Michigan Football: Jeremy Gallon — Preview for Patriots — Part II
Sep 7, 2013; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines wide receiver Jeremy Gallon (21) makes a catch during the second quarter against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
Posted at 12:00pm — 5/15/2014
Michigan Football: Jeremy Gallon — Preview for Patriots — Part II
Jeremy Gallon — Easy To Root For And Fun To Watch
Jeremy Gallon started off a little slow in his college development and in his first two years had only some on the field success. He was nowhere near stardom. But here is a guy that gets better and better every single day. He simply understands the mechanisms for success: hard work and improvement of skills through practice and game preparation. In his junior season Gallon caught 49 passes for well over 800 yards. This met the expectation of being a standard college receiver. Of note is that during all four years, Gallon averaged around 15 yards per catch.
Nov 30, 2013; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines wide receiver Jeremy Gallon (21) makes a touch down catch over Ohio State Buckeyes safety C.J. Barnett (4) in the second quarter at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY SportsThe Michigan passing game was then very shaky with a common discussion being who will play receiver. Michigan had to take its second best athlete, Devin Gardner and make him a wide receiver. Gallon was in the conversation, but his emergence was not a given to the overall fan base. GBMWolverine posited the view that Gallon would continue to grow and eventually would be at the very least a standard receiver. He did so in each of his four seasons.
One overriding question the last two years was whether Jeremy would play on the edge or in the slot. Gallon seems to be a natural fit in the slot, but at Michigan, he demonstrated the ability to play both positions. His height appears to be a natural impediment to playing on the edge, but Jeremy persevered. Height did not prevent Gallon from making several big catches up and over taller defenders his last two years at Michigan.
Sep 7, 2013; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines wide receiver Jeremy Gallon (21) makes a touch down run in the first quarter against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY SportsJeremy Gallon will not be the fastest or biggest player on the field. He can make good moves, gets immediate focus on the ball, is pretty reliable from a consistency standpoint, and usually finds a way to make the big play. His yards after catch are not monstrous, but if a defender makes a bad choice, Gallon can pile up some extra real estate.
Gallon’s senior year started with him once again being a question mark. Could he be the main man, and could he pile up enough big plays to make a difference? Statistically, or by any other measurement, the answer became a resounding yes. His hard play yielded big numbers: eighty-nine catches for almost 1400 yards and nine touchdowns. He broke some of Braylon Edward’s receiving records. But an accomplishment that cannot be empirically measured was the honor of wearing the number 21 as part of the Legends’ Program. Jeremy tells the story of Coach Hoke calling him in and informing him that Desmond Howard would be honored if Jeremy wore the number 21. He honored the former Heisman winner with a great season.
Coach Bill Belichick loves players that produce. Of all the seventh round picks probably none had the college production of Jeremy Gallon. He is very sound in football skills.
Sep 7, 2013; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines wide receiver Jeremy Gallon (21) catches a pass for a touchdown in front of Notre Dame Fighting Irish cornerback KeiVarae Russell (6) in the second quarter at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY SportsThe secret for him will be to get off to a fast start and show the ability to be versatile and absorb numerous team functions. One note of interest is Gallon as a kick returner. He is not lightning and had problems his early years holding on to the ball. But his last two years showed better ball maintenance and at least a few yards. Michigan’s punt blocking was very mediocre, so maybe Jeremy can give a little help in that department to New England some day in the future. But if he is used as a returner it will be because of the ability to hold on to the ball, not as a threat to take it to the house.
There were rumblings in the world of Wolverines months ago that Gallon could easily end up with the Patriots. It is a good fit; he knows this and will give it his all to make the team. To many, Jeremy Gallon is an all-time favorite Wolverine and everyone is rooting hard for him to play in the NFL. Biased or not, the belief is that the Patriots drafted well to get Gallon as their last pick.
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Written by GBMWolverine Staff — Doc4Blu
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