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 (Photo by Bill Allen/NJ SportAction) caption:
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Former Hun School Star Gallagher Not Standing Pat; Enjoying Sunshine Game Then Joining Tiger Football
By Bill Alden
He suffered from severe asthma attacks in elementary school and he shattered his femur in eighth grade.
While many people would have shied away from contact sports in the wake of such setbacks, Pat Gallagher wasn't about to be deterred by such obstacles.
"I didn't want to let that get in the way," said the 6'0, 235-pound Gallagher referring to his asthma. "I wanted to prove I could be good at sports. I always keep hustling."
Gallagher certainly made that point as a three-sport star during his Hun School athletics career. He starred as a tireless lineman in football, almost never coming off the field as he anchored both the offensive and defensive lines.
He carried his intensity onto the wrestling mat where he won titles for the Hun wrestling team. In the spring, he sparked the lacrosse team with his hard-nosed approach to the game.
Gallagher's pursuit of excellence at Hun wasn't confined to sports as he was chosen as a 2005 Delaware Valley Chapter National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame Scholar-Leader-Athlete Winner. Gallagher was involved in the school's diversity club, served as a senior Peer Leader, worked on the school's TV station, and wrote for the Hun yearbook and newspaper.
The fiery Gallagher's combination of athletic accomplishment and extracurricular achievement has him headed to Princeton University this fall where he will be playing defensive line for the Tigers.
This week, Gallagher will be giving his all one more time on the high school level as he competes for West all-stars in the annual Sunshine Football Classic this Thursday at The College of New Jersey.
After what he has been through health-wise, Gallagher is especially proud to be playing in the Sunshine Classic, which raises money for the Sunshine Foundation, a charity dedicated to granting the wishes of seriously ill, physically challenged, and abused children.
"I know a lot about this game, I've been to it the last couple of years," said Gallagher. "It's us playing football for kids that probably won't ever get to play. That means a lot to me."
Being part of a Hun football team that won the Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL) title last fall for the first time in history meant a lot to Gallagher.
"That was exciting, it had been in the works for a while," said Gallagher, noting that the program had nearly won title in both 2002 and 2003.
"It was tough coming close but we had some tough kids and great leaders. You can't just give credit to the seniors; a lot of credit goes to the former players. I learned a lot about selflessness and seeing things through. You can't let things get in the way of goals."
Incorporating that straight-forward, goal-oriented approach served Gallagher well at Hun both athletically and academically.
"Different sports have different size balls but sports are sports," explained Gallagher. "Hard work and leadership translate no matter what sport you are playing. I'm a lot more focused now. As a freshman I had awful grades; this year I had 90s."
Hun head coach Dave Dudeck, though, saw a special focus in Gallagher from his first preseason with the team
"I've never been around anyone who worked harder to improve himself physically," said Dudeck. "Whether it was in the weightroom or running, he was relentless. I remember when he was a freshman, we'd be in double sessions in the summer and he would go into the weightroom between practices to lift. You don't see that too often from a freshman."
In addition to his work ethic, Gallagher displayed an unselfishness not always seen in star athletes. "Pat did everything we asked of him," recalled Dudeck. "He played linebacker, defensive tackle, guard, and center. He played both ways his last two seasons. It was nice to have a kid who put himself second and the team's needs first."
Gallagher is bringing that same team-first attitude as he looks to make the grade at Princeton.
"I don't know where to start," said Gallagher, when asked what factors led him to choose Princeton.
"The facilities are ridiculous; the academics are great. I was impressed by the players. They didn't talk about themselves. They focused on the team and what they need to do to win the Ivy League title."
As a relatively short defensive lineman, Gallagher is currently focused on getting the most out of the Princeton preseason workout plan.
"I'm lifting, running, and being even more careful with my diet," said Gallagher, who considered such colleges as Bucknell, Holy Cross, Lafayette, Lehigh, Dartmouth, Cornell, and Brown.
"I spend 2 and-a-half to three hours lifting. I'm doing 220s on the Hun field turf on my hard running days. My weight is at 235 now but ideally I want to come in at 245. Height is an issue for me, it impacted my recruitability. I'm going to use my hustle and speed to make up for that."
Dudeck, for one, doesn't think that Gallagher's height is going to keep him from making an impact at Princeton. "When I talk to college coaches and they are looking at a shorter lineman, their question is always about the player's motor," explained Dudeck.
"When they watch a kid, they want to see if he's goes hard. Patrick was non-stop. His wrestling background helped him with leverage in getting under people and moving them. That coupled with his strength makes him special."
Gallagher believes the special experience he is gaining from the Sunshine Classic practices should help his transition to the next level.
"It's going to be like spring football for me," asserted Gallagher. "I get to work with some really good players; that should keep me from getting rusty."
Gallagher knows that he will need to be sharp to take advantage of what he will be working with at Princeton.
"I'd like to get into medicine; I want to help people recover from injury," said Gallagher. "Coach [Roger] Hughes says you can go to a big school and have the next four years planned or you can go to Princeton and have the next 40 years planned."
If Gallagher can excel at Princeton over the next four years like he did at Hun, he should be looking at a lifetime of success.
