Giants' Head Coach Joe Judge Pleased with RB Wayne Gallman's Production

New York Giants RB Wayne Gallman has scored in four straight games and has earned the respect of his teammates and head coach Joe Judge

Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Sports

It's never a good feeling to see your star running back go down to injury as Saquon Barkley did for the New York Giants. In September, he tore his ACL after carrying the ball just 25 times in the early stages of the 2020 season. 

But in his absence, a hardnosed workhorse of a replacement in former Clemson Tiger and 2017 National Champion Wayne Gallman has helped fill the gaping void left in the Giant's backfield. 

On the year, he has 275 yards on 69 carries for an average of 4.0 per rush. He also has five touchdowns on the year. While the numbers don't jump off the page, they've been very big yards for the Giants the last several weeks.

His hard work and production out of the backfield as he fills in for Saquon Barkley and Devonta Freeman has not gone unnoticed by New York Giants head coach Joe Judge. 

“I think Wayne is a tough dude, and I think that’s what is showing up in how he plays,” Judge said after the Giants’ 27-17 victory over Philadelphia on Sunday. “He’s running the ball tough, he’s got a lot of mental toughness to him, we ask him to do a lot of things, and he’s responding really well. This isn’t the scheme he has played in throughout his entire career, but he’s done a good job of learning and adapting to it and being a very productive player for us. He does a lot of things, he’s improved a lot throughout the way. So I’m very pleased with how Wayne is playing. I know the team gets a spark whenever he is in there, he gets a lot of yards. But the same with Alfred (Morris), same with Dion (Lewis), same with Devonta (Freeman) when he’s healthy. We look forward to using all those guys on a weekly basis.”

Gallman said he's focused on doing his part and not worrying about all the extra-curricular happenings and things outside of his control. 

“I’m really just going out there being myself and showing who Wayne Gallman is, you know? I’m just trying to do what’s best for this team and capitalize on all my opportunities and just not do too much on a play, but just make the play first.”

The fourth-year NFL running back recently told Giants Insider his recent success in the running game is all the result of stellar play in the trenches and hard work in the running back room. 

"The offensive line made it work, man. I ran behind those guys all day (Sunday) and had leverage pretty much all day," Gallman said.  "We did it with force and aggression so kudos to the offensive line. They've been putting the work in as we have as RBs as well. But credit to those guys." 

Gallman also acknowledged the work in practice each week laid out by Giants head football coach Joe Judge for the difference in the offense's recent rushing attack. 

"He implements a great routine throughout the week and it works. It really works. Everyone is trusting the process and that's what it takes, and we're showing it." 

The former Clemson running back said the offense is just looking to make improvements each week along with making the right adjustments and corrections. 

Gallman's surge in production hasn't gone unnoticed either and football fans took to Twitter over the weekend talking about the guy nicknamed 'Wayne Train' and advocating for him to receive more carries moving forward. 

He's trending in the right direction and catching the attention of other coaches in the league as well as team owners in fantasy football as a potential key pickup in the backfield. 

On Sunday, Gallman found pay dirt twice as rushing for 53 yards on 18 touches. The Giants defeated the Eagles, 27-17. It was his fourth straight contest with at least one touchdown. New York is 2-2 during that span with a pair of heartbreaking losses to Philadelphia (22-21) and Tampa Bay (25-23). 

Some believed Gallman's time in the Big Apple following the signing of Devonta Freeman. However, Freeman was held out again last week against Washington and was limited in practice on Wednesday as he battles through an ankle injury. Nothing is official but it would appear Gallman should be in a prime position for a bulk of the carries over Alfred Morris and Dion Lewis. 

Wayne Gallman left Clemson after three seasons as one of the school's most decorated and productive running backs in history. Per Clemson athletics, he produced 3,429 rushing yards on 676 carries, with 34 touchdowns over 42 games (37 starts). He also added 65 career receptions for 473 yards and two touchdowns. 

He broke Raymond Priester’s single-season school record for rushing yards in 2015, and Priester’s career record for 100-yard rushing games in 2016. Gallman finished his career third in Clemson history in rushing touchdowns and fifth in rushing yards.

Gallman was a fourth-round pick (140th overall) to New York in the 2017 NFL draft.