Joey Galloway exudes experience.
The veteran wide receiver has a confidence about him that suggests he has seen it all and done it all.
"I have been around for a while," he admits.
Galloway, 38, is beginning his 16th NFL season and his first in Washington. He signed with the Redskins on April 29.
He is not a lock to make the Redskins' roster, but his experience certainly gives him an edge.
"I relish the role of having the opportunity to play football this long," he said. "As far as my approach to the game, I'm happy to be here and I'm happy to have a chance to play my 16th season. I'll give everything I have and see what happens."
Galloway has caught 689 career passes for 10,777 yards and 77 touchdowns in 15 seasons in the NFL.
His career has taken him from Seattle (where he was a first-round draft pick) to Dallas to Tampa Bay to New England and briefly Pittsburgh.
Galloway has eclipsed 1,000 yards receiving six times, most recently in 2007 with Tampa Bay. That capped a three-year stretch in which he accumulated 202 catches for 3,358 yards and 23 touchdowns.
His career has slowed down the last two years. Playing in 12 games in that span, he has just 20 catches for 205 yards.
Galloway's experience is still a draw for the Redskins, though.
Known for his game-breaking speed, the 5-11, 197-pound Galloway is learning a new offense--the West Coast system employed by head coach Mike Shanahan and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan.
He is a step ahead of the learning curve, having played in Jon Gruden's version of the West Coast offense in Tampa Bay.
See? He really has done it all.
"The learning process is always the same," Galloway said. "Each system has its own different parts to it that you have to learn and get used to. Each time you go to a new team, you have to learn the people as coaches, teammates, the front office, even the media. You have to get to know everyone and do what you can to help."
Galloway was upbeat in describing the attitude during mini-camp and OTAs.
"Everyone is paying more attention because you have to learn what the coaching staff wants from you," he said. "Everyone out here is looking forward to practice. Right now we understand it's a long-term goal to get ready for the season, but we're having fun and working hard."
Galloway already has a good rapport with his position coach Keenan McCardell, who played 16 years in the NFL including two stints with the Redskins.
The two were nearly teammates in Tampa Bay in 2004. The Bucs acquired Galloway in a trade with the Cowboys in the same offseason they traded McCardell to the San Diego Chargers.
Galloway can help McCardell continue to groom young receivers Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly.
Thomas and Kelly have been slow to develop, but they showed flashes last season. Thomas had 25 catches for 325 yards and three touchdowns while Kelly had 25 catches for 347 yards.
"Just share my experience," Galloway said when asked how he could help Thomas and Kelly. "There really is no substitute for experience."
Galloway said he learned the NFL game from the likes of Brian Blades and Ricky Proehl during his time in Seattle. (Blades, incidentally, is the uncle of Redskins linebacker H.B. Blades.)
"They showed me the ropes and helped me out a lot," he said. "I had a chance to watch them and learn from them. Hopefully I can do that for some of the young guys here."
