Vaughan Rebels' Gabby Nunno tackles her role on gridiron with gusto

Defensive end is 1 of football team's captains

Yorkregion.com
September 24, 2018
John Cudmore

When the guys cross a certain line Gabriella Nunno has the perfect response: She tackles them.

You see, the 11-year-old Woodbridge girl is a defensive end for the Vaughan Rebels peewee football team. And when opponents’ ball carriers run her way the lone female player on the team is poised to put them on the ground.

Then she waits for the reaction.

“They are shocked,” said the Grade 6 student at Margaret Mary Catholic Elementary School in Woodbridge. “Sometimes after a game, once I take my helmet and equipment off, people stare at me. I want to be in the shadows and not known for all the other stuff.”

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It’s not easy to escape notice. For starters, Nunno, a team captain, is one of the Rebels’ top players. In fact, she is the first female in the Rebels program of nearly 200 players.

“First and foremost, I’m impressed by her courage to be able to go out and try something like that,” said Rebels’ head coach Fabio Brusco. “She seems happy, confident and vocal. With her build and athleticism she’s really good and suited for it."

“I’m also proud of her teammates who accepted Gabby and made it easy for her."

“It’s kind of cool. Maybe some other young girls will find that football is for them.”

“One of the great things about football in general is because there are so many types of athletes with different body builds you can have two athletes completely different in looks and talent stand beside each other.”

Since joining the Rebels program in March 2017, Nunno is playing in her fourth season between spring and fall schedules.

The Rebels played in the Tier 1 championship game in the spring season but have settled into the Ontario Football League’s second tier for the fall season.

Having watched a son, Matteo, play for the Rebels, Lisa Bruzzese knew exactly what awaited her daughter on the football field. She viewed it an opportunity to build self-esteem and response to bullying.

“She came to me because her brother always teased that girls couldn’t play football,” said Bruzzese. “I told her if she survived training camp she could play. I never thought she would survive it."

“She has overcome obstacles. But she walks in and owns the field.”

It’s no big deal to Nunno. Initially, however, it was more a case of others waiting for her to not make the team.

“I don’t really know but it’s like a family and they are like my brothers now,” she said. “I think it was more of a shock for them. A lot were thinking, ‘She can’t make it.’ I could tell by their facial expressions."

“Now we joke around a lot.”

Nunno loves the idea that football carries a rough and tumble image.

“When you are stressed out you get to tackle people so it’s easier to get your anger out,” said Nunno. “I’d like to play until I am finished college or university.”

The team has a 2-2 record in the OFL’s peewee Tier 2 division.