Ottawa's Gallimore looking to be a first-round pick in NFL draft

Fresh off posting an astounding 4.79 second 40-yard dash time at the scouting combine, Neville Gallimore may just be the next Canadian to be selected in the first round of the NFL draft.

The six-foot-two, 304-pound defensive lineman had a strong showing throughout his time in Indianapolis this past week, completing the three-cone drill in 7.97 seconds and the 20 yard shuttle in 5.01 seconds.

“It definitely felt good. That’s one of the things that I wanted to accomplish,” Gallimore told TSN Radio 1200 on Wednesday of his combine performance. “I feel like it even shows a part of my game and I see very few 300-pound guys willing to run 15-100 yards downfield and make a play consistently – that’s something that I always prided myself in.”

If the Ottawa native is picked in the first round of next month’s draft, it would make him the first Canadian to be selected on Day 1 since Danny Watkins in 2011.

Being selected in the first round would be the latest accomplishment for Gallimore, who’s been a rising star since high school.

In 2015, Gallimore became the first Canadian to ever play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl and, in 2018, he was the first-team All Big-12 selection from the University of Oklahoma.

This year, Gallimore was listed at No. 1 in the CFL Scouting Bureau’s 2020 draft prospect rankings in December, and, more recently, ESPN NFL Draft Analyst Mel Kiper has projected that he will be a late first-round pick in the NFL Draft.

Gallimore received over 30 college offers before deciding to attend the University of Oklahoma where he has spent the last four years. He recorded 30 tackles and four sacks last season while starting every game. Throughout his four years with the Sooners, he posted a total of 148 tackles and nine sacks.

“It was one of the greatest experiences I’ve ever had… when I first got there it was a bit of a transition just because, you know, understanding the calibre of football that was being played out there and I was just used to being that big kid,” Gallimore said. “But again, it was great. I think the coolest thing about it is that you’re around these top ball players.”

Gallimore got his start in football around the age of nine and played for the Canterbury Mustangs. He said he didn’t realize he wanted to pursue football as a career until the ninth grade. He later left his hometown to attend the Canada Prep Academy in St. Catharines, Ont., to train.   

“It was difficult. You’re 15, 16 years old and then you have a dream, but then you end up living five and a half, six hours away,” Gallimore said of the move. “But I knew from the moment I got down there, it was the biggest opportunity I had and I had to make the most of it.”

Gallimore said Wednesday that part of his motivation to hear his name called early in the draft is to have the opportunity to repay his family members for the sacrifices they’ve made to get him to this point.

“The biggest thing for me is just having that opportunity, to get my name called,” said Gallimore. “Like I said, it doesn’t really matter (what position). Having that opportunity to play in the NFL, I feel that’s a huge accomplishment and it’s such a dream of mine.”

The 2020 NFL Draft takes place April 23-25 in Las Vegas. Since 1966, there’s only been four first-round picks that were Canadian.

Gallimore says that he’s going to “go above and beyond to show that you’re [he’s] worth being recruited.”

“I couldn’t even tell you how that would feel if I was to get drafted in the first round. That will be the biggest deal not only for me, obviously for my family and even for the city at large. It’s been a very long time that Ottawa’s really got the recognition it deserves,” he said. “I have an opportunity to change that narrative. I couldn’t even tell you how much that would mean to me.”