Union lineman Gunn a big fish in small pond
At tiny Union High School, Aaron Gunn is an anomaly.
“He’s the biggest lineman I’ve ever had. I’ve started linemen who were 150 pounds some years,” said Stacy Robinson, who is in his 24th season as head coach.
Gunn is 6 feet 4, 295 pounds and wears size 15 shoes. That’s a big kid for Class 6A, let alone Class 1A.
This giant Gunn who is nicknamed “Gunny” is now gunning for a big senior season.
When it comes to offensive linemen, Gunn is arguably the class of the WPIAL and also one of the best in Pennsylvania. Rivals.com ranks him the No. 11 senior in the state. He’s also the No. 56 offensive tackle in the country, although he will likely play guard in college. Gunn received his first FBS offer just before his sophomore season and committed to Louisville in March.
It’s unusual for Union to produce a player of Gunn’s caliber. In fact, it has been more than four decades since the Scotties last sent a player to an FBS school. According to Robinson, who graduated from the school in 1981, the last to do it was John Wojtowicz in the late 1970s. Wojtowicz was an offensive lineman at Penn State.
Gunn is a big fish in a small pond. With only 20 players, Union had one of the thinnest rosters in the WPIAL last season. Robinson is hoping that number will grow this season. So far, so good. They had 26 players when summer workouts began July 6.
“He’s one of the biggest guys in the school by far,” said senior guard-linebacker Jake Vitale, who, at 5 feet 9, 185 pounds, is built like a conventional Union lineman.
Gunn can be found at the other guard position. Well, he can be found everywhere on the line. Last season he played a bit at both guard spots, both tackle spots, and center. He also starts at defensive tackle. Recently, he has been busy trying to talk Robinson into letting him get some reps at tight end. You can’t fault a lineman for trying to get some shine. His last touchdown came in seventh grade on a fumble return.
“I’m in his ear everyday,” Gunn said. “I tell him, ‘I’m an athlete.’”
Added Robinson: “He’s been begging me to do it.”
“My first day of camp I was beating all of the seniors. It felt easy. That’s when I knew I had a chance to be special.”
Aaron Gunn, Union offensive lineman
Coming from a family that has produced several college athletes, it’s no shock Gunn has also experienced a lot of athletic success. The only surprise might be his sport of choice. His dad, Joe, played baseball at California, and his brother, also Joe, plays baseball at Grambling. Aaron’s uncle, Mike, was a baseball player at Slippery Rock.
“Baseball is huge in my family,” Gunn said. “If you come to my house on a summer day, there’s a good chance baseball is on TV. Everybody in the family loves it, and they’ll tell you all the ins and outs of the game.”
But for Gunn, baseball was out after eighth grade.
“If I got a hold of the ball, it was going to go a long way, but I just didn’t get a hold of it enough,” he said with a laugh.
Gunn has come a long way in football, and has grown considerably on and off the field since he was a 5-foot-11, 240-pound freshman.
“He’s matured,” said Robinson. “That comes with age. A lot of people think with big guys, when they’re younger they’re like King Kong Bundy. That’s not the case. He’s grown into his body.”
It didn’t take Gunn long to realize he had a shot to become a big-time player — try one practice.
“My first day of camp I was beating all of the seniors. It felt easy. That’s when I knew I had a chance to be special.”
That indeed turned out to be the case. Kentucky extended him an offer the summer before his sophomore year, which is a bit ironic considering he eventually decided to commit to the school’s in-state rival. West Virginia, Michigan State, Cincinnati, Western Michigan and Buffalo also offered. Only four WPIAL players (Gateway’s Derrick Davis, Central Catholic’s Elliot Donald, West Mifflin’s Nahki Johnson and Baldwin’s Dorien Ford) are ranked higher in the Rivals state rankings.
In Louisville, Gunn will join a program that went 85 last season under firstyear coach Scott Satterfield. Gunn said there’s a lot he likes about Louisville, and Cardinals’
coaches obviously lot about him.
“They like my ability to get out in space and hit linebackers and DBs at the second level. And me being nasty,” he said.
Gunn was named allconference after both his sophomore and junior seasons. Last season, he was also selected first-team allstate. Another strong season may help him become the first Union player to land a spot on the Post-Gazette’s Fabulous 22 team.
As a fellow starter on offense and defense, Vitale has gotten an up-close view of Gunn’s dominance the past few seasons. He said the attention Gunn gets often opens up opportunities for his teammates to make plays.
“He’s a force,” Vitale said. “He’s usually double and triple teamed, but still manages to get through. He’s a strong kid and he’s fast.”
Strong, fast and a selfproclaimed good cook, too. Considering his size, it’s not hard to imagine Gunn knowing his way around the kitchen. Gunn and some of his teammates are on a group text that sometimes sees Gunn letting them know what he’s cooking up. A dominant lineman known for stacking up pancake blocks said his specialty is actually omelettes and other breakfast food.
Gunn’s favorite food is a little surprising. It’s not pizza, wings or pasta.
“I really love sushi. I’ll basically just eat everything, though,” he said.
After experiencing a pair of 3-7 finishes, Gunn hopes to help Union return to the playoffs since the Scotties went 8-4 and reached the WPIAL quarterfinals his freshman season. Vitale said Gunn has looked like “he’s in good shape and well put together” in workouts, a good thing considering that Robinson said Gunn will have plenty of responsibilities this fall.
“He’ll have a lot on his shoulders,” Robinson said. “He’ll be the anchor on both sides and in the locker room. It’s rare to have a player like him, and I’ll take that.”