From Seymour Middle School player to the NFL, Scott Galyon took his talent and made it into a career. During his high school days Galyon received many honors including First-team All-Star as defensive back and Honorable Mention All-American by USA Today at Seymour High and was named to Tom Lemming’s All-Southeast. His career highs during his time in Seymour were great. He had 191 tackles and 14 interceptions…Averaged 38 yards as punter…Caught 21 passes for 500 yards as junior…Moved to quarterback as senior…Played quarterback, receiver, linebacker and safety during high school career…Led Seymour to 27-7 record and two playoffs during his three years…All-District in baseball and basketball…Spent the offseason as a substitute school teacher at Seymour High School and was a volunteer coach last fall at the school.
“I started playing baseball when I was four or five,” stated Galyon. “I loved playing baseball, basketball and football. But I didn’t start playing football until I was eight or nine. My grandmother would give me $100 for each year I wouldn’t play football because she really didn’t want me to play. To me, baseball was fun and football was more work.”
Galyon played basketball, baseball and football his sophomore year and made All District in all three sports. His junior and senior year he played baseball and football. “You never see football players playing basketball or basketball players playing football. I think kids should play all the sports they enjoy.”
When Galyon was the seventh grade he broke his leg putting him on the sidelines fo the football field. “One of the biggest guys on the team was on the ground and made a tackle and my cleat got stuck in the ground. He rolled over my leg and brought my tibia bone.”
“I was out that season and was in a cast for six month. When they took the cast off my muscle was gone so it took me a while to get my strength back. I played baseball the next summer but I was nervous about going out that fall for football and I decided to wait.”
“My parents encouraged me to wait one more year but I played basketball and we were 24-2 and went to tourney and came in second. Coach Phil Hamilton was my coach and he was great.”
After two years off the football field Galyon decided to get back into the game. “I found it harder going from middle school football to high school football. Everyone had gotten bigger!” Galyon said every year he starts a new season he became a little nervous – even while playing in the NFL.
Gaylon said he never planned on becoming a professional football player. “You just have to let it take you where it’s going to take you. I didn’t say ‘my goal was to be on a football card or to play freshman college.’ When you get older you can make the commitment but when you are younger just play and have a good time.”
“If you specialize in one sport when kids are missing out on the other sports. If you have a love for sports try them all if you can and you may find out you have a gift that you didn’t think of at first. It wasn’t until my senior year that I even thought about playing college football.”
Gaylon said he got some good advice from his football and baseball coach in high school, Greg Clark. “He told me, ‘If you’re good enough they are going to find you’ so my friends and I always played everything.”
Gaylon admits that if he were offered a baseball scholarship first that he would have taken it, saying he had a chance to play baseball for UT but things didn’t work out.
Galyon, who wore #52 while playing for the New York Giants from 1996-1999 and #58 while playing for the Miami Dolphins from 2000-2002 says the best part of playing for him is the competition. “That’s the fun – to go out and do your best. But the friendships you make are the best. I grew up with kids I played with and they are my friends, but I made many friends playing ball. The lock room is a fun place to be and in professional ball I met some great people. It’s a challenge both physically and mentally.”
Today Galyon is busy as a dad to fifteen-month-old Elijah and two-month-old Gracie. He married former coach Phil Hamilton’s stepdaughter Chasity, someone he been dating since school. He was also named Honorary Chairperson for this year’s United Way Campaign and says he is “Looking forward to it.”
Fame hasn’t affected this hometown boy. “It’s nice to be recognized. But I never wanted to forget where I came from and be humble,” stating that about 80% of the players in the NFL come from small towns across the country. According to Galyon, “What you do isn’t who you are.”

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