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CBS Sportsline-Iowa tackle Gallery so good,'it looks phony'

Lavarleap56

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Iowa tackle Gallery so good, 'it looks phony'

April 8, 2004

By Dennis Dodd

SportsLine.com Senior Writer

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- There is a secret desire of Robert Gallery's that will make NFL general managers cringe:

"I love motorcyles," Iowa's massive offensive tackle said. "A lot of NFL contracts say you can't have one. Believe me, I've been thinking about that for three years."

Robert Gallery's nickname becomes obvious with a quick glance.(Getty Images)

There is little else to raise scouts' concern about the 6-foot-7, 323-pound farm boy from Masonville, Iowa. He's arguably the most valued player in the draft. Quarterbacks might make a bigger splash. Juniors have the upside thing going.

Gallery? The next Boselli, Ogden, Pace. The kind of guy you throw a uniform on and plug in at left tackle for the next decade or so. You'll have yourself an offensive line rock, although his nickname, fittingly, is "Mountain" as in solid as.

Besides, we're thinking that whoever takes Gallery in the draft will be able to negotiate around his chopper love.

"Offensive tackle, historically, there are very few great ones," said Atlanta rookie coach Jim Mora Jr. "This year, the kid at Iowa -- obviously ... wow. He's something else. ... He can maul people. He's got almost a defensive mentality. He just mows 'em down and keeps going. He's got a nasty streak."

That's the thing about Gallery. If he wasn't so darn perfect he would have the makings of a perfect biker.

On most days he can be seen sporting a do-rag and a ponytail flowing in the wind -- part of the Samson-like hair that he hasn't cut in 2½ years. That's just Gallery on his way to another workout.

"It doesn't have anything to do with the type of person I am," Gallery said. "Some people shave their heads and some people grow it out. I've heard stuff comparing me to Kyle Turley. If people know me, they know the type of person I am."

You don't see the nasty streak until the whistle blows. There is little body fat or baggage that goes with him. An education major with a degree, Gallery is genuinely interested in becoming an elementary school teacher someday. He student-taught fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders a year ago and has tutored high school students.

You get the impression that money isn't going to spoil the big man. Getting up at dawn and working until midnight is routine for Gallery, who did just that at the family's 600-acre spread in Masonville. Eagle Scout, senior class president in high school. Academic All-Big Ten. The highest rated offensive lineman by The NFL Draft Report (perfect 9.0) since Tony Boselli in 1995 (8.8). Outland Trophy winner.

"You get the feeling you're talking to someone perfect," Iowa strength coach Chris Doyle said. "His resume almost looks made up, it looks phony."

That's why NFL scouts have poked and prodded around Gallery's body and background looking for something, anything. They can't find a speck. One of only two offensive linemen to run under five seconds in the 40 at the combine, Gallery looked like he had played football instead of just worked out for it. Recently, there was a nasty gash across his nose.

"The finish line had a string across it," he said. "I must have hit it with my hand. It rode up and just paper-cut me all the way across."

Gallery himself is a bit upset that they only counted 24 bench presses at the combine, probably because of his technique.

"I know I could have done more than 30 easily," he said, slightly disappointed. "I'm a speed guy. I like to get it up and down fast."

Mountain wants to keep the perfection thing that way, too. He begged an interviewer not to recount an anecdote about one doctor seeing something at the combine and having him stick a foot in an MRI machine. It turned out to be nothing, but it's worth mentioning because the big lug admitted that if it was his whole body in the claustrophobic machine, "I would have freaked out."

This from a guy who is so dominating that the highlight tape put out by the school is like an optical illusion. Gallery seems to be holding on 70 percent of the plays. His arms are locked out and the opponent looks like bugs trying to crawl up a slick wall.

Cheating? No, just perfect technique.

"I'm not one to talk about myself," Gallery said. "(But) if an NFL person asked me I'd say I don't think there's anyone out there who has my size and speed, can move as well as I can. That's just my personal feeling. I might be proved wrong but I've had the right coaching and training."

If there is a place any aspiring offensive lineman wants to go, it should be Iowa. The place practically oozes Big Uglies.

Kirk Ferentz coached the offensive line for 17 of his 22 years in the profession before getting the Iowa job in 1999. Nine of those years came under Hayden Fry (1981-89), where Ferentz produced five NFL linemen who were all some combination of either All-Pro, first-round draft pick or Big Ten offensive lineman of the year.

Only for none of them, though, did Ferentz and athletic director Bob Bowlsby write personal letters of recommendation to Outland voters

"It would have been such a travesty," Ferentz said. "The tough part with a lineman is that he didn't throw for any touchdowns or run for any yards. The voting is so subjective. I don't think there's anybody in Robert's class and that's coming to light right now. For him not to win that award, I would have been sick over it."

Gallery's beginnings were as humble as Masonville itself. A Class 1A all-state player, Gallery sent out highlight tapes to 10-15 schools. Purdue, Northwestern, Iowa and Iowa State offered. Midway through his redshirt freshman season in 2000, Gallery was switched from starting tight end to tackle.

"I was 6-7, 250 with real broad shoulders, I'm not stupid," Gallery said. "I knew I was going to play lineman when I came in. I accepted it."

Much beef and many nutritional milkshakes later, Gallery added more than 80 pounds and began to build a legend. His college career could have ended last year. He would have been a sure-fire first-round choice. Four offensive line starters were departing off an Orange Bowl team. Iowa was breaking in a new quarterback.

But Gallery stayed for his senior year in 2003 when the perfectly right thing to do would have been to come out early.

"He didn't come out and say this in the media, but he wanted to be recognized as the best (by staying)," Doyle said. "He wanted to be the best offensive lineman. The Outland was in the back of his mind. First round was in the back of his mind."

It has all come true except the draft part that will verify all the right decisions, all the hard work, all the CCs that Gallery secretly wants in that first bike. He already has the look down.

"I could be superstitious," Gallery said when asked why his locks continue to flow. "Cut your hair and lose your strength."

It might be the only way to cut down this Mountain.

Sounds alot better than Samuels but still wont get my hopes up.

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