In 1971 the Ed Sullivan Show was still on the air, the Nasdaq index was just opening, and the Vietnam War was still going on; o yeah, and Joey Galloway was born. The man who now starts as the second wide receiver for the Redskins, is almost 40-years-old at this point.
Coming into the season, many expected the Skins to start Devin Thomas, or at the very least Malcolm Kelly opposite Santana Moss. Galloway had a chance to make the roster, but his contributions would be minimal, or at least it seemed.
He has gotten a lot of attention because of his age and a few long passes from Donovan McNabb have bouncing off his finger tips. But before you cry for Galloway to be replaced by Devin Thomas, check out these stats from Krem's Sports.
In an effort to justify Galloway's position as starter, or perhaps to make a case for Devin Thomas, Krem's listed all of the second options in the NFL based on receiving yards. With 88 yards on 3 catches, Galloway comes in at 22nd.
That's not very good, but it's by no means the worst in the NFL, and it's a lot better than one would have expected Galloway to do coming into the season. He could certainly improve on those three catches, but at least he's making the most of it when he gets the ball in his hands.
When it comes down to it, if Devin Thomas had shown enough in training camp to earn the second receiver gig, I'm sure the coaches would have been more than happy to give it to him. But Galloway has proven to the coaching staff that they can trust him, and that he is the best option there. So until he's replaced, Galloway will be your second wide receiver, and he will continue to be mildly, if unspectacularly, effective.