Roomies, Teammates, Lifelong Friends
12/21/2023 2:21:00 PM | Football
In September 2019, Adam Gunn was going through one of the most difficult moments of his life.
His mother, Dona, had just passed away at the age of 70. While family and friends made their way into the funeral home, one person walked through the doors that made Gunn freeze.
It was Austin Ransom, his former teammate, former roommate and coworker who was then living on the opposite side of the country.
"It was pretty crazy, pretty special," Gunn says while battling the emotions of the memory. "I didn't know he was coming because he was in California at the time. It was one of the toughest times I've ever had. For him to be there was pretty special and telling of the relationship we have."
Gunn and Ransom are brothers—not by blood, but by football.
Ransom grew up in Williamsville, New York, a small town just outside Buffalo with a population of a little more than 5,000.
Despite being a strong football player at Williamsville East High School, the offers to play major Division I football didn't come. So, he decided to follow his older brother to the University of Pittsburgh in hopes of earning a high-quality education with his playing days behind him.
But the itch to get on the field remained, so he sent his high school game film to Associate Athletic Director for Football Administration Chris LaSala.
Pitt expressed interest, and Ransom went through numerous steps, including navigating a circuitous route to Pitt's South Side practice facility to turn in the necessary paperwork. There was only one problem.
"I'm an out-of-state freshman with no car," he explains. "I walked across the Hot Metal Bridge and down South Water Street and go in to get my physical, and they were like, 'Oh, you forgot to get this signature.'"
So, Ransom turned around and made the trek back to Pitt's upper campus to get everything he needed.
It was an early glimpse of the tenacity and determination that would accompany him through his playing career and beyond.
Gunn, meanwhile, had a standout career at Kiski Area High School, playing alongside former Pitt All-American Scott McKillop.
He came to Pitt and redshirted in 2004 before becoming a special team's player the following two seasons. In 2007, his redshirt junior season, Gunn moved into the starting lineup as the team's strong side or "Sam" linebacker. He made 59 tackles that season, setting himself up for what had the makings of an impressive final season.
At the same time, Ransom was grinding away, moving from wide receiver to defensive back to linebacker, all while excelling as a special team's captain. Pitt's then head coach Dave Wannstedt was so impressed that he put Ransom on scholarship as a redshirt sophomore.
"It was a really cool experience for me," Ransom says of the moment Wannstedt broke the news. "My mom even cried. And it showed me that if you put your mind to something and work really hard, you can accomplish anything you want."
Along the way, Ransom and Gunn became close. They decided to live together as sophomores, bouncing around different houses and apartments in Oakland over the next few years.
"I was a walk-on, which is one of those lower roles on a football team," says Ransom. "But Adam was one of those guys who reached out, befriended me, would invite me to do things socially and helped me navigate the whole football process."
"Austin came in right after camp, so a lot of the friendships were established and you had your group of people," says Gunn. "But there was something about him. He just seemed like a good guy—someone who had energy and someone who you wanted to be around."
The typical college shenanigans followed. They took many of the same classes together as communication majors, got involved in Pitt's life skills program, both worked as bartenders at a South Side bar and shared mutual friends—including Gunn's future wife, Lindsay, who was a walk-on soccer player at Pitt and who was introduced to Gunn by Ransom after the two met during the walk-on student athlete orientation.
The good times were bountiful for the two, without a doubt. But they also went through their share of trials, including those on the field.
In the 2008 season opener, starting weak side or "Will" linebacker Shane Murray be hurt and unable to play against Bowling Green. In stepped Ransom, flanking McKillop and Gunn.
Going from an offensive walk-on to a starter on defense was a remarkable achievement for Ransom, who had an interception early in the game. It was a dream come true for Gunn as well—at least initially.
"Our linebackers, it was Austin as the Will linebacker, then Scott McKillop—who I had played football with since we were 8 years old and in high school at Kiski—and then me at the Sam [linebacker]," Gunn says. "It was my roommate [and] another best friend in life, and we're all out there communicating and essentially running the defense.
"But it was only one short game, one short half. "Early in the game, Gunn's season—and life—came to a screeching halt. He and McKillop collided while trying to make a tackle. Gunn went down, injured. The diagnosis? A broken neck.
"I was very fortunate to have Lindsay and Austin there to support me," he says. "I needed that support to get through that tough time. I was taken away from the game that I loved and wasn't sure if I'd ever play football again." Thanks to his hard work and the help of Ransom and others, he did—and in a major way. Gunn made 77 tackles and had five sacks the following season.
"It was honestly amazing," he says. "All the preparation to get back … to do that and get back on the field was extra special."
Ransom has several great recollections from his time at Pitt. Highlighting the list was a thrilling four-overtime win at Notre Dame—known now as the 'Sprinkler Game'—and being on the field for Darrelle Revis' breathtaking punt return touchdown against West Virginia in 2006.
And there is, of course, the obvious beloved win that they both share.
"Yeah, 13-9, no doubt," Gunn says bluntly, but with a smile, while thinking of Pitt's monumental upset victory over West Virginia in 2007. "It was absolutely amazing, the way that we played. Nothing went wrong."
"We kept them out of the National Championship game," adds Ransom. "People were throwing batteries at us coming out of there. My brother still tells stories of fans pouring hot chocolate on him. But it's a top-three favorite moment of mine, for sure."
Those football accomplishments, however, soon became memories, as they do for all players. And figuring out what they wanted to do in life became their next challenge.
Both went on to attend Pitt's Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. Ransom got his master's in public and nonprofit management, and Gunn earned his in public administration.
Ransom then worked for Pitt for three years as the community relations coordinator for the Cathy and John Pelusi Family Life Skills Program.
"I was really close with [former Senior Associate Athletic Director for Student Life] Penny Semaia, and I was always one of the guys on the football team involved with community outreach," he says.
"I ended up just linking up with Penny while I was getting my master's, and he ended up hiring me full time."
Gunn went to work for Stryker, a multinational medical technology corporation. He started in sales and has worked his way up to director of marketing with the company.
Along the way, he reached out to Ransom, who joined him at Stryker in 2014 after working for Three Rivers Orthopedic & Spine Products, Inc.
Ransom moved to Northern California for the job and four years later accepted a position with Wright Medical Group N.V. He returned home three years ago to serve as a regional manager with Stryker's sports medicine division.
The two men remain close, both professionally and personally. Not only did they go on a summer golf trip to Las Vegas, Nevada, together this year, but they live just six houses away from one another in the Pittsburgh suburb of Wexford.
And as their jobs have grown, so have their families. Ransom and his wife, Brittany, are parents to Cruz, 5; Lincoln, 3; and Zoey Gunn and Lindsay—who also works at Stryker—have Jazlyn, 9, and Jada, 6.
From the kids who used to sling drinks on the South Side and chase down Steve Slaton and Pat White on the football field to coworkers in the medical technology world, Gunn and Ransom have always found a way to be side by side.
"Adam's an incredible guy," says Ransom. "I couldn't speak higher of anybody in this world. We just constantly push one another for success.
"Pitt really helped mold me, but I do have to give appreciation and credit to Adam for always having my back and bringing cool opportunities to me and my family. I owe so much of my life and the success of my life to him."
And Gunn, who broke down in tears when Ransom walked into that funeral home four years ago, certainly shares those warm feelings toward his friend.
"There's not anything that I wouldn't do for Austin," he says. "And clearly that's the same for him."