SE: K-State LB Eric Gallon II Looking to Make a Name for Himself
Apr 18, 2018 | Football, Sports Extra
By Corbin McGuire
Eric Gallon II may never be able to fully escape his name and the expectations that come with it, but he at least wants to change what it means in the context of K-State football.
See, Gallon was named after his father. His father played at K-State in Hall of Fame head coach Bill Snyder's first four years (1989-92) leading the Wildcats and was a team captain as a senior. He finished his K-State career with 1,960 career rushing yards, a mark that still ranks 11thin program history. After helping set the program's foundation, he then played two years for the New England Patriots.
Gallon has watched the old grainy highlights and heard the stories countless times.
"He talks about (his playing days) all the time. He brags. He brags all the time," Gallon said of his father, laughing during Tuesday's press conference to preview the annual Purple/White Spring Game on Saturday. "Of course, anybody that was good and made an impact on a (program), they're going to brag about it."
At this point, Gallon knows they are coming, more questions about his father. It's the first time he's spoken to the media since transferring from Virginia to K-State before last season, during which he redshirted.
So K-State's junior linebacker gets straight to the point.
"I know he's been here and he's paved the way for himself," Gallon said. "So what I'm trying to do is get out of that and pave a way for myself. That's the biggest thing I want to do here."
To be clear, Gallon understands why he's asked these questions.
His father was a First Team All-Big Eight running back who helped turned K-State's program around. Now, 25-plus years later, Gallon is playing for the same head coach at the same school. He gets the connection people want to naturally make, and it somewhat fueled his desire to earn his own, separate recognition.
"I think almost every kid that has a father that played a sport or was in a particular role (they are in), they get asked, 'Well, do you want to be like your father? Do you want to follow in his footsteps?'" Gallon said. "I understand why people do ask it, and I wouldn't say it's frustrating. I see the expectations other people have because of my father. It's not frustrating but it gives me the mindset that I do need to, not really live up to the expectations or live up to the hype, but make a name for myself and then go off that. So whatever expectations I set for myself, whatever bar I set for myself, reach that for myself. Reach my goals and then go off that."
In fairness, Gallon does have his father to thank for helping ease his transition into K-State. His childhood was somewhat modeled after the program.
"The whole K-State way was the way of the house when I grew up," he said. "The 16 Goals, I've been going by those since I was a kid. Just that culture of K-State, coming here it wasn't really that big of a transition. It's just something I've grown up with."
And it shows.
On Tuesday, Gallon referenced Snyder's 16 Goals For Success without even thinking about it. When asked where he needs to grow the most to see the field in the fall, he casually dropped in three of them.
"I just need to continue to be in the system, continue to mold myself. Even as a person, continue to go to class, continue to do everything right in this system as a whole (No. 4 — Improve), so I'm steadily growing every day," he said. "That's my goal. I want to achieve something new every day, eliminate mistakes (No. 9) and give great effort (No. 7) in everything I do."
Snyder has coached a handful of father-son duos at this point, such as Kevin and Tyler Lockett, Brooks and Mason Barta and now the Gallon duo. In the most recent example, Snyder said he's seen Gallon transition faster in ways that he's "quite certain" his father helped with.
"I have seen him doing some things that probably are not necessarily extremely familiar to him but he does them because he knows that they are things that are expected out of our program," Snyder said. "He's picking up the process. The system is one thing but the process is another and he's picking that up quite well and I think his father's had a big impact on him in that respect, but I like the direction that he's moving right now."
So does Gallon, in the hunt for a starting linebacker spot.
"I'm still growing. I want to grow continuously, every single day," he said. "To me, my spring has been coming along very well, especially with my teammates and the other linebackers in the room. There's just that competition. The elevation of our level of play is going to rise because of the competition, and that's really good and that helps me as a person."
Eric Gallon II may never be able to fully escape his name and the expectations that come with it, but he at least wants to change what it means in the context of K-State football.
See, Gallon was named after his father. His father played at K-State in Hall of Fame head coach Bill Snyder's first four years (1989-92) leading the Wildcats and was a team captain as a senior. He finished his K-State career with 1,960 career rushing yards, a mark that still ranks 11thin program history. After helping set the program's foundation, he then played two years for the New England Patriots.
Gallon has watched the old grainy highlights and heard the stories countless times.
"He talks about (his playing days) all the time. He brags. He brags all the time," Gallon said of his father, laughing during Tuesday's press conference to preview the annual Purple/White Spring Game on Saturday. "Of course, anybody that was good and made an impact on a (program), they're going to brag about it."
At this point, Gallon knows they are coming, more questions about his father. It's the first time he's spoken to the media since transferring from Virginia to K-State before last season, during which he redshirted.
So K-State's junior linebacker gets straight to the point.
"I know he's been here and he's paved the way for himself," Gallon said. "So what I'm trying to do is get out of that and pave a way for myself. That's the biggest thing I want to do here."
To be clear, Gallon understands why he's asked these questions.
His father was a First Team All-Big Eight running back who helped turned K-State's program around. Now, 25-plus years later, Gallon is playing for the same head coach at the same school. He gets the connection people want to naturally make, and it somewhat fueled his desire to earn his own, separate recognition.
"I think almost every kid that has a father that played a sport or was in a particular role (they are in), they get asked, 'Well, do you want to be like your father? Do you want to follow in his footsteps?'" Gallon said. "I understand why people do ask it, and I wouldn't say it's frustrating. I see the expectations other people have because of my father. It's not frustrating but it gives me the mindset that I do need to, not really live up to the expectations or live up to the hype, but make a name for myself and then go off that. So whatever expectations I set for myself, whatever bar I set for myself, reach that for myself. Reach my goals and then go off that."
In fairness, Gallon does have his father to thank for helping ease his transition into K-State. His childhood was somewhat modeled after the program.
"The whole K-State way was the way of the house when I grew up," he said. "The 16 Goals, I've been going by those since I was a kid. Just that culture of K-State, coming here it wasn't really that big of a transition. It's just something I've grown up with."
And it shows.
On Tuesday, Gallon referenced Snyder's 16 Goals For Success without even thinking about it. When asked where he needs to grow the most to see the field in the fall, he casually dropped in three of them.
"I just need to continue to be in the system, continue to mold myself. Even as a person, continue to go to class, continue to do everything right in this system as a whole (No. 4 — Improve), so I'm steadily growing every day," he said. "That's my goal. I want to achieve something new every day, eliminate mistakes (No. 9) and give great effort (No. 7) in everything I do."
Snyder has coached a handful of father-son duos at this point, such as Kevin and Tyler Lockett, Brooks and Mason Barta and now the Gallon duo. In the most recent example, Snyder said he's seen Gallon transition faster in ways that he's "quite certain" his father helped with.
"I have seen him doing some things that probably are not necessarily extremely familiar to him but he does them because he knows that they are things that are expected out of our program," Snyder said. "He's picking up the process. The system is one thing but the process is another and he's picking that up quite well and I think his father's had a big impact on him in that respect, but I like the direction that he's moving right now."
So does Gallon, in the hunt for a starting linebacker spot.
"I'm still growing. I want to grow continuously, every single day," he said. "To me, my spring has been coming along very well, especially with my teammates and the other linebackers in the room. There's just that competition. The elevation of our level of play is going to rise because of the competition, and that's really good and that helps me as a person."
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