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'Gifted' Galloway is nice gain
By KEITH NIEBUHR, Times Staff Writer INVERNESS -- Jamaal Galloway eagerly anticipated his first day at spring football practice. The Citrus sophomore was in the eighth grade the last time he put on pads. He wondered what it would be like to take a handoff from his quarterback and run behind his blockers. Would it all come back, or would he be a flop? "I didn't know what to expect," Galloway said. "But everything pretty much came naturally. The first time I got the ball and we were in pads, I had a flashback to middle school." Since returning to football, the multisport standout has had little trouble getting back into the groove. Galloway, who won the team's newcomer award last week, is listed as the starter at tailback and has shown coaches and teammates why he was a star at Inverness Middle School. "He's stepped in and done a real good job for us," Hurricanes coach Larry Bishop said. Success is nothing new for Galloway. He is a two-year starter for the basketball squad and was a first-team Times All-Citrus/Hernando pick last season. The 5-foot-11, 155-pound shooting guard was the top scorer for the Class 3A, District 6 champion and among the area's premier outside threats. He led the county with an 18.7 scoring average and ranked among the leaders in rebounds (5 per game) and assists (3.8). Galloway distinguished himself in track and field, in which he was the Co-Gulf Coast Athlete of the Year after qualifying for state in the high jump. He took first in the high jump (6 feet, 2 inches), long jump (20-51/2) and triple jump (43-1) in the 2A, District 7 meet. "He's gifted athletically," Bishop said. Because basketball is his primary athletic focus, Galloway shied away from football his first two years at Citrus. He worried about getting injured and was concerned that time on the field would take away from his time on the court. Citrus quarterback "Casey Snyder has been asking me to play since I told him I wasn't playing my freshman year," Galloway said. "He would say, "Why not?' And I told him I wanted to concentrate on basketball. But I missed (football). And I just wanted to see what I could do. I wanted to see if I could still play. I didn't want to regret it (later) by not playing." Four of Galloway's basketball teammates (Mike Brown, Greg Covino, Brandon Green and Mitch Holderness) decided to play this spring as well, which helped sway Galloway. "I probably wouldn't have done it if it was just me," he said. Galloway attended a team meeting April 25 and began practicing the following week. He made an immediate impact. "His best characteristic is his elusiveness," Bishop said. "He's got such great field vision that he makes people miss. The potential is definitely there, but he needs some fine-tuning. Otherwise, it really looks like he hasn't missed a beat." "It's been fun," said Galloway, who shoots hoops at home after practice and calls basketball his favorite sport. "I'm pretty comfortable out there, and everybody is doing a good job helping me fit in. The coaches are cool. They've treated me well and helped me out with the plays. They've had a lot of patience with me." With Galloway, the Citrus offense is uniquely different than it was during last fall's 1-9 season. His athleticism could provide a boost to a unit that had trouble scoring. Snyder is a year older and coaches expect big things from freshman fullback R.J. Cobb. Brendan Smith, a part-time starter at tailback last season, has looked strong at his new position, "Z-back," from which he blocks, carries the ball and catches passes. "Jamaal doesn't carry himself like he's a superstar," Bishop said. "He comes out willing to work. He's very coachable. And he makes everybody else better. They've all stepped up their level of play. He makes them elevate their games. "R.J. knows the pressure isn't all on him, and Casey's confidence has risen to a level we haven't seen. The confidence of the whole team has gone up." Galloway might see time on defense and special teams. Because of his versatility, he could return kicks and/or play defensive back if needed. How much has Galloway helped Citrus? The Hurricanes will get a better feel for his impact Friday night when they play host to Springstead at 7 in a four-quarter classic. Galloway shined in an intrasquad game last week, but this will be his first true test. "I'm excited," Galloway said.
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