Explosive, intense, passionate, all words that have been used to describe Redskins linebacker Junior Galette, who is focused on making a full return after missing the 2015 season.
Joe Barry is a football lifer, having coached in the sport since 1995 after splitting a college playing career between the University of Michigan and USC.
During that time, Barry has never seen a player quite like Junior Galette.
From the moment he first stepped onto the practice fields at the Bon Secours Washington Redskins Training Center in Richmond, Va., last August, Galette stood out both for his intensity and explosiveness, giving perennial Pro Bowler Trent Williams all he could handle during 1-on-1s and unit action.
While it was only a three-week span the Redskins got to see him in action – and only in practice sessions – Barry is excited to see Galette back healthy after missing all of last season with a torn Achilles.
"I've been fortunate enough in my career to be around some really, really good players, some really good rushers, I don't know in that short three weeks that I was around him last year before he got injured, I don't know if I had ever been around a dude that's that explosive," Barry told ESPN980 last week. "I mean it was unbelievable, so like I said, I'm a windshield guy, I'm always looking forward, never looking back and I'm just excited about the future."
And it isn't just his on-field demeanor that makes Galette a special talent.
"I mean he loves football, he loves to play football, he loves to rush and he works his ever, living brains off every day, like you guys said, even in the offseason this kid was here every day," Barry said. "He's down in the training room, he's working his tail off, getting healthy, so I think there's really, really exciting times for Junior Galette."
Galette signed with the Redskins last season, just days after being released by the New Orleans Saints for an off-field issue.
In his last two seasons with New Orleans, Galette totaled 22 sacks including 12 during his first season as a full-time starter in 2013.
Just like his now famous sit-down with Galette before he signed with Washington, Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan stands firm that the team is getting an elite pass rusher back on the field for the 2016 season.
"I've already seen it. He's still rehabbing, but he looks excellent," McCloughan said. "Excellent. His explosion's back."
After signing a new one-year contract back in March, Galette said he was about "80 to 85 percent" in terms of health, but is expecting to be fully healthy once training camp rolls around.
With a year away from the game, Galette has "this extra juice" added to his already internal motivation. That spells trouble for opposing quarterbacks.
"It's the same feeling I had coming out of Stillman College undrafted to a World Champion team at the time, New Orleans Saints," Galette said. "It was like, 'Who is this guy?' I'm ready to go all out. Everybody's telling me to try and take it easy in practice and ease into it, but I don't know how to do that. I think that's going to be the most challenging part. Because when I get out there, it's 100 percent, 150 percent."
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