Gennings Dunker Talks Steelers, Football, and The Mullet

GD: I mean, I was so fired up. My hometown [Lena, Illinois has a population of] 2,600 [people]. We got a Casey's like 10 years ago. So, I would go there like all the time, like almost every day. And then on Sunday nights, my folks would get Casey's pizza, and we'd sit down as a family and eat it. My mom loves the the taco pizza. And then at my draft party, they catered, like, 50 pizzas, and those things were gone. I thought we were going to have leftovers, so I was going to maybe freeze some or something. But there was none left; nothing to freeze. Everyone was fired up.

DF: I wanted to ask you about that. You had kind of an open draft party where you just invited your whole town.

GD: Yeah, I mean, it was like an open invite because... I know that the draft party was about me, unfortunately. But I wanted it to be about my community and, the town that raised me, and all my coaches out there, and all the people that impacted my life, so they could celebrate it. And I kind of stayed away, like upstairs, hiding away. I got there early to sign stuff for the little kids. And then I just hit upstairs so everyone else could enjoy it.

DF: That's a very O-line [unselfish] thing to say. Speaking of food, we've heard about your legendary pre- and post-game meals. Can you go into details there?

GD: I don't remember exactly. I just know that, you know, I kind of just did whatever the dietitian told me. And I remember it was a lot of food. I haven't been eaten like that for a while. Otherwise, I'd be probably 400 pounds.

DF: You are a hay-baling champion, and a record-setter at Salon Beef Days. You once lifted a 60-pound bale of hay 14 feet, six inches in the air over a bar. How how high do you think you could lift a 300-pound defensive tackle?

GD: I don't know if I can military press that. I don't know. Maybe at least a couple of inches.

DF: So, the transitive skills in hay baling to pass protection and run blocking. What transfers over? What helps?

GD: I guess maybe the only thing would be like, strength. And throwing a hay bale, maybe your punch in pass pro.

DF: Well, your pass pro was like that, and we'll get into that in a minute. You clearly believe that pass pro is not passive.

We would not be doing our jobs job if we did not ask you about the mullet. Are you planning to keep it in the NFL? And does 'Business in the front, party in the back' accurately describe your playing style? Because I think it does.

GD: I would say so. You know, there's times to have fun and times to be serious. So I guess that's kind of my style. And I am going to keep it as long as I play football. So, I mean, after I'm done, I'll get a professional haircut.

DF: Well, let's hope it's a long career. We want you [and the mullet] to stick around for a while.

GD: That's what I'm saying.

DF: So, let's get to your tape. This is pass pro — a 21-yard touchdown pass against Vanderbilt. And this stands out here. Like I said, you do not view pass protection as passive. The first thing I noticed... I remember watching tape with Walter Jones about 10 years ago, and he was a guy who really believed, you've got to get your hands out. You want to rule the octagon, so to speak. And the way you just punch this guy [Vanderbilt edge-rusher Keanu Koht] out is really impressive to me. You have said before that at Iowa, tackles are sort of taught to play like guards. I'm wondering if this is kind of what you mean with that, you know, the stab and the punch and the way you're just so aggressive in pass pro?

GD: Yeah. Usually in pass pro, I wouldn't be quite this aggressive, but this is play-action, and we're trying to we're trying to sell the run here. That's also why I'm a little bit more aggressive. But yeah, I mean, tackles, we do play like guards. Especially with run blocking. Like, we don't position-block. We don't turn out [to the defender]. We kind of just run.

DF: In the first part of this block, your hands are out. He can't get inside you. You've got that all walled off. And then with that long-arm stab, I was thinking ofVon Miller for a second. How important is it for you just in pass pro overall to get those hands out? And how is that different for you when sometimes, you have to catch the pass-rusher. You have to wait for him. What are the differences there?

GD: Yeah, I mean, the big thing is like within pass pro, you want as much distance between you and the defenders you can get. Just so they don't get into your chest and then they can spin inside or spin outside or, you know, work like a bull-rush or something. That's why you always kind of want your arms extended on that. And then I didn't realize it either till I got my arms measured, but I actually have decently long arms. I always thought I had short arms, but so I might as well use them.

DF: The second play is this three-yard run against Nebraska, but there's a lot going on here. This to me displayed your peripheral vision, and the way you can handle multiple things at once, which some guys can't. You're using your right arm to help to wall off the end [Williams Nwaeri]. Then right away, you move up to help deal with [defensive lineman Riley Van Poppel]. Then, you go up to what's essentially the third level and you take [linebacker Vincent Shavers Jr.] out of there. Walk me through the three things you did on this play, because that to me is impressive. You're always hunting.

GD: Yeah. So, I was trying to make that a B block, which means a combination with me and my guard. So that's what I was trying to do there. And then as soon as I didn't really see that much color, like [guard Beau Stephens] kind of had him, I just kept staying on my track and worked right up to that level. That was my thought process on that.

DF: And then the third play against Indiana, this is more hunting. It's really impressive. I enjoy your play style. So, blocking at the first and second levels, some guys are better at the second level. Some guys are better at the first level. After reviewing your tape, it seems that you're really good at both. How long did it take for you to get the hang of that? Because it's hard for some guys to be able to establish the point of attack at the line of scrimmage, and then go up top. And when you do, you come with a sufficient attitude.

GD: We do a lot of linebacker blocks at Iowa, because those linebackers are ginormous. I mean, I know they don't look as big as O-linemen on film, because we're 320 pounds. But those guys are powerful and strong. So if you don't come with the right attitude, it's not going to be good for you. So, you have to treat him like D-linemen. You've got to hit them with the same force, just because they're 240-250, and strong and athletic, and faster than me. So you've got to keep the same intensity all the way up to the second level.

DF: And this is [Indiana edge defender] Mikhail Kamara. A very good player. And you've got him blocking with your tight end. So, when do you know, okay, the first level is taken care of. I've got to go up. When do you know, or how do you know?

GD: So, the linebacker always steps, the linebacker always sets the tempo for your combo blocks. Based on the speed that he's playing at, how fast he's going to fill the gap will depend will determine how fast you can stay on that combo block. Obviously, I want to help my tight end, but I've also got to get my job done, too. So I just read him the whole time. If you see my eyes right there and see, I keep my left hand free. I'm just reading the linebackers. I'm giving help to my tight end right there.

DF: That's great. I love the two-level stuff. Especially evaluating centers over the years... some guys, when they get up to the second level, it's like they're looking around going, 'Oh, what am I supposed to do?' You're either good at targeting defenders in space or you're not. What are the keys to having that ability to target and hit at the second level? Because some guys, like I said, really struggle with it.

GD: The biggest thing is like your pre-snap plan. So, getting the play call. What's the play? What's my red flag? Which means, what's the one thing I can do to mess this play up? You know, what's the snap count? And then who am I working to? So having a really clean pre-snap plan is what allows you to play fast. And that's, you know, that's [offensive line] coach Barnett. That's not really my idea. I didn't I didn't come up with that. I'm not that smart. But following a clean pre-snap plan really allows you to play fast.

DF: Well, you are pretty smart. You're an avid reader. Ernest Hemingway and Stephen King, among others. And I read that you want to get into pediatrics after your NFL career is over, which may explain the need for a different kind of haircut. I don't know. But tell me about your interest in pediatrics, what you do off the field, and who you are off the field.

GD: Originally, I probably wouldn't have gone to college if I didn't have a full-ride scholarship because I just didn't really... I mean, I took a lot of shop classes in high school and, I didn't take school very seriously, as seriously as I should have, which is probably true for most young guys. So, I got to college and I took chemistry. I was like, 'Hey, I'm not too bad at this. Why not shoot for the stars, basically?'

So then, I became pre-med, and I loved how competitive it was. And, you know, everything's graded on a bell curve. You have to score whatever percentile to get an A, or a B. It's almost like another way to compete off the field for me. I didn't have football in springtime, when it's just basically school and training. It was just another way for me to compete.

And then, I love kids, like I love helping them out. I shadowed a couple of different doctors. And that was what I decided on. It's something I was passionate about. I worked in a research lab for two summers, and I volunteered at the hospital for two summers, to get all my hours in, and and get all that knocked out. So that's what I settled on.

DF: Nice. Who are the guys you watch in the NFL that make you think, 'Yeah, I want to play like that,' and this could be a tackle or a guard?

GD: In the NFL, definitely Lindy [center Tyler Linderbaum]. But in the summer before my fifth year of college, I spent the whole summer watching [Brandon] Scherff and [Robert] Gallery, watching their tape and watching all their games just to see how they played, and to emulate that play style. And, you know, there's a ton of great guys to watch. But I really liked watching Gallery and [Marshal] Yanda.

DF: Yeah, Yanda, that's a future Hall of Famer right there. He was incredible.

I was reading some quotes from the Steelers' O-line coach [James Campen] who obviously likes you, but have they given you any indication as to whether they want you at tackle or guard? I know you took some guard reps at the Senior Bowl. You hadn't played on the field at guard since 2022. But have they given you any indication like where they want you? Or is it kind of up in the air depending on camp and all that?

GD: Yeah, I guess we're going to find out. I'm kind of down for whatever. I mean, I guess it's tackle or guard, and I've been working on snapping the ball — not that I'm going to play center or anything. I don't know where I'm going to play, but I know I can play a couple different positions, so I guess we'll see what happens.

DF: So, the Steelers have you now. What kind of person and player are they getting in Gennings Dunker?

GD: Someone who's reliable, dependable, accountable... someone that likes to run and hit. I guess I look flashy, but you know, I'm not super-athletic or super-talented. So just running and hitting.

DF: I think the talent is there maybe more than you're letting on. Gennings Dunker, thank you so much for your time, man. Best of luck in the NFL, and enjoy this next part of your journey.

GD: Yeah, thank you. Have a good day.