When he was in middle school, Dominic Gonnella became a USF football fan. He remembers star-studded players, an exciting atmosphere … and winning.
"Quinton Flowers, Marlon Mack … those guys put on a show,'' Gonnella said. "The fans were into it. The program was on the rise. We need to get back there in a hurry. There's no reason why USF football shouldn't have a great program. You just have to put in the work, have the proper attitude each day and believe.''
Gonnella, a 5-foot-11, 211-pound running back from Bloomingdale High School who won a Football Championship Subdivision title at powerful North Dakota State, has returned home to play for the Bulls.
His grinding style — along with his blocking and pass-catching — could become an immediate asset. But according to Matt Merritt, USF's associate head coach/run game coordinator, Gonnella also brings valuable intangibles.
He's a winner.
Always has been.
Always will be.
The other day, after a sloppy sequence in training camp, Gonnella spoke up to his teammates. Merritt simply watched in admiration.
"When you're in the classroom, you always talk about being able to spit the information back, but it's different when you're on the field,'' Merritt said. "Dom just told everybody, 'If you don't know the plays, let's make sure you're doing more study. If you're confused, ask questions. Listen, fellas, all of us know this stuff in the classroom. Now it's a matter of doing it full-speed on the field. That requires us to slow your mind down, relax and process the information. When the ball gets snapped, go play. Then move on to the next play.'
"For a young man to say something like that, I thought that was pretty impressive.''
Gonnella, Bloomingdale class of 2020, had the back half of his senior baseball season cancelled by COVID, but still became a fifth-round pick of the Arizona Diamondbacks. He's still in the D-backs' system, playing as an outfielder in the Arizona Complex League, a rookie-ball division.
But Gonnella has worked as a dual-sport athlete. Following his junior football season at Bloomingdale, he was offered a scholarship by North Dakota State. Even with the unlikely Bloomingdale-to-Fargo transition, where some of his college teammates grew up playing nine-man football in desolate destinations, Gonnella embraced the adventure and stepped into a winning tradition.
The Bison, playing in the 19,000-seat Fargodome, won three consecutive FCS national titles from 2017-19, then captured another in Gonnella's second season. He played in 28 career games (10 starts), including the abbreviated nine-game COVID-forced spring slate in 2021, rushing for 1,134 yards and five touchdowns.
The Bison were 33-7 during Gonnella's three seasons. He played one season with quarterback Trey Lance, the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, and was also teammates with offensive lineman Cody Mauch, an NFL rookie who was a third-round pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
"I met a ton of NFL guys who have superior knowledge of the game and I learned about a winning culture,'' said Gonnella, who has two seasons of USF eligibility remaining. "I loved the experience, but wanted to get back to Florida and the hometown. So, what did I learn? Losing wasn't tolerated. If you lost, it was a disaster. You did everything to make sure losing didn't happen and that was really a mindset. When I got there, I knew seniors who had never lost a game (the Bison had a 39-game winning streak). Losing was simply not an option in that program.
"Everybody has levels of talent and playmakers. So, what makes the difference? It wasn't a coincidence that we won all the time at North Dakota State because we came in with great attitudes, we had a purpose every day and we worked like crazy. We have talent at USF. If we adopt that winning mindset — and I think we will with Coach (Alex) Golesh — then we're going to win games. Simple as that.''
Gonnella said he expects to make an impact with explosive plays, short-yardage situations, blocking and special teams.
But also the mental side.
"Having confidence and discipline is huge, even more important than pure talent,'' Gonnella said. "We are working to become a confident team, a disciplined team.''
Those words are sweet music to a coach's ears.
"I am absolutely thrilled that Dominic is here,'' Merritt said. "He really has a unique background, given his pro baseball career, and that veteran presence is really felt in the room. The guys really respect him. He knows what winning looks like and no one can tell him otherwise because he was on the team with the most success at the FCS level over the last 12 years.
"He's extremely powerful. He is smooth and he has some swivel to those hips. He's the type who can wear defenses down throughout the course of the year. We're trying to build depth at our running-back position and see which run concepts everyone is good at. So, we'll continue working on that throughout camp and Dominic is a big part of that.''
Gonnella said he will continue to work hard — and speak up, when necessary. Those are the lessons he learned from his father Joe, a former Special Forces Green Beret in the U.S. Army, and mother Rachel, an English teacher.
"I'm not necessarily a rah-rah, loud dude, but I will pull somebody aside and get them back on track,'' said Gonnella, whose older brother, Anthony, played baseball at USF. "At the college level, every team has guys who can run the ball and catch the ball. You could have a really talented well-rounded team, but if it isn't disciplined and sticking to the details, it will lose to a less-talented team.
"What I have learned, and what I can help instill, is that it's all in the details. If you love the game, work hard, do your job, execute the details and have a great attitude, you're going to win. That's what we're working to get back to here at USF. We live in a great area with fans who are hungry to win. We're ready for those days to return.''
– #GoBulls –
