Photo by: ©WFU/Ken Bennett
Transformational Leader: Wendell Dunn Fueled by Mentoring Demon Deacon Student-Athletes
2/1/2022 8:00:00 AM | Football, General
Working as a member of the Student Athlete Development team, Dunn oversees the football program’s off-the-field efforts to maximize student-athletes’ potential and help them transition into and out of college.
Black History Month: Wake Forest Athletics will have many stories and content throughout Black History Month on GoDeacs.com and through all team social media accounts. Information and profiles shared are archived here.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Upon his arrival in Winston-Salem in 2014, head coach Dave Clawson instilled his principles on the Wake Forest football program and shared the vision of what can be accomplished through shared goals.
According to former Wake Forest defensive lineman and current Director of Player Development Wendell Dunn ('17, '19), many players found strength and motivation through Clawson's aspirational leadership. A large group of freshmen and sophomores saw an opportunity, realizing that it was a fresh start for everyone and the depth chart was wide-open, their hard work would be recognized with a chance to contribute on Saturdays.
"We made a pact that we were going to remake Wake Forest football," Dunn said of a group of players that included, but was not limited to, himself, Cam Serigne, Grant Dawson, John Wolford and Jaboree Williams. "There was this new coach with a new system and a great energy around the program. All we had to do was keep our heads down and stay committed to the system. Clawson and his staff realized he had a group of guys who were committed."
The revelation did not come completely easy to Dunn, who butted heads with defensive line coach Dave Cohen, who believed the Miami, Fla. product had the tools to be a leader of his group even as an underclassman.
"I don't agree with you waiting to take a leadership role," Cohen told Dunn, he recollects. "Don't wait for these upperclassmen to leave. This is your time. We're new and see your work ethic."
Dunn very nearly went to college in his home state of Florida, originally committing to UCF.
"My two top schools going into my senior year were Wake Forest and UCF," Dunn said. "I committed to Central Florida at first. I took my visit there first, enjoyed it and committed. But there was something that just didn't feel right."
Then he made his way to Wake Forest and fell in love with what he experienced.
"There was just something about the people, the place and the professionalism that I loved here," Dunn said. "That sold me big time. I went back home, talked to my parents and then committed. I wanted to go somewhere that was going to change me in ways beyond football."
Though he played linebacker his final two seasons at Miami Palmetto High School, Dunn was projected to be on the defensive line for Wake Forest, but was redshirted as a true freshman in 2013.
"After my freshman year, Coach Clawson came in and set the tone," Dunn said about the excitement when Clawson arrived. "It became a clean slate for everybody. I liked how that felt. I didn't have to transfer to get a fresh start after I redshirted. I was outworking everybody along with a lot of the freshmen who had come in with me. We were happy that our hard work was being noticed even though we weren't upperclassmen. I bought into the system and the rest is history."
History indeed.
The Wake Forest record book is being completely rewritten in real time. The Demon Deacons have been to a bowl game for six-straight seasons, tied the program record for most wins last season with 11 and spent time in the College Football Playoff top-10 in 2021.
This is truly the golden age of Wake Forest Football, but the impact has been more than just on the field, according to Dunn.
"I won't sugarcoat it," Dunn said. "Coach Clawson and the way he structured his program has changed my life as a whole. Deacon time, planning and understanding that everything ties in together. You can't get one person over here and another person over there. You can't be an All-ACC football player and four-year starter, but fail classes. If you fail classes you can't accomplish those things. I came to understand I had to be a professional on and off the field. Coach Clawson taught me that."
Eliminating distractions and being great off the field was directly linked to being great between the lines, Clawson stressed to his team.
For Dunn, the belief in the system manifested itself with a successful four seasons on the defensive line where he contributed 156 tackles, 28.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. He was part of the 2016 Military Bowl Championship team and the 2017 Belk Bowl Championship squad.
As the Deacs prepared for the 2017 season, Dunn joined tight end Cam Serigne and Clawson to represent the program at ACC Kickoff, an event for the regional and national media to gather to learn more about each team in the conference.
"Getting a suit for ACC Media Day was new for me," Dunn explained. "Jordan Jarry (then director of football operations, now Associate Athletic Director and Chief of Staff) had to take me shopping and show me how to buy a suit. It's phenomenal that people can see our system sometimes and think our coaches are just about football. It's not just football. They get you prepped for life."
"My image matters on and off the field, and that's one of the things I learned from this program."
Dunn's journey weighed on the heart of Clawson as he saw him prepare for his final game at Truist Field late in the 2017 season.
"Wendell, I'm really proud of the way you did your community service," Clawson said, according to Dunn. "He told me then if he could hire someone to coordinate that for his players, he would hire me."
Dunn spent the first couple years after graduating from Wake Forest trying to find his personal path forward.
"If you ask a lot of athletes, even if they play in the league, when they're done playing they go into this slump," he admitted. "You have to find your way. I knew I had two Wake Forest degrees. I was told I should be set with those pieces of paper, but I didn't know what came next. I found a job in Charlotte working, trying to help businesses market themselves online. The pay was good, but it was not for me.
It wasn't what I wanted to do. It just wasn't working out. I told my boss I wasn't happy, and then I joined a non-profit, where I was a youth support partner. I did that for a year before I got here, which was something similar to what I'm doing here."
Then a little more than a year ago, Dunn got a call from Clawson that was a life-changing according to Dunn.
"He wanted to know full details about what my job is about," Dunn recalled.
Clawson told him about the director of player development role opportunity, believing Dunn would be the perfect fit for what they were looking for. He returned to Wake Forest in that position last March.
This brand new position made possible through a generous gift by Billy Prim to create the Football Player Career Development fund. A grant to help football student-athletes transition into college as undergraduates, and into the industry of their choice upon graduation. Prim's connection to Wake Forest started young, growing up on a tobacco farm in nearby Yadkinville, he always rooted for the local team in athletics. Facing struggles early in life, he was forced to drop out of college and take care of the family farm after the passing of his father and grandfather. After some time running the farm, however, his natural sense of entrepreneurship earned him the opportunity to become a part of the Wake Forest community when he was accepted into the Executive MBA Program without an undergraduate degree.
Prim wanted to make sure his gift to the athletic department would have a measurable impact, the potential to change one's life like Wake Forest did for him. The question was how to go about it. But after Prim sat down with Faircloth and director of athletes John Currie, the beginnings of the Football Player Development Program began to form.
"What gives me joy is being part of a team that values my work," Dunn said. "Being a part of a football staff, coming in as a player with this staff, you'd think that they would hire me as a title, but really want me to coach. But that's not it at all.
"My job is to develop these players off the field and be there as a mentor, and make sure they know who to go to and how to make connections with alums and how to be involved in the community. The coaches ensure that is my only role. That's where I get my joy."
An extrovert by nature, Dunn has borrowed some of his interpersonal skills from his father, Papa Jeff (Borton).
"Papa Jeff was a lead youth pastor, so he was at the top of the podium but always found time to talk to anybody and everybody," Dunn said. "Every conversation seemed so genuine, and I love that about my dad. I wish I could be half the man he is.
"How do you do that?" Dunn asked Borton. "How do you engage with people you've never met before like you're best friends?"
"I get to know people first and get them comfortable talking about the things they like," Dunn said. "That gives me a way to get a hook in them and let them know I'm there for them and we can be friends."
With no interest in becoming a football coach, Dunn primarily works with Wake Forest players on academic, personal and professional opportunities.
"It's very difficult to not want to talk football and not get out there and be an athlete with these guys," Dunn said. "But they need me for much more than football. They have plenty of coaches and plenty of trainers to talk football with. Noticing that has helped me take pride in saying no to talking football and instead talking about life, service and professionalism.
"That's just who I am. I'm a giving person and a serving leader. People see me as a leader, but anybody who is close to me knows I'm there for my team. Coach Clawson and my teammates made me a captain my junior year. They noticed what a leader I am, and that's what brought me back here."
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Upon his arrival in Winston-Salem in 2014, head coach Dave Clawson instilled his principles on the Wake Forest football program and shared the vision of what can be accomplished through shared goals.
According to former Wake Forest defensive lineman and current Director of Player Development Wendell Dunn ('17, '19), many players found strength and motivation through Clawson's aspirational leadership. A large group of freshmen and sophomores saw an opportunity, realizing that it was a fresh start for everyone and the depth chart was wide-open, their hard work would be recognized with a chance to contribute on Saturdays.
"We made a pact that we were going to remake Wake Forest football," Dunn said of a group of players that included, but was not limited to, himself, Cam Serigne, Grant Dawson, John Wolford and Jaboree Williams. "There was this new coach with a new system and a great energy around the program. All we had to do was keep our heads down and stay committed to the system. Clawson and his staff realized he had a group of guys who were committed."
The revelation did not come completely easy to Dunn, who butted heads with defensive line coach Dave Cohen, who believed the Miami, Fla. product had the tools to be a leader of his group even as an underclassman.
"I don't agree with you waiting to take a leadership role," Cohen told Dunn, he recollects. "Don't wait for these upperclassmen to leave. This is your time. We're new and see your work ethic."
Dunn very nearly went to college in his home state of Florida, originally committing to UCF.
"My two top schools going into my senior year were Wake Forest and UCF," Dunn said. "I committed to Central Florida at first. I took my visit there first, enjoyed it and committed. But there was something that just didn't feel right."
Then he made his way to Wake Forest and fell in love with what he experienced.
"There was just something about the people, the place and the professionalism that I loved here," Dunn said. "That sold me big time. I went back home, talked to my parents and then committed. I wanted to go somewhere that was going to change me in ways beyond football."
Though he played linebacker his final two seasons at Miami Palmetto High School, Dunn was projected to be on the defensive line for Wake Forest, but was redshirted as a true freshman in 2013.
"After my freshman year, Coach Clawson came in and set the tone," Dunn said about the excitement when Clawson arrived. "It became a clean slate for everybody. I liked how that felt. I didn't have to transfer to get a fresh start after I redshirted. I was outworking everybody along with a lot of the freshmen who had come in with me. We were happy that our hard work was being noticed even though we weren't upperclassmen. I bought into the system and the rest is history."
History indeed.
The Wake Forest record book is being completely rewritten in real time. The Demon Deacons have been to a bowl game for six-straight seasons, tied the program record for most wins last season with 11 and spent time in the College Football Playoff top-10 in 2021.
This is truly the golden age of Wake Forest Football, but the impact has been more than just on the field, according to Dunn.
"I won't sugarcoat it," Dunn said. "Coach Clawson and the way he structured his program has changed my life as a whole. Deacon time, planning and understanding that everything ties in together. You can't get one person over here and another person over there. You can't be an All-ACC football player and four-year starter, but fail classes. If you fail classes you can't accomplish those things. I came to understand I had to be a professional on and off the field. Coach Clawson taught me that."
Eliminating distractions and being great off the field was directly linked to being great between the lines, Clawson stressed to his team.
For Dunn, the belief in the system manifested itself with a successful four seasons on the defensive line where he contributed 156 tackles, 28.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. He was part of the 2016 Military Bowl Championship team and the 2017 Belk Bowl Championship squad.
As the Deacs prepared for the 2017 season, Dunn joined tight end Cam Serigne and Clawson to represent the program at ACC Kickoff, an event for the regional and national media to gather to learn more about each team in the conference.
"Getting a suit for ACC Media Day was new for me," Dunn explained. "Jordan Jarry (then director of football operations, now Associate Athletic Director and Chief of Staff) had to take me shopping and show me how to buy a suit. It's phenomenal that people can see our system sometimes and think our coaches are just about football. It's not just football. They get you prepped for life."
"My image matters on and off the field, and that's one of the things I learned from this program."
Dunn's journey weighed on the heart of Clawson as he saw him prepare for his final game at Truist Field late in the 2017 season.
"Wendell, I'm really proud of the way you did your community service," Clawson said, according to Dunn. "He told me then if he could hire someone to coordinate that for his players, he would hire me."
Dunn spent the first couple years after graduating from Wake Forest trying to find his personal path forward.
"If you ask a lot of athletes, even if they play in the league, when they're done playing they go into this slump," he admitted. "You have to find your way. I knew I had two Wake Forest degrees. I was told I should be set with those pieces of paper, but I didn't know what came next. I found a job in Charlotte working, trying to help businesses market themselves online. The pay was good, but it was not for me.
It wasn't what I wanted to do. It just wasn't working out. I told my boss I wasn't happy, and then I joined a non-profit, where I was a youth support partner. I did that for a year before I got here, which was something similar to what I'm doing here."
Then a little more than a year ago, Dunn got a call from Clawson that was a life-changing according to Dunn.
"He wanted to know full details about what my job is about," Dunn recalled.
Clawson told him about the director of player development role opportunity, believing Dunn would be the perfect fit for what they were looking for. He returned to Wake Forest in that position last March.
This brand new position made possible through a generous gift by Billy Prim to create the Football Player Career Development fund. A grant to help football student-athletes transition into college as undergraduates, and into the industry of their choice upon graduation. Prim's connection to Wake Forest started young, growing up on a tobacco farm in nearby Yadkinville, he always rooted for the local team in athletics. Facing struggles early in life, he was forced to drop out of college and take care of the family farm after the passing of his father and grandfather. After some time running the farm, however, his natural sense of entrepreneurship earned him the opportunity to become a part of the Wake Forest community when he was accepted into the Executive MBA Program without an undergraduate degree.
Prim wanted to make sure his gift to the athletic department would have a measurable impact, the potential to change one's life like Wake Forest did for him. The question was how to go about it. But after Prim sat down with Faircloth and director of athletes John Currie, the beginnings of the Football Player Development Program began to form.
"What gives me joy is being part of a team that values my work," Dunn said. "Being a part of a football staff, coming in as a player with this staff, you'd think that they would hire me as a title, but really want me to coach. But that's not it at all.
"My job is to develop these players off the field and be there as a mentor, and make sure they know who to go to and how to make connections with alums and how to be involved in the community. The coaches ensure that is my only role. That's where I get my joy."
An extrovert by nature, Dunn has borrowed some of his interpersonal skills from his father, Papa Jeff (Borton).
"Papa Jeff was a lead youth pastor, so he was at the top of the podium but always found time to talk to anybody and everybody," Dunn said. "Every conversation seemed so genuine, and I love that about my dad. I wish I could be half the man he is.
"How do you do that?" Dunn asked Borton. "How do you engage with people you've never met before like you're best friends?"
"I get to know people first and get them comfortable talking about the things they like," Dunn said. "That gives me a way to get a hook in them and let them know I'm there for them and we can be friends."
With no interest in becoming a football coach, Dunn primarily works with Wake Forest players on academic, personal and professional opportunities.
"It's very difficult to not want to talk football and not get out there and be an athlete with these guys," Dunn said. "But they need me for much more than football. They have plenty of coaches and plenty of trainers to talk football with. Noticing that has helped me take pride in saying no to talking football and instead talking about life, service and professionalism.
"That's just who I am. I'm a giving person and a serving leader. People see me as a leader, but anybody who is close to me knows I'm there for my team. Coach Clawson and my teammates made me a captain my junior year. They noticed what a leader I am, and that's what brought me back here."
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