ESPN College Football

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

PITTSBURGH -- Adam Gunn has his post-football plan mapped out.

He's on track to earn his master's in public administration this December and is already working to start his own charitable foundation for underprivileged children. He envisions a Make-A-Wish type organization where kids who show promise and responsibility get to live out their sports dreams, which will hopefully in turn inspire their peers to pursue the right paths.

	Bob Donnan/US Presswire
	Pittsburgh linebacker Adam Gunn already has big plans for his life after football.

"I hope it turns into something national," Gunn said. "I'm in a position in my life now where I can impact lives, and I want to take advantage of that."

Gunn nearly was forced to begin his life after athletics early. The Pittsburgh linebacker suffered a broken neck in a freak collision with teammate Scott McKillop in the first game of his senior season last fall. He missed the entire year and, since he had already used a redshirt year, figured his playing days were over.

But in March, Gunn was granted a rare sixth year of eligibility from the NCAA. Though he won't be cleared medically for full tackling drills until July, Gunn went through most of spring practice for the Panthers while playing middle linebacker. He will go into the summer as the starter at the spot where McKillop won defensive player of the year honors in 2008.

"That's the one position where I think leadership and experience probably has more of an influence than playing on the outside," head coach Dave Wannstedt said about moving Gunn from strongside linebacker to the middle. "He's handling it extremely well."

Gunn said he was a little nervous the first couple of practices this spring, but then he resumed playing like normal. Perhaps it helps that he has no memory of the helmet-to-helmet collision with McKillop as both went to level a hit on a Bowling Green receiver. Gunn was rendered unconscious on the play and said he has only watched it once on tape.

"I'm kind of trying to forget about it," he said. "I don't want to be out on the football field and maybe have a flashback right when I'm going to make a tackle."

Doctors initially didn't think Gunn had incurred serious damage, but later X-rays showed that he had a broken neck. He underwent surgery to fuse the fourth and fifth vertebrae of his cervical spine with a titanium plate, held in place by four screws.

Gunn's older brother, Sanford, suffered the same injury during his senior season at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and was temporarily paralyzed for several days. He did not play football again.

"I couldn't believe it happened a second time," said Gunn's mother, Dona Wingo. "We found out that it's a hereditary problem."

Gunn said he has been reassured by doctors that there is no risk of further damage by playing. He's been told that his spine is actually stronger now than it was because the two vertebrae are fused into one. Other than the protective collar he's always worn, he's not going to do anything differently to try and prevent another injury.

Still, that hardly calms a mother's concern.

"I'm very nervous," Wingo said. "But we have to support his decision. We have to have confidence in our doctor and confidence in Adam, so he's just going to go for it."

Wingo knows her son isn't one to make rash decisions. Gunn is a two-time academic All-Big East honoree who earned his bachelor's degree in communication and rhetoric last April. He interned in Pitt's media relations department and has been active in the school's community outreach program.

Gunn learned the value of service at a young age. His mother and father served as foster parents for 15 years, taking in kids who'd been diagnosed with mental health problems as well as physical disabilities1. There would always be two foster children in the house, as well as Gunn's other four brothers and sisters. Gunn still keeps in contact with many of the former foster kids.

"It's great to be able to have an impact in someone's life," he said. "And once you've made that impact, you let them go free and live their lives and hope they turn out OK. And most of them have."

In 2006, Gunn went with his mother to South Africa, and they toured some of the poorest parts of the country. They saw kids who walked miles to school with no shoes. One day, Wingo said, Adam was bouncing a basketball around to the fascination of a young boy. Adam gave him the ball.

"I was amazed by that," Wingo said. "But he's got that in his heart."

Wannstedt wouldn't just put Gunn at middle linebacker because he's a good student and person.

That position is maybe the most important on the entire defense in Pitt's system, which funnels a lot of plays to the middle linebacker. McKillop and his predecessor, H.B. Blades, racked up some of the nation's highest tackle totals at that spot, and both won league defensive player of the year awards as seniors. Blades is now with the Washington Redskins, while McKillop is expected to get drafted later this month.

"Middle linebackers have definitely had a lot of success in this program, and hopefully I can continue with that," Gunn said. "I can't wait. It's what I guess I was born to do. They say some people are natural leaders and other leaders are made. I've always been in leadership positions my whole life. So I'm looking forward to taking that on my shoulders and really pushing my teammates to achieve their best."

It was ironic that running into McKillop almost ended Gunn's career. The two had played football together since their midget league days and were high school teammates in Vandergrift, Pa. They still talk every day, with Gunn picking McKillop's brain for advice on his old position.

The 6-foot-2, 230-pound Gunn hopes to parlay a big senior season into an NFL career. He didn't expect he'd get a chance to play football again while wearing a neck brace all the way up to Pitt's bowl game. He's grateful for another chance.

"I wouldn't be where I am if it wasn't for football," he said. "Football has been the foundation of my life."

At least until he gets his other foundation going.