Nicholas J. Gargiulo (/ɡɑːrˈdʒuːloʊ/ gar-JOO-loh;[1] born July 19, 2000) is an American professional football guard for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Yale Bulldogs and South Carolina Gamecocks and was selected by the Denver Broncos in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL draft.
 At Yale in 2019 | |
| No. 66 – Denver Broncos | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Guard |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | July 19, 2000 Yorktown Heights, New York, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Weight: | 310 lb (141 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Somers (NY) |
| College: | Yale (2018–2022) South Carolina (2023) |
| NFL draft: | 2024 / round: 7 / pick: 256 |
| Career history | |
| |
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Roster status: | Practice squad |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
Early life
editGargiulo was born on July 19, 2000, in Yorktown Heights, New York.[2] He first played football in third grade and later was a standout at Somers High School, where he was a two-way lineman and also played basketball.[2] At Somers, he won a starting job as a sophomore and helped them win the state championship the next year, being named All-League and All-Section.[2] He received All-State honors as a senior and was chosen the league's most valuable player.[2] He was named to the state's Super 11 and Golden Dozen teams but was a zero-star recruit for college, ultimately committing to play for the FCS Yale Bulldogs.[2][3]
College career
editGargiulo redshirted his freshman year at Yale in 2018, playing one game, and then won the starting job at left tackle in the 2019 season.[4] He started all 10 games in the 2019 season, and then missed the 2020 season as it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[5] He broke his fibula and right ankle early on in the 2021 season and missed the rest of the year.[6] He then returned for the 2022 season and was selected team captain, ultimately winning first-team All-Ivy League honors as well as being selected All-New England by the New England Football Writers Association.[7]
Gargiulo opted to play a final season of college football in 2023 and transferred to the South Carolina Gamecocks.[8][9] He started all 12 games in his lone year with the Gamecocks, the first five at left guard before shifting to center for the rest of the year.[10] Gargiulo was the team captain for South Carolina and received third-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) honors at the end of the year.[10][11] He finished his collegiate career having started 36 games, totaling 17 at center, 14 at left tackle and five at left guard.[6] He played at the 2024 Hula Bowl and was invited to the NFL Scouting Combine.[3][12]
Professional career
edit| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 5+3⁄8 in (1.97 m) |
318 lb (144 kg) |
33+7⁄8 in (0.86 m) |
10+3⁄8 in (0.26 m) |
5.25 s | 1.78 s | 3.00 s | 4.65 s | 7.33 s | 32.5 in (0.83 m) |
8 ft 5 in (2.57 m) |
28 reps | |
| All values from NFL Scouting Combine/Pro Day[13][14] | ||||||||||||
Gargiulo was selected by the Denver Broncos in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL draft with the second-to-last pick (256th overall), becoming the first athlete from Somers High School ever to be drafted by an NFL team.[3][15]
On August 27, 2024, Gargiulo was waived by the Broncos during their final roster cuts.[16] The next day, he was re-signed to the practice squad.[17]
References
edit- ^ GamecockCentral.com, South Carolina Gamecocks (September 15, 2023). South Carolina OL Nick Gargiulo on Garnet Nights Unplugged. Retrieved November 23, 2024 – via YouTube.
- ^ a b c d e Brugler, Dane (April 2024). "The Beast: 2024 NFL Draft Guide" (PDF). The Athletic. p. 149.
- ^ a b c Dougherty, Mike (April 25, 2024). "Nick Gargiulo could become the first Somers HS football player chosen in the NFL Draft". The Journal News. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
- ^ Cole, Alan (December 18, 2022). "Gamecocks land Yale OL Nick Gargiulo in transfer portal". Rivals.com. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
- ^ "Nick Gargiulo". South Carolina Gamecocks. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
- ^ a b "Nick Gargiulo NFL Draft 2024: Scouting Report for Denver Broncos IOL". Bleacher Report. April 27, 2024. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
- ^ Aldam, Will (April 27, 2024). "Former Yale football captain Nick Gargiulo selected by Denver Broncos in NFL draft". New Haven Register. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
- ^ Titus, Payton (August 26, 2023). "South Carolina newcomer named to national list of college football's top 100 transfers". The State.
- ^ Portnoy, Ben (January 23, 2023). "How Nick Gargiulo went from Yale to potential transfer portal steal at South Carolina". The State.
- ^ a b Kesin, Lulu (April 27, 2024). "Pros, cons of Denver Broncos picking South Carolina football's Nick Gargiulo in 2024 NFL Draft". The Greenville News.
- ^ DiLalla, Aric (April 27, 2024). "Broncos select South Carolina G Nick Gargiulo with 256th-overall pick in 2024 NFL Draft". Denver Broncos.
- ^ Lyon, Andrew (January 2, 2024). "Gamecock OL Nick Gargiulo Accepts Invite To Hula Bowl". Sports Illustrated.
- ^ "Nick Gargiulo Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
- ^ "2024 NFL Draft Scout Nick Gargiulo College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
- ^ Wakeman, Travis (April 27, 2024). "Instant analysis of Denver Broncos drafting C Nick Gargiulo in round 7". The Sporting News.
- ^ DiLalla, Aric (August 27, 2024). "Broncos make series of roster moves to reach 53-player limit". DenverBroncos.com. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
- ^ DiLalla, Aric (August 28, 2024). "Broncos sign 15 players to practice squad". DenverBroncos.com. Retrieved August 28, 2024.