Bud Dupree

Early life

Dupree attended Wilkinson County High School in Irwinton, Georgia. He was a three-year starter at defensive end and four-year starter at tight end. As a senior, he had over 1,000 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns on offense and 62 tackles and 10 sacks on defense. He was also voted First-team all state by the Georgia Sports-writer Association and Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Dupree was ranked by Rivals.com as a three-star recruit. He also played basketball for his high school, was on the honor roll, and a member of the Future Business Leaders of America.

College career

As a true freshman at University of Kentucky in 2011, Dupree played in 12 games with three starts at linebacker. During games against Georgia and Vanderbilt, he had a season high five tackles in each game. He finished the season with 21 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and one fumble recovery.

As a sophomore in 2012, Dupree started all 12 regular season games and recorded 91 tackles, 12.5 tackles-for-loss and 6.5 sacks. He recorded a season high 12 tackles against Western Kentucky. For his sophomore season he ranked 10th in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) in tackles and seventh in the FBS for sacks and tackles for loss. After this season he would switch from linebacker to defensive lineman for his last two years at Kentucky.

As a junior, in 2013, he played in 11 games, ranking second on his team with 61 tackles, first on the team with 9.5 tackles-for-loss at defensive end. He also had seven sacks and two forced fumbles. Against Mississippi State, Dupree recorded a career-high 13 tackles. In the SEC he finished sixth in sacks.

Dupree returned as a starter at defensive end his senior season in 2014 and was voted team captain for the Wildcats that year. For the season he had 74 tackles, 12.5 tackles-for-loss, and eight sacks. He also started all 12 games and recorded his first career interception which he returned for a game-winning touchdown in a 45–38 win against South Carolina. On Saturday, May 9, 2015, he graduated from the University of Kentucky with a degree in community and leadership development.

Personal life

Dupree was raised in Toomsboro, Georgia. His father is Alvin Dupree Sr. and his mother is Sophia Stephens. He is also an avid dog lover. The nickname "Bud" was given to him by his godmother. She said while his mother was pregnant with him she had a dream of people calling him Bud and him playing football.

In the early hours of February 18, 2022, Dupree turned himself in to police after being cited for misdemeanor battery charges for an attack against an employee at a Nashville Walgreens after a game against the Miami Dolphins. Before fleeing the scene, Dupree grabbed the employee and later tried to take his phone. Allegedly, Dupree had been "heckled and threatened" before the incident occurred. A court hearing was scheduled for a later date.