Gallup follows a bend in road
Barry Gallup Jr. is the modern Renaissance kid, the one who runs on the gridiron, lifts in the weight room, and tackles Latin declensions in the library. His mind is mature as well as active, just like his body. In his head, he hears classical music, and when not hauling in passes, his fingertips dance across piano keys. There is a method to his meticulous nature, a mantra to his being. Never settle, he says. That's his idea of life.
Gallup begins his senior season as a three-way player and a captain for Belmont Hill, where he rushed, received, and returned for 2,200 all-purpose yards last season.
Years of development have brought him to this point, and unlike most of his peers, who are still taking standardized tests and visiting college campuses, he knows what awaits him next year. He has verbally committed to play football for the University of Notre Dame.
''I went out and visited last year. I watched practice, and I was overwhelmed when I just sat in Notre Dame Stadium with my parents and no one else was in the stands. I could only imagine what it looks like with a full crowd," Gallup said.
The irony in choosing the Irish lies in the family name. Junior is the son of Barry Gallup, a record-setting wide receiver and current director of football operations at Boston College. The son chose to go to the Midwest and bring the family name to a new school while making a name for himself.
''If I go to Notre Dame, I figured [I'll be] a kid from Massachusetts. If I go to BC, [I'll be] Barry Gallup's son," Gallup said. ''My father had a major influence. He's been there at BC, but he put the decision in my hands. I felt that BC and Notre Dame were so similar.
''Nothing against BC, I love the school and the atmosphere. I thought my decision was best to go somewhere new."
How did his father feel?
''He always loved BC, but he needs to grow up a little and make it on his own," said Barry Sr. ''He is rolling the dice and people respect that. He is looking for new challenges."
And what did Barry Gallup's mother think?
''My mother liked the fact that Coach [Charlie] Weis was a family guy," said Barry. ''She doesn't care about the wins and losses."
In the end, Gallup thinks his Weis decision will be a wise one.
''Being an offensive guy, I think there is potential to fit in well and get opportunities to succeed in the offense that they run," Gallup said.
While he sat in Notre Dame Stadium to imagine the packed house and Fighting Irish faithful, he does not have to picture BC's Alumni Stadium at capacity or empty. He grew up on the sidelines of BC's football field, taking in tips from older players and lessons from the coaches.
''He didn't play football until the seventh grade," said Barry Sr. ''All his life Barry was seen as a natural athletically. BC guys like Jack Bicknell and Pete Carmichael would see him running around and tell me so."
And he was. Then in high school, he grew from a 140-pound freshman cornerback into a 5-foot-11-inch, 175-pound senior. Like any true Renaissance devotee, he focused on developing his body as well as his mind. Summer mornings, he worked out with BC players.
Although he was a few years younger, the difference between Gallup and the Division 1 players was negligible.
''I would ask him where he was going to school, and he would say he was just a sophomore. I was like, 'Wow, he could play right now, physically,' " said BC's Will Blackmon, another three-way player.
Still, it was his performance at the Penn State workout combine in May of his sophomore year that put him on the recruiting map. In the 40-yard dash, he ran 4.44 seconds.
''I got attention for my workouts and times there," Gallup said. ''It definitely brought more attention to me for the upcoming year."
Numerous recruiters sought him. But the schools he sought were fewer. The recruiters wanted his package of speed and skill. He wanted academics and athletic opportunities.
''I looked at Duke, Harvard, Virginia, UNC, and Maryland," said Gallup. ''I think I would have gotten into the same schools whether I played football or not."
The school that stands out on his list is Harvard. Barry's older brother, Darren Gallup, was set to play for the Crimson three years ago before he was killed in an automobile crash.
''He was everything to me," said Barry. ''He was my best friend and we shared a room and all. I just don't want to disappoint him."
A glimpse of Darren can be seen when his brother takes the field. Barry used to wear No. 40, but now he wears Darren's No. 21. A week after his brother's death, he got a chain with the No. 21 as a medal. At Notre Dame, he will wear No. 21 as the current holder, Maurice Stovall, will graduate this year.
''I got the chain after Darren died, and I don't plan on ever taking it off," Gallup said.
That's the plan. Whether in Chestnut Hill or South Bend, the kid from Wellesley will carry his family's name and brother's memory.
''Everything I do," Gallup said, ''I do for him."
