Gallier commits to play football at McKendree College
By FRED KRONER
Mitchell Gallier’s productivity as a football player is an excellent illustration for success that also serves as food for thought.
In the literal sense.
Gallier, a Mahomet-Seymour senior, has committed to continuing his education and football career at McKendree College. Weather permitting, he will sign his letter of intent this week.
In his younger years, Gallier participated in a multitude of sports and activities, including basketball.
As he prepared for high school, his mindset was focused on football, but not just the four years he would be in high school.
“I chose football because I love how not just one player can win you games or championships,” Gallier said. “It takes the whole team believing in each other to win and succeed.”
His desire was to be at his best physically in order to be able to perform his best on the field.
“I set the goal of playing college football going into my freshman year of high school,” Gallier said. “I started working out and eating right so I could play to my best ability going into high school.
“In youth football I was never the best player, so I knew those two things alone would make me a much better player.”
He formulated a plan, which featured a specific beginning point.
“I started by teaching myself more about how to eat and how to lift specifically for football,” Gallier said.
The next step was to make a commitment to follow through.
“I changed my diet to a high protein diet so I could build lean muscle and put on size and strength for football,” Gallier said. “I would consume between 3,500 and 4,500 calories every day so I could be at the weight I needed to be.”
He recognized that he had to become proficient in the kitchen.
“I had to learn how to cook for myself because of some eating restrictions,” Gallier said, “but my mom also cooked a lot for me and helped me by getting the food I needed.
“I am thankful for some of her and my dad’s sacrifices to help me get to where I wanted.”
Nikki Gallier was impressed with how her son set a goal and was tenacious in chasing it.
“Mitchell started paying more attention to his diet – and lifting – the summer before his freshman year,” Nikki Gallier said. “At first, he wanted to cut sugar from his diet to become a better athlete.
“He cut pretty much all sugar and was so disciplined about it. He researched and gave me very specific grocery lists for this purpose. He started making his own meals because what I made wasn’t low in carbs and sugars.
“At the same time, he was focusing on his body in the weight room as well.”
Mitchell Gallier’s family provided a strong support system, but not a constant day-by-day monitoring.
“Mitchell is solely responsible for his change in nutrition habits and transforming his body in that way,” Nikki Gallier said. “He got some encouragement from my husband and I, but he initiated it and has sustained it.”
The easy part is getting started. The hard part is sticking with it.
“At times, you could tell he really wanted to cheat but he resisted,” Nikki Gallier said. “I don’t know how he did it. He had a goal in mind and measured his progress with monthly pictures so he could document the changes to his body.
“About twice a year, usually when we vacation and around Christmas break, he has some cheat weeks. Other than that, I can’t believe how disciplined he is in terms of his eating habits and using nutrition as the fuel to his body.”
Nikki Gallier took note of the changes as they were occurring. She soon recognized what was good for her son would be equally good for many people.
“Visual changes to his body were the most noticeable,” she said. “He also was faster and stronger, even though he was losing weight.
“Before his nutrition changes, he was a sugar-hound and loved desserts and pop. He also used to get really bad migraines at least once a month, but since changing his diet, he doesn’t get migraines any more.
“That really showed me how our eating habits control so much of our overall physical health.”
Mitchell Gallier made tweaks as his dietary needs changed throughout high school.
“His eating habits have changed over the course of his nutrition journey,” Nikki Gallier said. “At first, he was cutting, so it was lots of protein shakes, eggs, turkey bacon, chicken/fish/ground turkey, brown rice and vegetables.
“Then he had an ankle injury which required surgery and an eight-month recovery. At that time, his exercise was limited and, although his diet was still pretty good, he just wasn’t burning as many calories.
“As he started physical therapy and his recovery, he bulked during that COVID year. He felt it would help the football team if we ended up having a football season.”
As a junior, the 5-foot-11 Gallier played at 210 pounds in the abbreviated six-game spring season. To enhance his quickness, he trimmed down for his senior year and tipped the scales at 195 pounds.
“He played at a much higher weight that junior spring season, but after that wanted to get back down to a more agile weight so he could play running back and linebacker for his senior year,” Nikki Gallier said. “He got stricter about his diet again. Heading into his senior season, he was pound-for-pound the strongest I’ve ever seen him.”
That weight suited him well for the rigors of a 12-game high school season, but looking ahead to the more-punishing nature of the collegiate game, Gallier plans to add more weight.
“He has reevaluated again and thinks he would like to play a little heavier than he was his senior year as long as he can keep his speed,” Nikki Gallier said. “Right now, he’s trying to find that sweet spot where his speed isn’t decreased due to his body weight.”
As the teen-ager transformed his body from his freshman to senior year at M-S, he was elevating the level of play that he had reached in youth leagues.
He was gaining recognition and notoriety as one of the best players.
As a senior, Gallier was one of the most versatile players on an 11-1 Bulldog team that advanced to the quarterfinals in the Class 4A playoffs. He ranked third on the team in tackling and, while used sparingly on offense, was third on the team in scoring.
He was an Apollo Conference first-team linebacker as well as a News-Gazette All-Area second-teamer.
“He has had an awesome three years (on varsity),” M-S football head coach Jon Adkins said. “What a tremendous leader and one of the hardest-working kids – if not the hardest-working – in the entire program.
“He set the atmosphere every time we stepped into the weight room.”
Gallier credits Adkins for helping him achieve his goal of playing football beyond high school.
“Coach Adkins has helped me improve in so many ways,” Gallier said. “He challenged me after my sophomore year to take a step up in leadership and pushed me to be a better leader.
“He also has helped me so much with my skill level as a player and I will miss playing for him.”
Gallier’s leadership skills developed as he matured.
“I dedicated myself from being a quiet leader to being a guy that the team could rely on when times get tough,” he said.
Gallier had a special relationship with another M-S football assistant, his father Rob Gallier.
“It was an awesome experience, although I really did not see him a ton,” Mitchell Gallier said. “He coached the freshman team so I did not see him at practice, and during games I would see him on the sidelines and he would always try to make me better by telling me what to work on in the next defensive or offensive drive.
“It was special playing with my dad as a coach since I was in third grade. Him coaching me has helped shape me into the person I am today.”
Gallier’s senior year met his expectations.
“This past season was everything I could have hoped for,” he said. “The team got MSHS football back to where it should be, state-ranked, a deep playoff run, undefeated regular season.
“That was a huge difference from going 4-5 my sophomore year. To get the team there it took everyone buying into our motto, family strong.
“We all believed in this saying and we believed in each other and I wouldn’t want my season to be played with anyone else but my teammates. Without them this season would not have been as special as it was.”
The combination of improved nutrition and becoming a dedicated lifter were both critical elements in Gallier’s development.
“Weightlifting has been a huge part of my football career,” he said. “It has helped me become bigger, faster and stronger. It has given me a tremendous edge on the field.”
He had some help on his journey.
“Coach Jim Risley was critical in getting Mitchell where he is today,” Nikki Gallier said. “Riz spent countless hours with Mitchell, helping him train.
“Mitchell’s love for training – lifting and nutrition – has a lot to do with Riz’ selfless contribution to him. He has been a great coach and mentor and a major reason why Mitchell wants to major in exercise science/strength training in college.”
Gallier has a plan for when his football career is over.
“I want to use this degree to own an athletic performance gym, or also get my CSCS certification and be a strength and conditioning coach at a college or university,” he said.
Before settling on McKendree College, located in Lebanon, Gallier visited Culver-Stockton and Kentucky Wesleyan.
“What ultimately made me choose McKendree was the people there,” Mitchell Gallier said. “The coaches and the players made it feel like home and that was one of the most important things to me in my decision.”
Getting on the radar of college programs was a challenge during the COVID-19 recruiting era.
“Recruiting during COVID-19 was not much of anything,” Mitchell Gallier said. “During this time no coaches really reached out to me and I felt stuck with what to do.
“It was not what I expected at all.”
Gallier is ready to endure a transition time before he is an impact player at McKendree, which is coming off of a 4-7 season.
“Next season I expect to work as hard as I can to make the travel team and try to get on the field when I can,” he said. “A lot of people think that going to a small college and playing football, they can just play right away.
“I know this is not true and I am ready to work as hard as possible and be patient until it is my time to be a big contributor at McKendree.”
He is not concerned about adjusting to life away from home as he prepares to join the Bearcats.
“I do not think it will be super tough,” he said. “I have prepared myself for being away from home and I feel ready for college.
“I am going to miss a lot of my classmates. But I am not too far from home, so I will still see my family as much as I can.”
