As Rodney Gallagher beat his defender to the end zone, it was a long time coming for the young wide receiver.
When Gallagher got to campus last year, there were a lot of expectations surrounding the four-star recruit. Now, as he works into his true sophomore season, he was able to record his first career touchdown in one of the biggest moments of the season for West Virginia to date.
"Honestly, I would say we worked that play on Tuesday, and it was kind of same scenario that we did in practice with me and [Garrett Greene]. I was already kind of used to it, and I knew what I was expecting because of how the defense played. So when the ball was in the air, I had to be patient, make sure get my hands together, just look it all the way in, go make a play after it was caught," Gallagher said.
Gallagher comes from nearby Uniontown, Pa., and has been playing on both sides of the ball so far this season. Due to personnel and injuries on offense, Gallagher was sat down by head coach Neal Brown earlier in the week to solely use him on offense, and that plan worked.
"I was just super excited. My first one, and in a moment like that, it’s just hard to take all of that in. It was just one of the biggest moments of my life, and I’m just glad I got it today and got it for the game-winner," Gallagher said.
He finished with two catches for 41 yards and a touchdown, as well as two carries for another 12 yards on the ground.
"It’s big time. Just go back to how hard I’ve worked, from even at a younger age, and just worked up until now. And this offseason with [Strength] Coach Mike [Joseph] and all the receiver coaches and stuff trying to get me continuously to get me better. I just look at those moments like that because I look back and see how hard I worked, and it’s finally paying off," Gallagher said.
Gallagher's work off the field has not gone unnoticed, and him making plays in their biggest moments come as no surprise to those around him.
"He’s kind of been one of those guys throughout his career when the ball seems to find him in big moments. It’s never too big for him. I knew he was special when he steps up, he didn’t do this once, he did this twice in the WPIAL at Pitt’s basketball arena and knocked down free throws to win. If you can do that in that type of atmosphere, that speaks to what kind of competitor you are, especially when games are on the line. I’m not surprised, I’m happy for him," West Virginia head coach Neal Brown said.
WVU QB Garrett Greene and WR Hudson Clement have had a front-row seat to Gallagher's development and how much he has progressed as a player.
"I’m happy for him. This offseason Rod has been with me a lot and we’ve been working a lot. He’s been waiting his turn, and I’m just extra happy to see him win," Clement said.
Greene added there's a maturity level to Gallagher that has translated to his game as he's grown throughout the season.
I think he’s matured a lot. You can look at him physically, his speed, his strength, everything, but also, he understands the game a little bit more now. He was a tremendous athlete when he came here a year ago, but now he’s kind of finding the little nuances and finding the holes in the defense and stuff. He’s done a great job a great job in preparation, really having to prepare for both sides of the ball," Greene said.
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