Michael Gallup’s family was struck by tragedy November, 2018 when his brother, Andrew Gallup, committed suicide in November. Gallup, who was adopted into a family of eight children, publicly mourned the loss, as did many of his siblings and his Cowboy teammates.
Gallup was one of six adopted children in the Gallup family, and eight kids total.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Gallup Is One of Six Children, & Was Adopted
Gallup is one of six children who were adopted by his parents, according to Dallas News. The Gallup family had eight children total: two kids of Jenny Gallup’s own, three from Africa, two from India, and Michael Gallup.
Per Dallas News, Gallup said he was given up for adoption because his mother “wanted me to have a better life.” He also shared that he has received letters from his birth mother but has never met her.
Michael’s siblings Lydia and Andrew, who were all within two years of one another, were referenced as “triplets” by their mother, according to Lidia. To The Coloradoan, Lydia said, “My mom called us triplets. That’s a joke in our family.”
2. Gallup’s Brother, Andrew Gallup, Committed Suicide in November
On November 20, the Cowboys announced that Gallup’s brother, Andrew, had committed suicide. 247 Sports reports that Gallup found out about his brother’s death when he met his sister in the locker room.
Very little is known about Andrew Gallup. Gallup later tweeted about his brother, writing, “I want to thank my teammates, the Cowboys family, friends & fans for their love and support. It means so much that y’all are here for me and my family during this time.”
On Instagram, Gallup memorialized his brother once more, writing, “We laid you down to Rest “little big” brother. We won’t ever forget you Andrew I love you man and I’ll stay strong for you like always. Rest easy big bro ?? If you’d like to support Andy’s memorial fund you may click the link in my bio”
3. Gallup’s Mother, Jenny Gallup, Found Out About Her Son’s Death Through a Tweet
According to The Athletic, Jenny Gallup was at an airport in Amsterdam when she saw a tweet that revealed her son had committed suicide. She was coming home from a three-week missionary mission in Africa, and told The Athletic, “Somebody put it all over the internet, and I read about my son.”
Gallup continued, “I didn’t even know which son it was. I called my daughter [to ask] what had happened, and she told me.”
The Gallup family established a memorial fund for Andrew, in the name of an African Children’s Scholarship Fund via Action International. The mission statement of the scholarship fund reads,
“Andy was born November 10, 1995 in the Republic of Sierra Leone, West Africa. At that time, the country of Sierra Leone was in the midst of civil war, and Andy was one of many children left orphaned by sickness and war devastation. Five years later, Andy and his big brother, Raymond, were adopted into the Gallup family in January 2000. They grew up in a happy home in Georgia with six other siblings.
Because so many children in Africa have little or no opportunity for education, the family knows Andy would be overjoyed that this Memorial Fund gives many a chance for a quality education and personal growth.”
4. Gallup’s Adoptive Parents Divorced When He Was 10 Years Old
Gallup’s parents were divorced when Gallup was 10 years old, according to The Coloradoan. Lydia Gallup, one of Andrew’s three sisters, said of her brother, “He was very serious after my mom and dad got divorced, but then he grew into what he is now because of what happened.”
In The Coloradoan, Jenny Gallup talked about her son growing up, saying that he was always trying to help his teammates in basketball and football games.
Gallup said, “He’s sweet that way; he thinks about other people. He’s just as happy when one of his buddies makes a play, especially somebody who doesn’t get in the limelight very often, as when he makes a play himself.”
5. Many Cowboys Teammates Have Described Gallup as a ‘Brother’
Following the announcement of Andrew Gallup’s death, many Cowboys players spoke out in support of their teammate. Per The Star Telegram, head coach Jason Garrett told 105.3 The Fan, “We just found out after the ballgame that his brother had committed suicide and just wanted to leave it at that, Obviously a very personal matter. We’re all behind Michael and supporting him and his family, and this is a very challenging time for him. We’ll take it moment by moment, day by day and give him all of our love and all of our support.”
Travis Frederick echoed that sentiment, telling 247 Sports, “He’s a brother to us. I can’t even imagine … My situation is nothing like that.”
He added, “It does give perspective as to what’s really important in life and serves as a reminder to not give too much thought to things that are ancillary. To say football is ‘ancillary’ might sound bad. But in the big picture of life, (football is) not what your life is and it’s not what defines you. It’s important to hold those things dear to you that do define you and are the pillars of your life.”
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Michael Gallup’s Family: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know