Kicker Nick Gatto of the AFL's Detroit team may have been born without a right arm, but he certainly has heart.
By FRANK PASTOR
Published May 30, 2003
TAMPA - For years, Nick Gatto carried his parents' words like a shield, protecting him from the taunts and ridicule, self-doubt and physical challenges that came from being born without a right arm.
"You were born for a very good reason," Sal and Tina Gatto told him when he came home from school in tears, "and at the proper time, God will show you that."
Because of a birth defect, Gatto does not have the lower half of his right arm below the elbow. Naturally right-handed, he had to learn to button his shirt, eat and write with his left hand.
When he played sports, he threw and dribbled left-handed.
Classmates made fun of him. Coaches questioned his ability. A stuttering problem made matters worse.
But Gatto overcame everything to become the first athlete in the Arena Football League's 16-year history to play without a limb.
After stops in Orlando last season and Dallas, Chicago and San Jose earlier this year, Gatto will kick for Detroit when it travels to Tampa to play the Storm in a quarterfinal game Saturday at the St. Pete Times Forum.
"It's an inspiration to everybody in our organization when you have an individual like this who, God bless him, doesn't have everything all of us have," Detroit coach Al Luginbill said.
"To see him compete at this level and do it in a positive manner, not feeling sorry for himself, you take notice of that and I think he's been a real addition to our football team."
Though he has won the hearts of teammates and coaches, Gatto is no charity case. He earned his spot on the team through consistent kicking and timely tackling after Todd Latourette was injured in March.
Gatto made 41 of 48 extra points and 5 of 9 field goals in nine regular-season games with the Fury and received kicker of the month honors after converting 20 of 22 PATs and each of his field-goal attempts in May.
"I thought he did a nice job for Orlando (in 2002)," Storm coach Tim Marcum said. "I was surprised they let go of him."
Gatto's job doesn't end when the ball leaves his foot. He is among the better tackling kickers in the league and has made about 10 this season, most touchdown-saving stops.
He aims for the legs, delivering the initial blow with his shoulder and wrapping up with his left arm.
"I enjoy getting the opportunity to hit a guy when it happens," Gatto said. "Watching other guys, sometimes they'll try to trip them or just try to run them into the wall. But, personally, I enjoy hitting people."
Long the butt of jokes, Gatto found he could make others more comfortable around him by poking fun at himself. At Arkansas State, he once rubbed fake blood on his right arm and pretended to cut it off with a saber while working in a haunted house for a sorority fundraiser.
"Their faces would just drop, because they had no idea who I was and it looked so real to where they just freaked out on me," Gatto said. "The very last year that I did it, I had freaked people out so bad that I got punched two times."
Despite everything he has overcome, Gatto doesn't see himself as courageous.
"Personally, I just see me as any other guy doing what he enjoys doing, what he loves, and knowing that I am an inspiration to other people, there aren't that many people out there who can say that," Gatto said.
"I'm also proving a point to those people who said that I wouldn't amount to anything in life."
Above all, Gatto is fulfilling the words his parents once used to comfort him.
"Seeing all the experiences I have gone through in the last two years while in our league, all the people I have talked to, all the people that I have touched or I have helped, I really just wake up every day saying, "Thank you for how I have been created,' " Gatto said.
"And I say to (God), "Whatever you have in store for me, I am looking forward to it.' "
ARENA FOOTBALL: The Storm signed ex-Carolina receiver/defensive back Tramain Jones. He had 13 catches for 169 yards and three touchdowns, and 81/2 tackles, one interception and two passes defensed in six games with the Cobras.
In other league news, New York coach Todd Shell was named coach of the year after taking over a 0-4 team from John Gregory and leading it to an 8-8 record, the East title and the quarterfinal round of the playoffs, where it will play Orlando on Sunday.
