Cowboys’ fourth-round pick Charles Tapper had an interesting path to football
BY DREW DAVISON
ddavison@star-telegram.com
Charles Tapper couldn’t have been more thrilled to receive a call from the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday afternoon.
Who wouldn’t want to see their dreams realized?
The Cowboys used their fourth-round pick on Tapper, a speedy defensive end prospect out of Oklahoma. Tapper is expected to join the rotation mix and has a chance to make an immediate impact considering the Cowboys lack of pass rushing depth.
“I’m super excited to get that opportunity,” said Tapper, who ran a 4.59-second 40-yard dash.
“The depth chart is pretty short, and I am hoping to step in and help some of the vets get out there. Whatever it takes – if I have to start out on special teams – whatever it takes I am going to do. I am definitely looking forward to that challenge, and I am going to do it in a respectful manner.”
Tapper had an unusual journey to the NFL, though. This is a guy who didn’t start playing the sport until his junior year of high school.
Tapper grew up in basketball-crazed Baltimore, and excelled at the sport. He never had a real reason to stop playing it.
But, before his junior year, his mom Rhonda approached him with an option. She thought her son had too much free time, so he had to get a job or start playing football.
Football sounded slightly more appealing than a job at the time, although Tapper wasn’t all-in. He begrudgingly played wide receiver, but had the mindset of underperforming and dropping passes so he could get cut.
“In my head I was going out there, act like I’m giving my best and just get cut,” Tapper said, with a little chuckle.
Eventually that changed when he started training with Cory Robinson. Robinson posed a question that stuck with Tapper: Would he rather drive Hondas or Lamborghinis in the future?
Football proved to be the best bet to Lamborghinis and Tapper committed himself to becoming great. He hit the weight room and took time to understand the fundamentals of the game.
Robinson got Tapper ready for the U.S. Army National Combine in San Antonio. In Texas, Tapper caught the eye of Oklahoma and received an offer to continue his football career. That’s when Tapper realized football was his sport.
“When I was in Baltimore, I didn’t really get the concept of it,” Tapper said. “I didn’t understand the strategy behind it. I couldn’t tell you the different techniques. When me and Cory worked out that’s when I started to realize I could really love the aggression to this game, the fight to this game.
“When I got to my sophomore year of college, I was like I definitely love this game like I’m going to put that basketball down and I’m going to focus on being the greatest I could try to be.”
Tapper became a starter as a sophomore with the Sooners, and went on to start every game as a junior and senior. He finished his college career with 15.5 sacks, 26.5 tackles for loss and six pass breakups.
What kind of player has he developed into?
“High motor, raw, passionate player,” Tapper said. “Every play I am going to go out there like it’s my last. Whatever coach tells me to do, I am going to go out there and do it 110 miles per hour.”
Improving the pass rush ranked as one of the top priorities for the Cowboys going into the draft, but they didn’t address it until taking Tapper. This is a team that had only 31 sacks a season ago, and 28 in 2014.
But they might have found a steal in Tapper. Dane Brugler, an analyst for NFLDraftScout.com and CBS Sports, had Tapper as the 14th-best pass rushing prospect in this year’s class.
“Although he needs to develop his technique and pad level, Tapper is well-built with NFL strength, length, speed and upside, especially considering he didn’t play football until his junior year in high school,” Brugler said.