Carolina Panthers kicker Gano nearly answered call to serve
By Allen Etzler
Published in News on May 17, 2015 1:50 AM
Kicking a football, shaking hands and signing autographs -- those are the easy things.
But being at home while your brother is deployed in Iraq being shot at -- sometimes going days with no idea how he is doing?
That's not so easy.
Carolina Panthers kicker Graham Gano was close to not being Panthers kicker Graham Gano.
He was almost Graham Gano, United States Marine.
Gano's grandfather, father and three of four brothers all fought -- or currently fight -- for their country, a legacy of service that dates back to the Civil and Revolutionary wars.
"We've done a lot of fighting," he said.
And growing up in that family left an impression on Gano -- one that almost made him follow in those footsteps.
But his brother, Stewart, intervened.
"At the time, my brother was deployed and I wanted to be just like him. He was my hero," Gano said. "But it was pretty easy (to convince me to stay). He said he would give me a beat down if I joined the military. He wanted to watch me play football."
So, it's no wonder why appearances that show support for the military -- like the one he and several other Panthers made on Friday at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base -- are so important to Gano.
"Any chance we have to give back, I try to take advantage of it," Gano said. "I'm proud of my family history in the armed forces -- especially proud of my dad and my brother. ... We've been given a great platform being able to play for the Panthers, so I think it's great to be to show the community we care about the United States military."
Gano and his teammates enjoyed a flight on a 916th Air Refueling Wing KC-135 Stratotanker before spending an hour on the flight line signing autographs and meeting with children for pictures.
They also got to go out on the range and shoot pressurized guns -- with fake bullets -- for some target practice. A naturally competitive group, the majority of the autograph session included a debate about which Panthers player was the best shot.
"I'd like to think I won it," Gano said. "I grew up shooting, so I'm pretty used to it."
Gano added it was his first time on a plane the size of the KC-135, but he loved the experience. Fellow Panther Mario Addison, on the other hand got a little nervous, Gano joked.
"To be able to see those F-15s come up and refuel, it felt like we were like 20 feet away from them," Gano said. "It was a really cool experience running back and forth with the guys on the plane trying to see out the windows and stuff. ... I think when we came down to land, the plane dropped a few times and Mario let out a few squeals."
After the autograph sessions, fans flocked to the Panthers players for more photos and autographs. Gano hung around sporting his No. 9 jersey and met with almost everyone who wanted to meet him.
Most fans knew him as a Panthers player.
Some fans knew him as Graham Gano -- the kicker.
Some didn't know him at all.
But everyone thanked him for what he did for them -- the autographs, the pictures or the handshake and conversation.
After meeting with the fans, Gano sought out some people he became a fan of -- the pilots who took him up in that tanker and some of the other airmen who were around base.
Now he was the one doing the thanking.
He thanked them for a great experience -- but was truly grateful for something more.
So he thanked them for what he almost was, but doesn't have to be -- thanks to men and women like them.
"Thanks for what you do for us," he said.