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Here are 10 things you need to know about Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Gallup: [h=2]1. He's adopted[/h] He told 9News.com that he was adopted by his mother, Jenny, when he was just 10 months old. She had two kids of her own at the time she adopted Michael. He was one of six additions to the family through adoption: two were were from India, three from Africa, plus Michael, he told the news station.
Michael told the AP that he was given up for adoption by his mom because she "wanted me to have a better life." He also said he's received letters from his birth mom but has never met her.
"That would be amazing to find her, talk to her," he told the AP.
[h=2]2. An unselfish person[/h]
The Coloradoan's Kelly Lyell wrote that when Gallup played high school football and basketball, he would look to set up his teammates before making plays himself.
"He's sweet that way; he thinks about other people," his mother, Jenny, said to Lyell. "He's just as happy when one of his buddies makes a play, especially somebody who doesn't get in the limelight very often, as when he makes a play himself."
Lyell said that the mindset for Gallup was formed when his adopted father left home when he was 10 years old.
"Michael, the youngest of eight children, including six that, like him, were adopted, took it upon himself to become the man of the house," Lyell said. "He made sure the lawn was mowed, helped his mother trim the trees with a pink chainsaw he picked out for her at Sears and took care of any other chores that required a lot of physical strength. He was a strong-willed kid, even then, determined to accomplish whatever he set out to do." [h=2]3. Played some QB in high school[/h] "We ran the triple option. Our other quarterbacks were running quarterbacks. I was the only one who had to throw the ball," he said. "I had some catches every now and then, maybe two or three each game. But, I wasn't mainly a wide receiver for a while."
Playing QB is something he has in common with another Cowboys pick from the 2018 NFL draft: LB Leighton Vander Esch. [h=2]4. Multi-sport athlete[/h] Gallup played four sports at Monroe High School in Monroe, Ga. In addition to football, Gallup played baseball, basketball and ran track and field throughout high school.
"In track I ran the 4×4 and I did the 4×1 and the high jump," Gallup said. "In baseball I played center field. In basketball most of the time point guard though because we didn't have anyone who wanted to bring the ball up."
Balancing four sports can get hectic at times, but Gallup never got overwhelmed by the amount on his plate.
"The reason he did all of these four sports was because he didn't pressure himself," Gallup's high school football coach Matt Fligg said. "He was kind of nonchalant. When football was over he played basketball. When baseball was over he went to track practice. He never said 'I'm tired, I can't do this.' He just took an attitude like I can do this, I'm not sweating it. He just took the right attitude in playing all of these sports." [h=2]5. An idol[/h]
That'd be Calvin Johnson, also known as Megatron from his time with the Detroit Lions. He actually got to meet Megatron while at a Walter Camp Football Foundation dinner.
"When he sat there and talked to me, he figured out that I was from Georgia, too, and I actually played his high school in the playoffs," Gallup told The Denver Post's Nicki Jhabvala. "So we talked about that for a little bit. And he was just telling me about how the league works and what I need to do and what I need to focus on."
Gallup was selected by the Cowboys in the third round of the 2018 NFL draft (No. 81 overall) as the organization attempted to refill their depth chart after parting ways with Dez Bryant.
"There's a lot to like about him," Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett said at the time. "He's big, he's athletic, he plays the game the right way. He's been a productive player for them, doing a lot of different kinds of things.
"We feel like he has a real upside, too. A lot of qualities that you want in a young receiver, in a developmental receiver. But a lot of production, too. He had opportunities there and took advantage of them throughout his career." [h=2]7. First NFL TD[/h]
October 21, 2018: Dak Prescott finds Michael Gallup for a 49-yard touchdown vs. Washington.
"They had a corner in who hadn't been playing too much and he was biting on everything," Gallup said after the Cowboys' 20-17 loss. "I just hit him with a stop-and-go. He bit a little bit harder than I thought he would, to be honest.
"I was like, 'All right, dog, see you later.'"
Gallup finished his rookie season with 33 catches, 507 yards, and 2 touchdowns. [h=2]8. Tragic news[/h]
After returning to Atlanta for a homecoming of sorts (and a win over the Atlanta Falcons), Gallup received news of his brother's suicide after he left the Mercedes-Benz Stadium field.
Gallup, who grew up in Georgia, stayed with his family after the win over the Falcons before rejoining his teammates prior to Dallas' Thanksgiving matchup against the Redskins before heading back to Georgia to attend the funeral for his brother, Andrew.
"That was by far the toughest thing I've ever had to do was to get some news like that," Gallup said. "You don't really know how to think. You just sit there and you cry. I just sat there and cried. I got in the car with my sister and cried the whole way home. You can't really do anything about it. You can't train your body or anything for this." [h=2]9. Game ball[/h]
Jason Garrett presented Gallup with the game ball after the Cowboys' 31-23 win over the Redskins on Thanksgiving, just days after his brother's passing.
"To go through the tragedy he did a couple of days ago and turn around and get back here, get ready for this game, it just shows the character of him," quarterback Dak Prescott said. "It shows the man he is. He battles adversity. I'm just so proud of him and proud of the way he handled this. I don't wish this on anybody, obviously. He is playing for his brother, he is living for his brother. That's what is most important." [h=2]10. The next step[/h]
Gallup found a role in the Cowboys' offense as a rookie. What will his game look like going forward?
SportsDay's Cowboys writers recently weighed in:
Jon Machota: "I think Michael Gallup will be much better from his rookie experience. He'll also benefit from a full offseason of knowing his role for the upcoming season. He finished with just over 500 receiving yards and two touchdowns in 2018."
Kate Hairopoulos: "His growth already became evident at the end of last season as he and quarterback Dak Prescott's connection improved and Gallup adjusted to the speed and physicality of the NFL. He finished with 33 catches for 507 yards and two touchdowns. He cleared the 100-yard mark in the divisional playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Going forward, defenses will have to worry even more about how Gallup can use his speed and big-play ability opposite No. 1 receiver Amari Cooper on the outside."
Here are 10 things you need to know about Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Gallup: [h=2]1. He's adopted[/h] He told 9News.com that he was adopted by his mother, Jenny, when he was just 10 months old. She had two kids of her own at the time she adopted Michael. He was one of six additions to the family through adoption: two were were from India, three from Africa, plus Michael, he told the news station.
Michael told the AP that he was given up for adoption by his mom because she "wanted me to have a better life." He also said he's received letters from his birth mom but has never met her.
"That would be amazing to find her, talk to her," he told the AP.
[h=2]2. An unselfish person[/h]
The Coloradoan's Kelly Lyell wrote that when Gallup played high school football and basketball, he would look to set up his teammates before making plays himself.
"He's sweet that way; he thinks about other people," his mother, Jenny, said to Lyell. "He's just as happy when one of his buddies makes a play, especially somebody who doesn't get in the limelight very often, as when he makes a play himself."
Lyell said that the mindset for Gallup was formed when his adopted father left home when he was 10 years old.
"Michael, the youngest of eight children, including six that, like him, were adopted, took it upon himself to become the man of the house," Lyell said. "He made sure the lawn was mowed, helped his mother trim the trees with a pink chainsaw he picked out for her at Sears and took care of any other chores that required a lot of physical strength. He was a strong-willed kid, even then, determined to accomplish whatever he set out to do." [h=2]3. Played some QB in high school[/h] "We ran the triple option. Our other quarterbacks were running quarterbacks. I was the only one who had to throw the ball," he said. "I had some catches every now and then, maybe two or three each game. But, I wasn't mainly a wide receiver for a while."
Playing QB is something he has in common with another Cowboys pick from the 2018 NFL draft: LB Leighton Vander Esch. [h=2]4. Multi-sport athlete[/h] Gallup played four sports at Monroe High School in Monroe, Ga. In addition to football, Gallup played baseball, basketball and ran track and field throughout high school.
"In track I ran the 4×4 and I did the 4×1 and the high jump," Gallup said. "In baseball I played center field. In basketball most of the time point guard though because we didn't have anyone who wanted to bring the ball up."
Balancing four sports can get hectic at times, but Gallup never got overwhelmed by the amount on his plate.
"The reason he did all of these four sports was because he didn't pressure himself," Gallup's high school football coach Matt Fligg said. "He was kind of nonchalant. When football was over he played basketball. When baseball was over he went to track practice. He never said 'I'm tired, I can't do this.' He just took an attitude like I can do this, I'm not sweating it. He just took the right attitude in playing all of these sports." [h=2]5. An idol[/h]
That'd be Calvin Johnson, also known as Megatron from his time with the Detroit Lions. He actually got to meet Megatron while at a Walter Camp Football Foundation dinner.
"When he sat there and talked to me, he figured out that I was from Georgia, too, and I actually played his high school in the playoffs," Gallup told The Denver Post's Nicki Jhabvala. "So we talked about that for a little bit. And he was just telling me about how the league works and what I need to do and what I need to focus on."
Gallup was selected by the Cowboys in the third round of the 2018 NFL draft (No. 81 overall) as the organization attempted to refill their depth chart after parting ways with Dez Bryant.
"There's a lot to like about him," Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett said at the time. "He's big, he's athletic, he plays the game the right way. He's been a productive player for them, doing a lot of different kinds of things.
"We feel like he has a real upside, too. A lot of qualities that you want in a young receiver, in a developmental receiver. But a lot of production, too. He had opportunities there and took advantage of them throughout his career." [h=2]7. First NFL TD[/h]
October 21, 2018: Dak Prescott finds Michael Gallup for a 49-yard touchdown vs. Washington.
"They had a corner in who hadn't been playing too much and he was biting on everything," Gallup said after the Cowboys' 20-17 loss. "I just hit him with a stop-and-go. He bit a little bit harder than I thought he would, to be honest.
"I was like, 'All right, dog, see you later.'"
Gallup finished his rookie season with 33 catches, 507 yards, and 2 touchdowns. [h=2]8. Tragic news[/h]
After returning to Atlanta for a homecoming of sorts (and a win over the Atlanta Falcons), Gallup received news of his brother's suicide after he left the Mercedes-Benz Stadium field.
Gallup, who grew up in Georgia, stayed with his family after the win over the Falcons before rejoining his teammates prior to Dallas' Thanksgiving matchup against the Redskins before heading back to Georgia to attend the funeral for his brother, Andrew.
"That was by far the toughest thing I've ever had to do was to get some news like that," Gallup said. "You don't really know how to think. You just sit there and you cry. I just sat there and cried. I got in the car with my sister and cried the whole way home. You can't really do anything about it. You can't train your body or anything for this." [h=2]9. Game ball[/h]
Jason Garrett presented Gallup with the game ball after the Cowboys' 31-23 win over the Redskins on Thanksgiving, just days after his brother's passing.
"To go through the tragedy he did a couple of days ago and turn around and get back here, get ready for this game, it just shows the character of him," quarterback Dak Prescott said. "It shows the man he is. He battles adversity. I'm just so proud of him and proud of the way he handled this. I don't wish this on anybody, obviously. He is playing for his brother, he is living for his brother. That's what is most important." [h=2]10. The next step[/h]
Gallup found a role in the Cowboys' offense as a rookie. What will his game look like going forward?
SportsDay's Cowboys writers recently weighed in:
Jon Machota: "I think Michael Gallup will be much better from his rookie experience. He'll also benefit from a full offseason of knowing his role for the upcoming season. He finished with just over 500 receiving yards and two touchdowns in 2018."
Kate Hairopoulos: "His growth already became evident at the end of last season as he and quarterback Dak Prescott's connection improved and Gallup adjusted to the speed and physicality of the NFL. He finished with 33 catches for 507 yards and two touchdowns. He cleared the 100-yard mark in the divisional playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Going forward, defenses will have to worry even more about how Gallup can use his speed and big-play ability opposite No. 1 receiver Amari Cooper on the outside."