Colorado University Athletics
Gus Handler Biography
| GUS HANDLER 6-4, 280, C Barrington, Ill. (Barrington) |
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HIGH SCHOOL?He earned mention on Prep Star’s All-Midwest Region squad and was ranked the No. 29 player from the state of Illinois by Rivals.com, coming in as the No. 7 offensive lineman on that list. ESPN ranked him as the No. 52 offensive tackle in the country. Projected as a center in college, lettered twice as an offensive tackle at Barrington High School under coach Joe Sanchez. His senior season, he was named first-team All-State by the Champaign News-Gazette and the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association, second-team All-State by the Chicago Tribune and All-Area by the Chicago Sun-Times. He also earned first-team All-Mid-Suburban Conference honors and was named to the Great Northwest 2008 Football offensive squad by the Pioneer Press. Barrington compiled a 9-3 record his senior year and he played in and started every game and also played every snap on offense. He lists his most memorable games against Libertyville his senior season where Barrington won 21-14 to open the season and christen a new stadium. He was named the team’s offensive player of the week against Rolling Meadows in the second game of his senior season, a 20-13 win. As a junior, started at offensive tackle for the 5-4 Broncos and played every snap on offense. He earned the team’s offensive player of the week honor against Conant in a 28-6 victory his junior season. He also played on special teams on the kickoff return unit and hands team both his junior and senior seasons and occasionally saw action on the punt team, as well. Also played baseball at Barrington, earning a letter as a junior when he batted .330 and had 10 home runs and 30 runs batted in playing first base, third base and outfield. Not sure if he will play baseball as a senior this spring.
ACADEMICS?An accomplished student, he is undecided on a major at Colorado so he will enroll as an open-option student in the College of Arts & Sciences, although he has narrowed it down to Business or Journalism. He has made the high school honor roll each of his seven semesters so far in his career.
PERSONAL?He was born July 8, 1991 in Barrington, Ill. His father, Fritz Handler, played nose guard on the football field and played baseball (1B, P) at Valparaiso. His uncle, Kurt Handler, played football at Ohio Northern and another uncle, Eric Handler, played football at Gettysburg (Pa.) and is currently the vice president of communications for the YES Network which covers the New York Yankees and New Jersey Nets. A grandfather, Fred Handler, was the baseball coach from 1958 through 1982 at St. Bonaventure, where he was also an assistant basketball coach (1958-74).