For Quinton Dunbar, No. 12 Florida’s matchup with Miami on Saturday at noon in Sun Life Stadium is a homecoming — to a place he could not wait to escape.
Dunbar grew up in Overtown, a poverty-stricken neighborhood of Miami with a population that hovers around 10,000. The mean household income in the city is $13,211.99, according to the latest available census data.
“Just coming from a community like that, the success rate is low,” Dunbar said. “There’s a lot of drugs and a lot of guns. It’s very hard to get out of it.”
Dolphin Expressway and Flagler Street are the two main roads that border Overtown. For many, they serve as prison walls. Once you are in, it can be difficult to leave.
But the temptations that limited many of Dunbar’s friends growing up never affected him. He gives the credit for his success to his mother, Twanette.
“My mom is a very great parent,” he said. “She always kept me on point and made sure I didn’t do other things that other kids did.”
Dunbar’s talents on the football field also helped pave the way to something better.
A four-star prospect from Miami Booker T. Washington High, the 6-foot-1, 194-pound receiver originally committed to Miami after catching 39 passes for 703 yards and seven touchdowns as a junior.
Upon further consideration, he decided a fresh start elsewhere would suit him well. Despite growing up idolizing Hurricanes players, he chose to attend in-state rival Florida.
“I just felt like it was the perfect fit for me,” Dunbar said.
“It was a situation to see something new, to get out of Miami. Start a new life somewhere else.”
During his first two seasons with the Gators, Dunbar totaled 50 receptions for 599 yards and six touchdowns. But with UF losing its top three receiving threats other than him from 2012, Dunbar is now expected to be the anchor of a receiving corps full of promising, yet inexperienced, talent.
“He’s become a leader, just how he works in practice, I can’t say enough and feel more proud of that kid in how he’s grown up,” offensive coordinator Brent Pease said.
“It’s awesome. How he’s helped younger players, how he understands his role and what he wants to bring to the offense and really understanding that he’s a guy that we expect to make plays for us.”
After catching two passes for 22 yards during Florida’s 24-6 victory against Toledo last weekend, Dunbar is looking to increase his production against the Hurricanes.
The matchup will also serve as a measuring stick for the progress Florida’s offense has made early this season.
Dating back to last season, Miami’s defense has not allowed a touchdown at home since Nov. 1 — a span of 160 minutes and 39 seconds.
In what will be his first game in Miami since leaving his hometown, Dunbar is hoping to leave his mark on what will likely be the final regular-season meeting between these two programs for at least the foreseeable future.
“The first game, we just took what the defense gave us,” Dunbar said. “This week, we feel like they’re going to challenge us more. They’re going to come up and press. So we’ve got to make the plays.”
Follow Phil Heilman on Twitter @phillip_heilman.
Quinton Dunbar runs past an opposing player during Florida’s 24-6 victory against Toledo on Aug. 31 in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Dunbar caught two passes for 22 yards in the game.
