NFL Draft: Baylor OT Connor Galvin Built Career on Versatility & Durability
Getting called to the coach’s office is like getting called to the principal’s office.
It’s a dreaded feeling. So many uncertainties.
Baylor left tackle Connor Galvin felt a tiny distress when he was summoned to meet Bears head coach Dave Aranda in his office.
“Coach Aranda called me into his office,” said Galvin. “I was like, man, that’s weird for him to call people into his office unless it’s something serious. I didn’t know what to expect."
“He just handed me the invite,” Galvin explained. Aranda told the first-team All-Big 12 tackle he was invited to the East West Shrine Bowl.
One of the most decorated offensive linemen at Baylor who broke the program's record for most career starts (50) and ranked fourth in games played (58), receiving the honor was well deserved.
Utterly surprised by the gravity of the moment.
The excitement and full effect of his invitation weren’t felt until later in the day. Immediately following the meeting with Coach Aranda, he was headed directly to a film meeting.
Digesting the game plan preceded his thoughts on achieving this esteemed invitation.
“Kind of funny I was talking to my family and stuff,” Galvin said.
“It’s kind of like, surreal almost. You work for this your whole life and when it happens., it’s happening so fast. I started (training) a week after our bowl game ended. I feel like I haven’t had time to process what’s going on.”
Galvin is entering a furious stretch over the next three months.
The rollercoaster ride is just beginning. Each day is one step closer to having the opportunity to play in the NFL. A new chapter in his life is approaching and the changes that go along with becoming a professional athlete.
One thing that hasn’t changed over the course of his football life is playing along the offensive line.
“From day one, I was on the offensive line," Galvin said.
One of the tallest kids in his class Galvin hit a major growth spurt in high school. His frame thinned out and then he began to pack on the pounds. When it came time to try out for the high school football team, the coaches at Katy High School in Texas knew his position.
He wasn’t the receiver who grew into the tight end that swelled into a tackle. His destination was the offensive line from the get-go.
Galvin is currently projected as the 13th-best offensive tackle on the NFL Draft Bible big board. The East West Shrine Bowl affords him the chance to increase his draft stock.
Showing up and showing out gets the NFL personnel back on a player’s scent. A solid week of practices in Las Vegas creates a buzz and scouts will begin sifting through his film at Baylor.
“I’m about high 6’6 or low 6’7 and I hover around the 298 to 302 range,” Galvin said.
Several teams, like the Arizona Cardinals and Cleveland Browns, to name a few, incorporate a majority of offensive linemen that align closely with Galvin’s measurables - Just an early tidbit for when the NFL Draft rolls around.
His long frame and skill set will endear him to all 32 teams. Being well-versed in several offensive schemes should help Galvin be a very attractive option on draft day.
“I think it’s how versatile I am,” Galvin mentions as one of his top qualities.
“When I first got to college, we were a lot of inside zone. Power and counter and that kind of stuff. Then, when Coach Aranda got there, he hired Coach (Jeff) Grimes and Coach (Eric) Mateos and we started running wide zone."
“We were running duo and more play-action. I’ve had to learn a lot of football with a lot of different terms and stuff like that. Just my ability to learn multiple schemes. Learn on the fly. That helps me in a different category."
“Run screen. Pin and pull. Duo and wide-zone or mid-zone. I’m going to do whatever it takes to learn the plays. So, I can help put the team in the best place to win.”
The maturation of his game helped him develop into a leader of the Bears' offensive line unit. Galvin said it did not necessarily come easy for him but the role sort of grew as he himself became better equipped to play at a very high level.
“The last two years of my career, I really had to learn to put myself behind and put the group in front,” Galvin said regarding becoming more comfortable in a mentor-type role. “I was able to focus on other guys' success, which helped me. I was able to help all the freshmen and sophomores who weren’t playing much. If you can teach it, that means you know what you’re doing.”
The Associated Press All-American third team and Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year winner in 2021, Galvin, has done everything up to this point to gain recognition as one of the top tackles available.
The East West Shrine Bowl is another opportunity to distance himself from the pack.
By making a big impact.
