EA quarterback wear’s brother’s jersey for senior night
Published 10:14 pm Friday, October 23, 2015
Kainoa Gumapac, a junior, wears brother’s jersey on senior night
Escambia Academy senior Kevin Gumapac asked his younger brother, Kainoa, to do one thing for him Friday night — wear his jersey.
Kainoa, who normally wears No. 2 for the Cougars, donned Kevin’s No. 10 for his older brother in a 41-0 shutout over Glenwood at home.
Kevin has sat out the last two seasons because of marfan syndrome, a genetic disorder of connective tissue in the body. The syndrome restricts him from contact on the field.
“It was a great experience,” Kainoa said about wearing his brother’s jersey. “For Kevin, I don’t know how it felt. For me, I was just playing for him. I just wanted to go out there and do it for him. Everything I was doing, I was doing for him.”
Kevin said Kainoa’s moves on the gridiron, which consist of him moving around the pocket on a frequent basis, reminds him of how he plays.
“Just watching him have his own unique style, it reminded me of (Cleveland Browns quarterback) Johnny Football (Manziel); it was electric and fun to watch. He’s a great player and a great athlete,” Kevin said.
Kevin, who wishes he could’ve been on the field for his final home game, said he couldn’t be more proud of Kainoa.
“Watching him grow throughout the season, going from being a quarterback in his first year last year to going to where we are now throughout the season, it’s been great to watch him grow,” he said. “I couldn’t be more proud of him.”