to the ball carrier.  On punts and field goals he was used as the long snapper or the pass rusher.

As a defensive back, he was able to read what the offense was planning to do, react and get to the ball carrier and tackle him immediately. He was able to cover the receivers and break up passes or stop them in their tracks. The coach said he had an “instinct about covering wide receivers” and had the coverage skills to stay with them.

When getting to ball carrier he was sure tackler. He ended the season as the team’s second-leading tackler with 123 with six of them behind the line of scrimmage. In addition, he was responsible for three forced fumbles and an interception. He was part of a defense that allowed only 12.2 points a game.

While his main position was at outside linebacker he played at times on the offense. “We brought him in as a running back” stated Rodgers. In certain situations like near the goal line or needing a first down, Dunham came in as the big back in the Bull Package to power the ball over for the score or to get the first down. He was effective enough to score seven touchdowns even though he had only 19 carries.

Dunham was also used on the special teams to center the ball because “he’s a great long snapper” stated Rodgers. A great long snapper is someone who can get the ball back to the punter in a blink of an eye with the laces up. One half second getting the ball back to the punter is the difference between a good punt and a blocked one. The same thing is true is on field goal attempts. Blocked field goals have been an Achilles heel for North Texas for years and the hope is Dunham will be the cure to the problem.

Why do the coaches feel Dunham can help this problem, according to Chris Sailor Kicking, Dunham is a 3.5 star prospect and ranked him as high as the #60 long snapper in the nation.

So what position or positions will he play at North Texas, “I don’t know” stated Rodgers, the UNT coaches did not mention it to him. He thought Dunham would be great at the linebacker position but said he has the “versatility that he could play several others.”

After the end of football season, Dunham has been working in a weight room.  He is not in any competition but working out with weights to get better physically and to be stronger when he suits up for North Texas.

One area of concern from several recruiting sites was he needed to add some weight to his frame and his coach said he is working on it while getting into better shape.

This past season he helped Argyle to an undefeated season for the first time in school history and their first outright district championship. They finished their season with a 12-1-0 record.

In the first round of the 3-A Texas playoffs, they beat Paris High School, Paris, TX 52-14. In the game, in the first quarter, Dunham scored the first two Argyle touchdowns on runs of 34 and 11 yards.

In the second round of the playoffs, Argyle dumped Lake Worth High School, Lake Worth, TX 45-7.

Their season ended in the third round of the playoffs when they were tripped up by Pleasant Grove, Texarkana, TX 19-35.

Last year, Argyle was 7-5 on the season going two rounds deep into the playoffs before bowing out. 

The coach said Dunham “knows what it takes to win, is willing to do the things to win and will bring a winning attitude” to the North Texas locker room. 

“[Dunham] and North Texas are tied at the hip….he and his family are deeply involved with North Texas” was the answer Rodgers gave about Dunham’s firm commitment to play for the Eagles. “You know his father is George Dunham, the Voice of the Eagles.” The elder Dunham is also a radio personality on The Ticket, 1310 AM/104.1FM, 5:30-10:00 A.M. as part of The Musers, the show was voted “America’s Most Favorite Radio Program” (he said with a smile). He has been part of the Mean Green Radio Network and the play by play voice of North Texas since 1994.

The elder Dunham said his son went on a visit to West Texas and they did offer. However, “once they walked on the campus of North Texas” for their visit, his son knew he wanted to play there. “He said it just felt right” so when Todd offered the immediately accepted.

Dunham said he knew it was “going to be tough” to call the game when his played but felt after time he would become natural. Over on the left is Dunham and a picture off The Ticket Website.

Speaking as an announcer he said he watched his son play and could tell the difference over the years and how better he had become. “He is a heck of a blocker and a tackler.” He “can run” and at one time he “ran on the track team but decided to give it up” in order to concentrate on football.

“I think North Texas is looking at him as a linebacker” but he also felt he will be used on special teams because of his speed getting downfield and his sure tackling abilities. “They might use him at a U-Back set, which is a variation of the H-Back.”

“He is one heck of a long snapper” and pointed out several Big 12 schools were looking to offer him a scholarship to take advantage of his special talents. However, his commitment to North Texas was firm and he let the schools know it.

As a specialist on the punt return team he blocked two punts and on the field goal team he blocked one field goal attempt.

When Argyle used the Bull Package and called “power 45” it was time for Dunham to carry the ball. The Bull Package was basically “a three back set, like the NFL full house backfield.” One of the running backs was going to get the ball with blockers in front of him. Most of the times the defenses keyed on Dunham but he would still power the ball over the goal line. It wasn’t his time, he was used as a decoy and the other running backs carried the ball in. “He did power it over in short runs but he also had several long runs to score.”

“He has been working in the weight room” and is using the North Texas system of training. “I think he can get to 6-2 and around 225 pounds.” Working out, Dunham has gone from 195 pounds last year to his present 215 pounds and could very well make it to his goal weight before next football season.

North Texas fans can get an early preview of Dunham before the season. He was selected to play in the Texas High School Coaches Association All-Star Game which will be played July 20^th at the Alamodome in San Antonio with kick-off at 7 P.M.

He is qualified by the NCAA. He is ready to roll and be available to play this coming season. Coach Rodgers expects Dunham to take a redshirt this year and his father agrees. However, Dunham thinks depending on how things go on special teams and injuries Blake might be used this season.