THE WAY’ IT GOES
Gallman not sad over poorly timed injury
Wayne Gallman waited almost two years for an opportunity that lasted five quarters.
Now? Who knows when or if he will get another chance with the Giants.
“It’s nothing like I’m feeling sorry for myself,” Gallman told The Post. “It’s understanding that things happen, and you really can’t try to come up with an answer for that.”
It’s impossible to control the timing of injuries, but consider the cruel twist of fate suffered by Gallman: Stuck behind stud Saquon Barkley ever since the 2018 NFL Draft, the 25-year-old running back stepped into the limelight when Barkley suffered a high ankle sprain.
Gallman totaled 118 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns against the Redskins in his first start, but suffered a concussion in the first quarter of his second, against the Vikings. He missed one game and returned last week in conjunction with Barkley on the short end of a 4-8 week timeline, which meant resuming a familiar pecking order in the backfield.
Five weeks after he was swarmed by dozens of media clamoring to meet the new starter, Gallman was surprised to find a reporter waiting at his locker Thursday. He relies on his religious faith and personal belief that facing adversity is part of a master plan in order to navigate the roller-coaster ride.
What could Gallman have done with two more full games of opportunity? It’s a mystery. Undrafted rookie Jon Hilliman, who was on the Giants practice squad when Barkley first got injured and is back on it now, ended up with more carries (30) than Gallman (25) while the job was up for grabs.
“I think I did a lot with what I had,” Gallman said. “You can try [thinking like that], but there’s really no point because it’s in the past. Would’ve, could’ve, should’ve. From now on, I feel like I have a whole lot more confidence in myself. I felt like I was about to go off in that Vikings game. I was feeling it.”
Gallman played just 10 offensive snaps against the Cardinals, when his only carry was negated by an offensive holding penalty. Barkley carried 18 times for 72 yards and a touchdown.
“Learning and seeing how Saquon has gone through things, for me to be in the game and see how I take the approach, it’s kind of changed my preparation a little bit,” Gallman said. “It got me a couple steps forward from where I had been.”
Giants coach Pat Shurmur is considering giving extra rest in practice to Barkley, who re-aggravated his ankle injury last game. Barkley was a limited participant Wednesday with “game soreness” around his ankle before coming off the official injury report Thursday.
So, Gallman could have an opportunity to earn more trust for next time Barkley isn’t full strength.
“You can’t control when an injury happens, especially in the concussion world,” Shurmur said. “That’s where he was. I don’t know about earned playing time. When we put him in there, we are confident he’s going to be able to perform well.”
The Giants signed veteran Buck Allen last week, so Gallman returned to a more crowded backfield than he left. He beat out Paul Perkins (now with the Lions) and Rod Smith (now with the Titans) in training camp.
“I don’t worry about anything at this point,” Gallman said. “They are adding pieces they believe are going to help the team. Why not trust that? There’s nothing I can do about that.”