New Orleans Saints Forums - blackandgold.com - Article Galette overcomes adversity, fights for dream job

METAIRIE — You don’t have to know much about New Orleans Saints rookie defensive end Junior Galette, and not many people do, to know that he learned his lessons the hard way.

A year ago, Galette was looking for a place to play after being kicked out of Temple University. He finally landed at Division II Stillman College, which was a highly improbable avenue to his dream job in the NFL.

“I guess adversity has a way of showing who you really are,” said Galette, who played three seasons at Temple before finishing his career at Stillman. “When I got to Stillman, I just refused to give up. I had to live my dreams and fulfill my dreams, and that’s to play in the NFL and become a great player in the NFL.

“I’m motivated by pride,” he said, “not fear.”

Which is why Galette, an undersized 6-foot-2, 260-pound defensive end, is trying to turn some heads in the Saints training camp.

Galette was likely on track to being drafted after recording 16 sacks and forcing three fumbles at Temple. But a four-game suspension at the end of his junior year and a situation where his cousin stole some laptops from a dorm room earned him a ticket out.

While his cousin eventually was sentenced to six months in jail, Galette got the worst of it when he was dismissed from school — which likely dropped him on the draft boards.

“Just the fact that my name was involved in that was real ugly for me,” said Galette, who said he also felt like he let his family down. “It was disgusting and gave Temple a bad name. I ended up getting mixed up in it and I had a few transgressions prior to that, so that kind of put the nail in the coffin.

“It was a terrible mistake, but things happen for a reason,” he said. “So I went to Stillman and felt like I could change a whole lot of other kids’ lives and tell them what not to do. I wanted to tell them not to do what I did.”

The Saints brought Galette in for a visit in early April and apparently were convinced that he had turned things around in his one year stint at Stillman, where he recorded 9‰ sacks and earned second-team All-America honors.

His speed and quickness off the ball at the Scouting Combine workouts and pass-rushing ability impressed lots of people, but he still didn’t get a call during the draft.

The Saints called shortly after the draft, however, giving him a chance to fulfill his dreams. Still, he faces an uphill battle to earn a roster spot behind veterans Will Smith, Alex Brown, Bobby McCray and Jeff Charleston, but could make a big impression on special teams in the preseason games.

“I just come out here and work my butt off and try not to step on anyone’s toes,” he said. “I kind of get tips and pointers from Will Smith and Drew Brees on how to make the squad.”