Zone Read: Gunner Maldonado Unplugged

This week “Zone Read” catches up with former Chandler High two-way star, now University of Arizona junior safety, Gunner Maldonado.

We talk everything from his prep career with the Wolves, his decision to transfer from Northwestern to Arizona, being named the Alamo Bowl Defensive MVP in the Cats’ win over Oklahoma, and much more.

So, is Gunner a nickname, or is that your given first name? “No, it’s my actual first name.”

Okay, so what’s the story behind that? There has to be some unique story behind that. “(laughing) Man, I wish there was like some cool story. My mom just has some crazy names for all my family, and I ended up with Gunner. My middle name is Jett. My sister’s name is Denim. So, we have some unique names but no crazy story [behind it].”

Who’s a bigger baller: Gunner Maldonado or Gunner Romney (fellow former Chandler High standout)? “Oh, man (laughing). I’m gonna have to choose Gunner Romney, bro. That’s my dog. He’s a total baller. Out of respect, I was always the little Gunner in high school. So, at Chandler in my early years, I got the nickname Baby G. That kind of stuck with me for my whole Chandler career and that kind of started because Gunner was the older Gunner. So, I got Baby G.”

So, speaking of G. How much did playing for Coach G. (Chandler High head coach Rick Garretson), prepare you for playing high-level, Power 5 football? “Man, it helped tremendously. Just knowing what it looked like to prepare for an opponent. Obviously, I played a lot of offense with Coach G. and I don’t do that now but just being able to memorize a playbook, and just being to think on the run.”

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Family https://t.co/YPrk8bHtqF

— Gunner Maldonado (@gjett03) April 24, 2021

“Those things prepared me, and just the high standard that he holds his players to I think prepared me well, because that’s exactly what it’s like at the next level.”

As the story goes, you had like 10 catches for 190 yards against Queen Creek in your first game playing wide receiver at Chandler, I was told. Take us through that game knowing you had little to no experience at that position. “They had asked me after that first game like, ‘Hey, how do you feel about coming to wide receiver?’ and I was all for it. They said Coach G. doesn’t just run like three plays so it’s a little more complicated than that so I had to get into the playbook. So, obviously, I started studying it, and learning it. So Coach Carp [Assistant Coach Chad Carpenter] is another guy who holds you to high standards so…honestly, Coach Carp and Coach G. did a great job from the sideline. What I remember the most was asking (former Chandler tight end) Brayden Liebrock. We’d be lined up for the play and if I was on Brayden’s side or lined up on the other side and I could talk to Jacob (Conover) before the play and just ask, ‘Hey, what do I [run].’ That’s kind of how that game went. As the season went on, I got it down pretty good, but that first game was an interesting one (laughing).”

What’s your favorite place to eat in Chandler that people, not from the area, may not know about? “I mean, honestly, whenever I think about Chandler, and my high school days, me, Malik Reed, every single day at lunch we’d go to Elmer’s for a burrito. That was the majority of high school. Walking over to Elmer’s with the homies for a burrito. I was always like, ‘Ah, man. I’m short two bucks. Who got me today (laughing)?'”

I know how important that Chandler High football family and community is to you. You go back to visit from time-to-time. How important, and rewarding, is that for you to give back to them after what they provided for you? “It was hard for me to visit when I was at Northwestern and I haven’t done that as much as I’ve wanted to, but just talking to guys. Younger [players] will text me or hit me up on Instagram. I’ll get on the phone with them, or text them, and tell them things I wish I knew [then]. Things I could go back and tell my freshman self. I think that’s very important. When I was at Chandler, I had a lot of older guys that I could look up to and ask questions to. Can’t say I did as much as I wanted to. So, seeing these younger guys asking me questions and wanting to talk to me, it’s really cool.”

Compare Evanston, Illinois to Tucson, Arizona. “Evanston is a lot colder in the second half of the year than Tucson (laughing). Evanston is honestly really nice. I loved it over there. COVID made things really hard but I love the program and I love Coach (Pat) Fitzgerald [former Northwestern head coach]. Tucson is just a little bit more home to me, man. Has great people, a great campus, a great college feel. You feel like you’re a part of a family. That’s Tucson. And, it’s a lot warmer.”

Take us back to when you were in the portal a couple of years ago. What was it about Jedd Fisch and his big-picture vision at Arizona that made you believe the program would be successful again sooner, rather than later. “Yeah, I think just getting on the phone with him and seeing what type of guy he was. I could tell he was a genuine guy. The big thing was his plan. He really had a plan of action of where he was going to take the program.”

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COMING HOME🤞🏼🌵🅰️ #blessed #beardown pic.twitter.com/o6a3LkD0kV

— Gunner Maldonado (@gjett03) January 4, 2021

“I’m a relationship kind of guy and I get that feeling of certain people. I could just tell Coach Fisch was a genuine guy. He turned out to me exactly who I thought he was. The people he brought in, the coaches. They all follow the same morals and characteristics that he does. He just had a plan and I saw it. I wanted to be a part of the change.”

How long did it take for you to be ok with sharing the secondary room with a Hamilton Husky [Genesis Smith]? Be honest. “(laughing) It was definitely something early on I’d give him crap about but he won some games at Hamilton, too. So, it wasn’t like I could just [mess with him] the whole time. But I think it was more just, I’m a little older. I’ve been here a little longer. But that kid is going to be amazing. I’ve sort of been showing him the ropes a little bit. But there’s a lot of things he naturally just gets. He works hard and that’s something you can’t teach. That’s my guy. I see how good he’s going to be.”

When you woke just over week ago on game day in your hotel room in San Antonio, did you just sort of have a sense you were going to have a huge game against Oklahoma later that night in the Alamo Bowl? “So, this was sort of crazy. I didn’t tell very many people this. I didn’t even tell Coach G. about this but the morning of our travel to San Antonio, so about a week before the game, horrible flu. The trainers on our staff were contemplating me even traveling down there with the team. The first two days we were in San Antonio, I didn’t even really leave the hotel room. I didn’t practice all week. I practiced one time, the Tuesday before the game. Then I did the walk-thru Wednesday, and played Thursday.”

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🏆 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑 𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐑𝐎 𝐀𝐋𝐀𝐌𝐎 𝐁𝐎𝐖𝐋 𝐃𝐄𝐅𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐌𝐕𝐏 🏆 pic.twitter.com/XIhCk5mIca

— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) December 30, 2023

“Once I started feeling better and knew I was going to play, I was like, ‘Maybe I’ll have my flu game.’ I think it went like that. I think I had my little flu game moment.”

You followed up a pretty interception on the sideline with an 87-yard fumble recovery that you housed against the Sooners that completely flipped the game. Take us through that play.  “I’ve watched the play back a couple of times and it just speaks to the type of defense and secondary that we are. They almost complete the pass. We have a guy all over the receiver. And then Dalton Johnson, I keep giving him credit for the play. He sparked it. He had a great break on the receiver. That’s really the reason the ball came out.”

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PICK SIX.@gjett03 IS HAVING A DAY.

📺: ESPN pic.twitter.com/Y0cKsWKeoQ

— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) December 29, 2023

“You could see the second I catch the ball, the entire defense just turns into blockers. They blocked their butts off for me…it was just like, ‘Man, I need to get into that end zone.’ That’s all it was.”

Did playing some wide receiver at Chandler help you with reading route concepts and things like that at the college level or does that not convey much at the next level? “Oh, no it definitely carries over. But at the same time, you still have to study route concepts. The way you see it as a DB is a lot different.”

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.@gjett03 INTERCEPTS IT💥

INTERCEPTION #2 FOR THE DEFENSE TONIGHT.

📺: ESPN pic.twitter.com/YhUuJEykru

— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) December 29, 2023

“It helps knowing what some of the route concepts are but you sort of have to flip your brain when it comes to that. Being a receiver helps the most with body language. Knowing the receiver’s stance. He’s going in motion. Different things like that.”

I know your tattoos hold special meaning to you. Can you go into that a little deeper for us please if you don’t mind? “Tattoos, I always knew they were meaningful, but I looked at them more as art. I met my tattoo artist, Tommy Lee. He tattooed my cousin. I finally got in with him and he and I started just started thinking about crazy ideas. I love music and I love guitar so, obviously, the first two I wanted tatted on my sleeve was Slash and Jimi Hendrix. I did those two guys which I love…the Slash one was a crazy story. I had a 6:00 AM team run the next day and I was at the tattoo shop until midnight and then I drove to Tucson. Got there at like three in the morning for a 6:00AM team run with a brand new tattoo (laughing).”

Dude, I’m sure Jedd Fisch wasn’t real thrilled about that, right? “No, definitely not. That’s definitely the last time I’m doing that. It’s all good. That was my one freebie of freshmen decisions. Just to be clear, I did make it on time for the team run.”