HOUMA, La. (AP) - Houma native Trevon Gauno knows the odds may be stacked against him in regard to hearing his name called during the NFL draft on April 23-25.
Gauno took the junior college route after graduating from Terrebonne High School in 2015.
As a defensive back, he attended six different colleges in recent years, including Shasta College in California, Cisco College in Texas, Independence Community College in Kansas and Dodge City Community College in Kansas, Angelo State University in Texas and William Penn University in Iowa.
The 23-year-old Gauno has traveled a long road to continue his playing days in college, but he refuses to let anything disrupt his dreams of becoming a professional football player.
“If you really believe it, then you could do it,” Gauno said. “I won’t let anybody tell me that I can’t do something. If I want it, I’m going to go get it.”
With the NFL draft coming up soon, Gauno said he believes his hard work and dedication has helped put him in a position to either get drafted or sign with a team as an undrafted free agent this year.
“It’s a blessing. I give all the credit to God,” Gauno said. “Without Him, none of this would be possible. I’m just enjoying the process. I worked for it. Not too many people have this opportunity, so I just want to enjoy it because I know I’ve put the work in no matter what. Whatever happens, happens. I’m just going to keep going.”
The NFL draft process is usually intense pressure for small school prospects like Gauno, but he refuses to let it get the best of him. Gauno said he doesn’t care if his name gets called during the draft. He wants to a team to give him a chance to show what he can do.
“I haven’t even been worrying about it. I’ve just been putting the work in,” Gauno said. “All I need is an opportunity. How I get it or when I get it doesn’t matter to me. I don’t care about my name getting called. That’s just hype. All I care about getting that chance whether it is by getting drafted or signing as a free agent. If you give me a chance, I’m going to take advantage of it.”
The recent coronavirus has affected the draft process for most hopefuls like Gauno, especially since it has shut down gyms in recent weeks and canceled college pro days.
But Gauno (5-foot-10, 180 pounds) held his own pro day in Houma on April 4 and posted many eye-opening numbers, including a 4.4 second 40-yard dash time, a 34-inch vertical leap, a 10.1 broad jump and 1.26 10-yard split time that ranks among the best with top draft eligible cornerbacks.
Gauno said he believes his pro day numbers should help get him on the radar of many NFL teams. He has received interest from the Green Bay Packers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Giants.
He and his agent - Giles Cole of Max Q Sports and Entertainment - will send his pro day times and videos to all NFL and Canadian Football League teams.
“This is what I did all my journey for,” Gauno said. “It comes down to if you really want it. My hard work paid off.”
Gauno has spent most of his time training with Joel Ross, who runs the Prime Time Fitness Gym at the Southland Mall in Houma.
Ross, a former Vandebilt Catholic and Southern Miss star defensive lineman, helped Gauno prepare for his pro day.
“It was really good to see him have success on that day and actually be proud of the numbers that he put up,” Ross said. “He has worked hard to get those numbers. It was crazy that he was able to put those type of numbers up in the middle of a pandemic.”
Local NFL analyst Mike Detillier has Gauno listed as a priority free agent signee this year.
“Guys like Trevon get hurt in not being able to go to a team and work out for them, so it’s word of mouth and a scout’s opinion of him,” Detillier said. “Trevon can play. There’s no question in my mind. He’s mentally and physically tough. He is fast. He can flip his hips and get back into coverage well and he has excellent recovery speed. He’s not intimated by anyone out on the field, and he’s got good ball skills.”
Detillier said Gauno needs to make it to an NFL training camp to prove himself.
“The first thing he needs to do is make an impact on special teams,” Detillier said. “He needs to show the league you are committed to play special teams and that is your first foot in the door. Yes, LSU is DBU, but Louisiana is DBU state. There is some real top defensive backs in this state. I’m proud of Gauno for hanging in there and chasing his dream. He’s talented, confident, fast and he’s a worker. That’s what I am looking for in a late round pick or free agent and someone focused.”
Gauno said he has no problems with working his way up in the pro football business. After all, he has overcome many obstacles to get where he is today.
In high school, he struggled with his grades and that cost him a chance at a Division I scholarship, and he stopped attending class at one point when he was a sophomore.
But he was able to turn it around before it was too late. He finished his senior year at Terrebonne with second-team All-District 7-5A honors in 2015.
After being underrated in high school and college, Gauno said he has managed to put himself on a radar for NFL teams.
“I’m used to starting from the bottom. That’s my comfort zone,” Gauno said. “I think if I was put at the top and was given a lot of stuff, I think I would lose more, but since I usually start from the bottom, that’s my comfortable zone and I’m going to succeed every time.”
After watching him train, Ross said he believes Gauno has all the mental and physical tools to make it into the NFL.
“I think it would be very special given the path that he took and the things he had to go through. It would be like a Cinderella story,” Ross said. “Considering the odds he has been through, if he would get his name called, that would be amazing. I’m not going to say it’s impossible, but that would be the icing on the cake of his Cinderella story.”
Gauno said he has picked up a lot of knowledge after playing at various colleges. He had 23 tackles and four interceptions at William Penn last season, playing in only five games after transferring. He has defended taller receivers and made plays all of the field, so he is confident in his ability and skills.
“I’ve been to five different schools. I’ve been coached by over 20 coaches. I’ve played every single coverage. I know how to do everything,” Gauno said. “Most people only know how to play one coverage in four years. When you look at my film, you’ll see that I’m making plays that D-I guys made. No matter what level you do that on, that’s an NFL play. Not too many people can do that.”
Gauno said his six-month-old daughter - Legaci Arreis Roman Gauno - has given him more inspiration to make it into the NFL.
“It’s my biggest motivation seeing my daughter growing up,” Gauno said. “She depends on me. I want to give my family a better opportunity. My job is to keep working. I just wake up with a smile on my face every day and just work and be satisfied with whatever God gives to me.”
As long as he keeps working, Ross said Gauno has a bright future ahead of him.
“The sky is the limit for him,” Ross said. “I truly believe Tre has the ability to play on that level. Now it’s just about him getting the opportunity to finish the deal. I think he’ll be able to make some noise if he gets that opportunity. He has nothing to lose. He’s been through a lot.”
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