Braden Galloway, Clemson Football News: Draft Scout Player News

03/26/20 - TE Braden Galloway, Sr/2022, Clemson

Some believe the 6-4, 248-pound Galloway can follow in the footsteps of 6-5, 258-pound Jordan Leggett, the former Clemson tight end who now plays in the NFL for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. As a senior in 2016, Leggett recorded 46 catches for 736 yards and seven touchdowns at Clemson. "There's a lot of comparisons that go out there between him and me," said Galloway, adding that he and Leggett have an open line of communication. "I'm just trying to be the best player I can be." Shortly before the 2018 Cotton Bowl, Galloway, then a rarely used freshman, fielded a call from coach Dabo Swinney, who informed him of his positive test. Galloway then called his father. "I couldn't believe it. I thought it was a joke. Just like he thought coach was joking with him," Derrick said. "I knew Braden didn't do anything wrong. That's what I knew in my heart."

The suspension prevented Galloway from playing in the Cotton Bowl and the Tigers' national championship win over Alabama. His appeal to the NCAA in the offseason was denied. He spent most of his sophomore season on the scout team, which is "not something you want to do." With defensive coordinator Brent Venables calling the shots, Galloway said, every practice was intense. The suspension meant his name remained in the public discourse, but not through the lens Galloway would prefer. Uncertainty loomed over his career. During Clemson's first bye week, after the team escaped North Carolina with a 21-20 victory, Galloway traveled to an Atlanta tattoo artist. He got new ink sketched on his left arm: 'Bet On Yourself.' "A lot my tattoos don't have meaning," he said. "But this one, going through last year there was a lot of doubt whenever I came back, what kind of player I would be." - Charleston Post

Sr/2022