Angus-born American football star Graham Gano has received a good luck message and a personalised top from Arbroath Football Club ahead of Sunday’s Super Bowl 50.
Gano has vowed to come back to Arbroath if he wins American football’s top prize with the Carolina Panthers, and Arbroath FC has said he will always be welcome at Gayfield Park if he ever wants to change what football he plays.
A club spokesman said: “All of Arbroath will be keeping a close eye on events in San Francisco in the wee, small hours of Sunday night/Monday morning, as the Denver Broncos face up to the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50.
“Graham would be perfect for playing at Gayfield as he holds a record for kicking a 59-yard field goal.”
Gano fever has spread to Arbroath’s Ladbrokes shop, on Keptie Street, with special prices being offered on a variety of big-game bets involving the $12m star.
Among the special offers is an enhanced double at 9/4 on Arbroath to beat Stirling Albion today at 4,125- capacity Gayfield and Gano’s Carolina Panthers to beat Denver Broncos tomorrow at Levi’s Stadium in front of 68,500 fans.
Anne Barber, from Ladbrokes in Arbroath, said: “He’s Arbroath born and bred and it’s great to see someone from the town on the world stage. There’s been a lot more bets on the Super Bowl this year because someone local is in the final.”
Gano moved to the US in childhood but many relatives, including his sister Elaine, still live in Scotland. He said: “I haven’t been back in a while. I want to take my wife and my kids back and see my family. I’ve got my sister, aunt and uncle, cousins and nieces (in Scotland). It will be good to get back and maybe pick my accent up again.
“It will be hard to travel all the way across the ocean with two small kids but it will be great to be able to go back to where I was born.”
Previously virtually unknown in his home town of Arbroath, Gano whose US Navy father Mark was based at RAF Edzell when his son was born in Arbroath in April 1987 is a multi-million-dollar NFL hero.
Gano started out playing football as his father’s military career took the family from Courier Country to Germany, Canada and Florida.
He took up American football in high school and went through Florida State University, playing as a kicker and punter for the Florida State Seminoles.
“I had to get used to kicking the ball over the bar, rather than under the bar, like I was used to in soccer,” he said. “I had to learn how to get elevation on the ball.”
On February 28 2014, it was announced Gano signed a four-year contract with the Panthers worth $12.4m.