Under the Gunn: Clemson kicker is healthy, ready to step into starting role

Robert Gunn III is poised to take over the Clemson kicking role.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Wed May 03 13:12:07 GMT-04:00 2023

CLEMSON – Robert Gunn is healthy, his leg is back to full strength, and he’s ready to take over as the Tigers’ starting kicker this season.

Gunn played in three games last season while redshirting so he still has four years of eligibility remaining. He hit his lone kick attempt last season - an extra point against Georgia Tech – and all five of his kickoff attempts went for touchbacks. Gunn sat behind BT Potter last season, but Potter has moved on and now Gunn is ready to assume the role of starter.

It’s been a process, however. Gunn committed to the Tigers in June of 2021 after he was offered at Dabo Swinney’s high school camp. Gunn then tore his ACL (knee) early in his senior season in high school.

“It was Friday night, September 11th. Had surgery September 29th, and that was my senior year in high school,” Gunn said. “It was a 41-yard field goal against my old high school that I transferred from, and then it got blocked. I went to go run down there, tried to tackle the guy. Before I was about to go tackle the guy, I had two guys blindside hit me. My leg just twisted and I felt the pop, so that's it.”

Thus began a lengthy rehab process that continued when he arrived at Clemson in January of 2022.

“It had it's ups and downs, but it's a process. I know God had a plan for me and I just kept the faith, and all glory to Him,” Gunn said. “I'd say I was back in five months. They had me kicking. We started off with a Nerf football and then went back to the regular football. Started doing no steps, one steps, two steps, and then full steps. Then a couple months after that we started doing kickoffs and started lifting weights to get my leg muscle back. That's pretty much it.”

His first kicks weren’t anywhere near full strength, but Clemson’s strength and conditioning coaches helped him get back on track. He felt fully healthy by the time the team reached Miami for the bowl game, where he hit a 68-yard field goal in practice.

“My leg strength wasn't back like it was,” Gunn said. “Then just over time, just kicking and hitting the weights with Coach Batson, Ricky Sapp. It was really good.”

He also leaned on Potter for advice.

“I learned a lot. Sometimes I say, sorry man, for asking you so many questions, because I was just asking him a lot of questions,” Gunn said. “Just trying to learn and just grasp what he did, so when it's my turn that I'm ready. About his mental game, what is he doing in pre-game? What is his situations and stuff? It's awesome to have him here. He's here in spring sometimes, so I still ask him some questions. Like, hey man, what should I do about this or that?”

Gunn said he was able to learn the most important part of being a kicker.

“One thing that stuck out to me from B.T. was just like, you miss a kick, just flush it. Just move on from that kick. So every kick has its own life, just (a) one-kick mentality,” he said. “You just focus on your thought process and your routine and stuff. You miss it, you just flush it, and you go back and worry about the next kick.”