Football: Gunn is fired up over start

A Nebraska boy playing for “The U”?

Fifteen or 20 years ago, it would have been nearly unthinkable. Three years ago, Harland Gunn, a Nebraskan, hardly thought twice when he signed with the University of Miami.

Tonight, Gunn, a 6-foot-2, 315-pound offensive lineman out of Omaha Central, is slated to get his first start with the Hurricanes when they open their season at Florida State, thereby fulfilling a long-held personal ambition.

“It's pretty exciting,” Gunn, a redshirt sophomore, said Saturday from Florida. “I'm anxious to just go out and perform on the college platform.”

Gunn entered fall camp behind expected starter Joel Figueroa, a junior who played in all 13 games and started three times in 2008. A minor injury to Figueroa landed Gunn more reps at right guard, and according to Miami coach Randy Shannon, Gunn didn't look back.

“Harland never let go of the job,” Shannon said last week.

Left guard Orlando Franklin, who has started in both of his first two years with the 'Canes, credited Gunn with not making Figueroa, the incumbent No. 1, the easy pick.

“It was real close,” Franklin told the South Florida Sun Sentinel, “but (Gunn) made it a hard decision.”

Gunn played seven snaps in the opener a season ago, but never saw the field again as the 'Canes went 7-6. He came into camp behind Figueroa. But his third year in the system and third with offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland put Gunn in a position to just go out and play instead of thinking about what's going on around him.

“This is his third year, and he's coming into his own,” Shannon told the Sun Sentinel. “Harland has done a nice job of developing.”

Gunn attributes much of that to day-to-day goals and good old hard work.

“Going into camp I wasn't really focused on taking someone's spot,” he said. “I was just coming out and focusing, working on my own techniques, setting a goal for myself every day, every practice and just going out and doing it.” He was told last week that he'd be starting against Florida State and was listed No. 1 when Miami's depth chart was released Thursday. Gunn didn't get a chance to break the news to his friends and family in Nebraska.

“They actually called me, they had seen an article about it,” Gunn said. “It's a good feeling to make them proud back home.”

It's the full-circle finish for Gunn, who called going to Miami “a dream” when he came out of high school.

Gunn said he's always felt like a 'Cane. The only difference now is that he's a contributing member. There will be nerves, but he said the preparation will go a long way in calming the anxiety.

“I've trained hard, I've studied, I'm ready,” he said. “I'm going to sleep like a baby Sunday night.”

Contact the writer:

850-0781, nickrubek@hotmail.com

« Sports - Main

Share