Staying Home: Wagner Signee Kevin Gumb Wants to ‘Represent the Island’
There’s only so many chances to be a true “Hometown Hero” in college football. Plenty of players get the chance to stay in state or close to home, sure. But the option to actually be from Staten Island and then play for the school on Staten Island? It’s a rare opportunity.
Kevin Gumb didn’t let the opportunity slip, signing to play for the Wagner Seahawks and further his academic career today.
Gumb, listed as an RB/LB, was compared to Cam Skattebo by Red Zone sports earlier this season. The Monsignor Farrell standout from Staten Island, NY didn’t receive many opportunities to play D1 ball at the highest level, but he got the one that counted with the hometown school believing in his ability. He’ll now head down the street to help with the further rebuilding of a storied Wagner program that rattled off a 4 game conference win-streak late in the year. Behind that was a big back already on the roster in Andre Hines.
Is there something about big backs playing ball in the cold?
Gumb laughed off my suggestion, and he’s right. A hard nosed runner with the rock will translate just about anywhere.
It certainly already worked on Staten Island for the signee. He rushed for 1,083 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground his senior season. But it’s not set in stone that he’ll be playing RB for the Seahawks. “Right now, I'm not sure,” Kevin said. “I hope to play running back there. But, wherever they need me, I don't really mind.”
When we asked him about staying home, he told us that the Wagner offer is motivating for more reasons than just staying at home. “They believed in me the most since they're the only team that really offered me,” he said. But that geographical aspect is just as big. “Just so I stay close to home, all my family can come to the games and stuff, just to represent the island, really.”
Wagner is far from the only NYC area school in the NEC. It’s got to be about more than just representing New York City when you’re a Seahawk. Getting local juice like Gumb will help ensure that the fine print is more than just about playing football somewhere in New York City.
When you’re a Seahawk, you’re on Staten Island’s football team. And Gumb will be there, playing wherever he’s needed, to make sure of that. He’ll be part of another generation of Wagner football players representing the Island.
He’s unsure of any signing day ceremony plans currently, but we’ll have updates as those arrive.
