Robert Gallery named NFF Hall of Fame Class member

On Monday, the National Football Foundation announced a star-studded 2023 Hall of Fame class. Included on a list alongside some of the greatest to ever step foot on a college football field like Reggie Bush and Tim Tebow is former Hawkeyes lineman Robert Gallery.

The mountainous left tackle won the Outland Trophy in 2003, also earning Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year, as well as unanimous consensus All-American recognition. As described in the official release, Gallery was the leader of a massive shift in Iowa football, laying the ground work for the Hawkeyes we know today.

Joining a Hawkeyes program that went 1-10 the year prior in head coach Kirk Ferentz’s first season, the Hawkeyes would have two top-10 finishes by the end of Gallery’s career. That was the first time that Iowa had finished in the top-10 in back-to-back years since the 1950s.

Here’s part of what the National Football Foundation wrote about Gallery.

During his junior campaign, Gallery started all 13 games at left tackle and was named a First Team All-Big Ten selection. He protected the blind side for quarterback Brad Banks, who passed for an impressive 2,573 yards and 26 touchdowns as the Davey O’Brien winner and Heisman Trophy runner-up. Gallery also opened holes for running backs Fred Russell and Jermelle Lewis, who combined for 1,937 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns. The team’s point total ranked seventh in the nation, averaging 37.2 points per game and leading the Big Ten for a second straight season. The team went 11-2, winning the most games in program history and claimed Iowa’s first Big Ten title in 12 years. The Hawkeyes appeared in the Orange Bowl and notched a No. 8 final AP ranking.

His senior season, Gallery again earned First Team Big Ten laurels, adding the Outland Trophy and unanimous First Team All-America honors to his résumé. He led Iowa to another double-digit-win season (10-3) and was named co-captain and co-MVP for the season while also claiming Big…