Pittsburgh LB Gunn injures neck

From NCAA College Football Information & Resource

September 04, 2008

Pitt may have lost LB Gunn to season-ending neck injury.

Pittsburgh outside linebacker Adam Gunn is in danger of sitting out the rest of his senior year after sustaining a serious neck injury in the Panthers' season-opening loss.

Gunn broke his neck in the third quarter of the 27-17 upset loss to Bowling Green when he had an accidental helmet-to-helmet collision with middle linebacker Scott McKillop last Saturday. Gunn is now declared to be out indefinitely in only his second season as starter.

"(It) could be the year. We're not going to say it's the year, but...it's going to be a while," Pitt head coach Dave Wannstedt said Wednesday.

Despite the severity of his injury, Wannstedt was still hopeful that Gunn could be back before the year ends.

"He was one of our leaders," Wannstedt said. "Adam's a heck of a guy and a heck of a player. Hopefully, we'll get him back before the year is out."

In his first year as a starting linebacker last season, Gunn placed third in the team in tackles with 59 tackles. Before he went down with the injury, he had four tackles (two solo), a forced fumble, and a quarterback hurry against the Falcons.

Without Gunn, redshirt freshman Greg Williams is the likely replacement although redshirt sophomore Nate Nix and redshirt freshman Brandon Lindsey might also get some playing time.

The Panthers are a little handicapped at the linebacker spot with Shane Murray already sidelined with an injured right knee. Austin Ransom, who took over at his weakside linebacker spot last week, is likely to do the same this week against Buffalo.

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