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Inside Hokie Sports
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PREVIEW
OFFENSIVE LINE
Eric Gallo spent a chunk of his summer helping to manage people’s
money while working an internship in preparation for a future career in
financial planning.
Now, with the 2017 season opener against West Virginia rapidly
approaching, Gallo spends his days managing Virginia Tech’s offensive
line, preparing that unit for what he hopes will be a successful season in
his final one as a collegian.
Gallo, the senior from Richboro, Pennsylvania, anchors the Hokies’
front as the team’s center. He has started all but two games in the
past two years, providing experience, strength, and most importantly,
consistency at the line’s most important spot.
He hopes to provide even more of those things in 2017, as he looks
ahead to a promising campaign.
“I’m looking this year to play as physically as possible,” Gallo said,
listing his goals for the season. “That’s something I can improve
upon from last year. It’s something I’ve worked diligently on over the
offseason, as far as strength and conditioning and getting as strong as
possible and changing my body type. I’m hoping that it translates onto
the field, as far as gaining movement in the run game and holding the
pocket in the pass game.
“Then, just from a mental standpoint, watching a lot of film and
understanding what I did well and what I need to work on from the
spring. I want to turn weaknesses into strengths.
“Then thirdly, leadership. I want to be one of those guys that younger
guys look up to as far as someone who comes to work every day, and
someone to whom Virginia Tech football is very important.”
Tech’s coaching staff expects Gallo to be a leader on an offense that
projects to start just three seniors—Gallo, left guard Wyatt Teller and
receiver Cam Phillips. Obviously, that number could change pending
final personnel decisions, especially line coach Vance Vice’s looming
determinations on the right guard and right tackle spots. But Gallo’s
leadership remains of utmost importance.
Mostly, that’s because of the departures of Jonathan McLauglin and
Augie Conte, who played right tackle and right guard a season ago.
McLaughlin started 49 games in his career and Conte started 37, and
they really set the standard in terms of work ethic, leadership and daily
approach for the group. Unfortunately, their departures left a void of on-
field production and off-field intangibles.
Gallo, Teller and left tackle Yosuah Nijman know that Vice expects
them to assume much of those responsibilities. It starts by setting a
great example during practices and weightlifting sessions, but also
includes fostering chemistry off the field. To their credit, they’ve
organized dinners and off-field excursions to take care of that aspect
of the equation.
“Part of it is that it has hit me that this is my last year, so I want to
spend as much time with my friends as I can,” Gallo said. “But also, the
better you know each other, the better you’ll communicate out on the
field. Learning how someone thinks, if you know how they think, things
will be easier.
“I think it’s something where everyone has to step up their games
now. Everyone in the room has to step it up, regardless of who they are.
The great part about it is that we have awesome role models to look up
to. Jon and Augie set the status quo for leadership on the offensive line,
and now it’s our job to live up to it.”
Gallo, Teller and Nijman give Vice potentially three All-ACC caliber
players and headline an offensive front that could be very good—pending
the development of the replacements for McLaughlin and Conte. Tyrell
Smith got most of the first-team reps at right tackle in spring practice,
while Braxton Pfaff and Kyle Chung rotated at right guard. All three
played well this spring.
Offensive line
returns
THREE STARTERS
heading into 2017 season
by
Jimmy Robertson
ERIC
GALLO