FRISCO, Texas — Through the midst of adverse circumstances, Cowboys’ receiver Michael Gallup sports his contagious smile walking through the facility.
He recently passed the one-year anniversary of his brother Andrew’s death. The significant date fell on the day of the game vs. Detroit. That day Gallup played for something more than stats.
“ I know that is what he would have wanted me to do. He always grew up watching me play ball, he always said I was going to make it to the league, even when I was just in high school and middle school and I wasn’t even playing then. Just going out there and doing what I do and knowing that he’s watching over me and is definitely proud of me, that’s all I can really do. Just go out there and have a good game.”
He caught a career-high nine passes for 148 yards, including a sensational acrobatic 41-yard catch. A monumental day for Gallup but in a crowd of screaming fans, he was thinking of and performing for an audience of one.
“He is always upbeat so he’s not vocal in a sense of ‘look what I went through,’ receivers’ coach Sanjay Lal told me. “We would not have even known. You see how he came back and played. He played a good game; he just doesn’t let things affect him. We always say once you walk into this building that unfortunately football and the NFL doesn’t care what’s happening outside of here in your personal life, you have to block it out as coaches and as players. He has done a really good job of once he walks in here, he focuses on what he has to do to get his job done and that rubs off.”
Gallup faced a difficult dichotomy of grieving a loved one, but also having to focus on football: each play, each route. I lost my sister back in 2008 and the way Michael managed both is nothing short of remarkable. I know what it is like to ache and feel pain in places you did not even know you possessed inside and to have your life come crumbling down in a matter of seconds. It was hard getting use to the ‘new normal’ with only memories and pictures left to remember someone who was always by my side. But during my grieving process, I did not have to play a game in front of millions and have every aspect of my performance analyzed under a microscope.
He has been through more than I could imagine and yet he consistently has a smile on his face with the same bright spirit. In life, no one can dictate his or her own circumstances, but we do get to dictate how we respond. Gallup has made it a priority to have a smile on his face everyday. That is the way he was raised and is what his brother would want.
Gallup grew up in a big family.“ I was the youngest. Two brothers, a sister from Africa, I was born in Atlanta. Then I had a brother and sister that are older that my adoptive parents had, and then I have a brother and sister from India. “
At a young age he was given a culturally diverse perspective and a different appreciation for other walks of life. He told me, “ It’s hard to explain but you just care about people a different way.”
That sense of respect and kindness has made an impact with the Cowboys family. His demeanor is contagious with the other players in the locker room. Gallup’s positive outlook translates to the energy he plays with on the gridiron. He never thought he would be a Dallas Cowboy, and now in his second year he is becoming known and making a mark with his astonishing contested catches down the field.
When I asked Sanjay Lal on what makes Gallup unique, he told me, “ Physically, his contested catches where he contorts his body, especially on some of the in-breakers, I mean he has made some unbelievable traffic catches and unbelievable slant catches. He seems to bend and contort in games like no other and gets his hands on balls that he has no business catching. “
That is why he is a player that this team rallies behind and roots for. He lays it all on the line on the football field on every play and every catch. Gallup is exciting to watch because he plays for the right reasons and has the right kind of attitude. He plays for his brother and the pure joy/love of the game and it comes across. He has never complained or said ‘woe is me,’ he goes out there and selflessly does his job with a smile on his face.
