Gunter eyeing Tulane for next chapter of his football career
Madison Central High School senior tight end and football Team Captain Blake Gunter is committed to Tulane University not just for football, but also for the next chapter of his life.
Gunter grew up with a love for football and discovered he loves playing tight end while he was a student at Madison Middle School and that love has continued into his high school years at Madison Central.
“My favorite part of playing for Madison Central is the sense of community it has,” Gunter said. “It’s big but not too big. Everyone knows everyone, and you’ve got a lot of people who have your back and support you.”
Gunter said the biggest highlight while playing for Madison Central is being named team captain by his teammates.
“Coach told me the vote was fairly unanimous,” he said. “It is good to know that many people see me in that way. It is for sure my favorite part of my high school career.”
Gunter is committed to Tulane and hopes to play tight end there as well. He said Tulane is the best situation for him out of the options he has had, and it is a football program on the rise.
“I like the coaches at Tulane. They’re good people,” Gunter said. “I also think I’ll make an impact and it’ll set me up for my future athletically and academically. I am not sure about my major, but I do plan on going to law school after graduating. Everyone loves to say they’ll go to the NFL which I would love to do, but I’d like to have something to fall back on as well, which would be law.”
In his free time, Gunter enjoys playing poker with his friends, watching movies and working at Reunion Golf Course in Madison.
His favorites:
• Food: Sushi
• Movie: “Avengers: Endgame”
• Vacation spot: New Orleans
• Video game: NBA 2K19
“This is going to be an exciting year for us,” Gunter said. “I believe we’re the best team in the state. We are 3-1. Against Starkville, I think we shot ourselves in the foot too many times, but I still believe we’re the best team in Mississippi and have a run in the playoffs.”
Madison Central Head Football Coach Toby Collums said even though he has only been at Madison Central since April, it did not take long for him to notice Gunter was a strong asset to the team.
“Blake is a mature kid,” Collums said. “He is a very unselfish player and what all players should strive to be. That is reflected in his teammates voting him as team captain along with C.J. Barney.”
Collums said choosing the team captain is based on how players carry themselves through spring practice, and Gunter got most of the votes for the team.
“His unselfishness and the way he can carry himself on and off the field is the best part of coaching him,” Collums said.
Collums said the season, while great, has been challenging.
“We have some great kids that work hard,” Collums said. “We were ranked No. 1 in the state until last week, but that’s neither here nor there. It’s all about how you finish. It’s a tough schedule as always, which is the challenge. We play in a tough region with good teams. The main thing is our kids understand this is a long season, and week in and week out you have to be ready to play.”