Gallman and Grayson have something to prove

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Wed Aug 22 10:43:04 GMT-04:00 2012

Clemson commit Wayne Gallman Wayne Gallman
Running Back
6-1, 195
Loganville, GA
View Full Profile feels like he and his Loganville (GA) Grayson teammates have something to prove this season, and it all starts this Saturday when the Rams open the 2012 season just before noon in the Georgia Dome.

Gallman and his Grayson teammates take the field against McEachern at 11:45 a.m., the second game of the Corky Kell Classic, and Gallman said playing under the big lights of the dome is different than playing at Grayson.

“It is completely different playing in front of so many people,” Gallman told TigerNet this week. “It is different than playing in our stadium or anybody else’s stadium. There is a big difference with all the lights, especially when they turn them all the way up.”

The glare of the big lights will be on Grayson and Gallman in more ways than one this season – Gallman and two of his Grayson teammates are committed to Clemson, including defensive back David Kamara David Kamara
Cornerback
5-11, 185
Loganville, GA
View Full Profile and defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche Robert Nkemdiche
Defensive End
6-5, 275
Loganville, GA
View Full Profile, the No. 1-rated high school player in the nation according to most scouting services.

Also, the Rams grabbed the No. 1 spot in the ESPN 25 Power Rankings for the nation’s high school programs this week, based largely on players like Gallman, Kamara and Nkemdiche. Nkemdiche racked up 93 tackles, including 25 for loss, and 18 sacks for the defense last season, while rushing for 528 yards and 17 touchdowns on offense.

This season, the bulk of the carries should go to Gallman – who ran for 578 yards and seven touchdowns last season – and he said that he feels like that both he and his team have a lot to prove, especially with so much scrutiny descending on Loganville.

“There is a lot to prove this season, the team and myself as well,” Gallman said. “For the team, we just found out we are the number one team in the nation on ESPN, and we feel like we have to live up to that.”

Gallman also said he heard when people wondered why a running back with just less than six hundred yards rushing would get so much attention, and he feels like he personally has a lot to prove.

“I have my own goals and things I want to live up to,” he said. “I just want to have that year that everybody knows about. I want people to see me play and be like, ‘He is more than I pictured.’ Last year, we all split carries and there were games where I was out early because we were winning so big. This year, I want to do so much more.”

He said he doesn’t have to look any further than his role model for inspiration – Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson.

“Adrian Peterson is my role model, and I saw where he once had 30 touchdowns and over 2000 yards,” Gallman said. “That is crazy. I don’t want to do exactly that, but that just inspires me a lot for what I want to do.”

Gallman said the business of recruiting has settled down to an extent, and getting started with the season also helps to put a busy summer in the past.

“I am still getting letters from schools, which is surprising to me,” he said. “I am still getting letters from Tennessee, Wisconsin and Georgia. That is pretty much it – I haven’t been getting contacted by any coaches in a while. And I know that people think recruiting is just a lot of fun, but after a while it is just a regular thing and once it is over it is just a big relief. Now it’s just time to play football.”