The word on the lips of every Dallas Cowboy fan is that if Charles Tapper can manage a season without injury, then they’d have a really special player on their hands. Charles Tapper Jr is an American football defensive end playing for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League (NFL).
Tapper has proven to be a consummate sportsman who has been able to make the transition from playing one sport to a whole new one. Tapper has had his own fair share of injuries and tumultuous recoveries.
Born in Baltimore, Maryland on May 7, 1993, Tapper is the son of Rhonda and Charles Tapper Sr. His full birth name is Charles Orville Tapper Jr. It was obvious that Tapper is athletically inclined when he was in high school but his focus was on basketball which he initially played at Baltimore City College.
His senior year ended with 100 tackles and five sacks. He caught 10 passes for 200 yards as well as 5 touchdowns as a tight end. At the end of high school, Tapper accepted a football scholarship from the University of Oklahoma. He became a starter at the defensive end, made 49 tackles and 5.5 sacks and one pass defended as a sophomore. He followed that up with 39 tackles, two passes defended, and three sacks.
By the time he was a senior, he made 50 tackles, 7 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, 3 passes defended, and one fumble recovery. In 2015, he earned All-American honorable mention honors from Sports Illustrated as well as being named by the league’s coaches to All-Big 12 First Team. He set a career-high eight tackles against West Virginia.
Tapper’s professional career began when he was selected in the 2016 NFL Draft as the 101st overall in the fourth round by the Dallas Cowboys. He was to play defensive end in a 4-3 defense. His hopes for that season were however dampened somewhat as he was diagnosed with a pre-existing back condition during the training camp. As a result, Tapper went on to miss all of the preseason games as well as three weeks of the regular season.
When he made his return, he was placed on injured reserve on September 28, 2016. His debut came against New York Giants in 2017 and in that game, he tallied his first career sack. He suffered a broken foot during practice on October 4 and was subsequently placed on the injured reserve list on October 5, after he had undergone surgery.
Other Facts About Charles Tapper
We take a look at some facts about Charles Tapper that you probably didn’t know about.
Charles Tapper is an orphan. His father, Charles died when he was four years old and his mother, Rhonda passed away in January 2018 after a battle with multiple myeloma.
Tapper has no biological sibling but he still has two brothers, Shawn and Jordan. They were both adopted by his mother.
Charles has a beautiful daughter, Adriana.
In a 40-yard dash, Tapper posts a time of 4.59secs which made him the fastest lineman in the 2016 draft.
He has a vertical jump of 34 in. His broad or standing long jump is 9 ft 11 in.
While in the University, Charles Tapper’s major was in Communication
He was a standout player for Nike Baltimore Elite.
Charles Tapper’s talent was first noticed at the Army All-American Bowl
Even though he has not been able to play on the field for the Cowboys, Tapper boasts a mean NBA 2K game prowess as he declares he is a champ in the locker room.
Tapper threw a punch in Sooner’s 2013 game against Baylor. He was suspended for that and he calls it ‘the dumbest thing’ he has ever done.
His 4-year contract with the Dallas Cowboys is worth $2,957,880, it also includes a $617,880 sign-on bonus and an average annual salary of $739,470.
Height, Weight, Body Measurements
Charles Tapper is blessed with an impressive physique for competitive sports. Analysts are of the opinion that he has the strength and ability to dominate the NFL for years to come but has unfortunately been hindered by injuries in the last two years. But that aside, he has the talent to undoubtedly excel. He stands at a height of 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m) and weighs in at 270 lbs. (122 kg)
