Feb. 17, 2011
IOWA CITY, Iowa — Former University of Iowa football player Robert Gallery was named the 2010 Ed Block Courage Award recipient by the National Football League’s Oakland Raiders.
One player from every NFL team will be honored for their commitment to the principles of courage and sportsmanship, while serving as an inspiration in the locker rooms and community.
Gallery rebounded from three significant medical situations during the 2009 season that took courage, dedication and strength to be able to return for the 2010 season. In July prior to training camp he had an appendectomy and missed one preseason game. In the second game of the regular season, Gallery fractured his left fibula and underwent surgery. The offensive guard returned after missing six games.
In December, he sustained a thoracic spinal cord injury that required surgery and forced him to miss the remainder of the season. Gallery returned to the gridiron during the 2010 season, where he started 12 games for the Raiders.
The Manchester, Iowa, native suited up for the Hawkeyes from 1999-2003. Gallery earned first team all-Big Ten honors as both a junior and senior. In 2003, he was a consensus first team All-America selection, the Big Ten Conference Offensive Lineman of the Year and the recipient of the Outland Trophy. Gallery was also a three-time academic all-Big Ten selection.
Gallery was selected second overall in the 2004 NFL Draft by the Raiders.
Gallery is the second former Hawkeye to receive the 2010 Ed Block Courage Award, as Bradley Fletcher was honored by the St. Louis Rams.