From gridiron to Gucci: Calgary football player hits Milan runway

Gavin Weiss made his international modelling debut on a catwalk at Milan Fashion Week.

Gavin Weiss is used to hitting gaps on the football field, but his latest big play happened on a global stage: a catwalk at Milan Fashion Week.

The 18-year-old University of Calgary Dinos football player recently returned from Italy after making his international debut for Gucci on Feb. 27.

Despite the bright lights and a feature on the fashion house’s Instagram page, which boasts more than 51 million followers, Weiss says he is keeping his feet firmly on the turf.

“I got a little nervous,” Weiss said of the experience. “They make the walk like a character ... they told me to be like an Italian mob boss.”

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The transition began when Weiss was scouted at the Calgary Stampede by Mode Models at 15 years old.

Kelly Streit, the agency’s president and CEO, said the luxury brand was looking for a specific aesthetic this season that Weiss fit perfectly.

“Gucci this season wanted that really athletic, hot looking, sort of bodybuilder football-looking guy,” Streit said.

“When this red-haired beefcake came out … it’s gone viral because it’s not normal."

While the fashion world is buzzing about the young Canadian, Weiss says his priorities remain in the classroom and the locker room.

He views modeling as a practical way to fund his education, noting that he doesn’t have a “craving for fame.”

“I just want to study and play football,” he said.

That focus is welcome news for Dinos head coach Ryan Sheahan, who supports his players pursuing unique opportunities outside of sport.

“I’m happy for him,” Sheahan said. ”We want all of our young men to have opportunities outside of the classroom and the field, to go on and pursue their passions.

“This one is a pretty unique one. A first for me, for sure.”

For now, Weiss has traded his designer labels for textbooks as he prepares for midterms, tackling his studies one yard at a time.