BYU cornerbacks coach Jernaro Gilford’s eyes lit up when he was asked about the newest addition to his position group at the Cougars’ football media day last June.
“We’re getting a smart, experienced, savvy football player,” Gilford said.
That player is Gabe Jeudy-Lally, who spent the last three seasons playing for Vanderbilt of the Southeastern Conference, and was so smart that he earned a college degree, majoring in human and organizational development and minoring in business at one of the top academic schools in the country.
“I want to come to a place where you are going to get treated like family and win football games. I think this is the spot to be at.” — new BYU defensive back Gabe Jeudy-Lally
Jeudy-Lally (pronounced: Judy Lolly) is now pursuing his MBA at BYU’s Marriott School of Business, but technically he still has three years of eligibility remaining because he only played in four games as a freshman at Vanderbilt in 2019 and can count that as his redshirt year. And the seven games he played as a sophomore in 2020 counts as a free year due to COVID-19.
All told, the 6-foot-2, 185-pounder who lists Austin, Texas, as his hometown appeared in 23 games for the Commodores and had 63 tackles, four pass breakups and two interceptions in Nashville.
What does he bring to BYU?
“I feel like I bring that experience, on the field and off the field,” he said Monday after the Cougars’ fourth practice of preseason training camp. “I have been through a lot of situations at Vanderbilt with COVID and all that, which made me stronger as a player.”
As his first group interview in Provo was winding down, Jeudy-Lally was asked why he has a hyphenated last name.
“My freshman year I came in and just had Jeudy on my (jersey) back,” he said. “That’s my biological father’s name. We have a great relationship. But my stepdad (Thomas Lally) taught me how to play football. He brought me into the fold, and I just felt like out of respect for him, always being there in my life, I felt that I should be able to honor both names and be my own person and not just Lally and not just Jeudy but a culmination of everybody in my life.”
The defensive back said Thomas Lally entered his life when he was 5 years old. His mother’s name is Alla Lally, and he has three sisters (Amanda, DeDe and Elina) and one brother (Gianny).
Jeudy-Lally entered the transfer portal last December after Vanderbilt went 0-8 in the SEC, 2-10 overall. He had offers from Purdue, Colorado, Iowa State and Illinois, among others, but ultimately chose BYU after making an official campus visit in March.
“Gabe has a lot of experience after playing in the SEC for the last few years,” BYU coach Kalani Sitake said when he signed with the Cougars in late March. “He is a very smart player and a really strong student. He is going to be a great fit in our secondary and with our program.”
Last year, Jeudy-Lally started 10 games at cornerback for Vandy, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he will play that position at BYU. Gilford said he could be used as a nickel back or even a safety, if necessary. He will also be a valued mentor to younger players.
“We have a lot of young guys in our room, so being able to give them little nuggets of information here and there, being able to get them right, has been good,” Jeudy-Lally said.
Jeudy-Lally said his first couple of days in Provo were “definitely different” and required an attitude adjustment. But he bonded with new roommate Kaleb Hayes, a fellow cornerback, and his mom came to town to “show me the ropes.”
He also talked to former BYU and NFL star Derwin “Dewey” Gray, now the lead pastor of the Transformation Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, and got more advice and encouragement.
“Everybody out here treats me really nicely. It feels like family here,” Jeudy-Lally said. “Dewey was like, ‘You get out of it what you put in,’ so I came here and embraced it. … When I asked for help, everybody gave it to me, and made the transition really smooth. I am happy. So that’s good.”
Jeudy-Lally said nothing about the unique culture of Provo and BYU have caused him to take a step back in surprise. But the vibe at practice is quite different than it was at Vanderbilt, he said.
“Honestly, just really, how much everybody cares about each other (is surprising),” he said. “Like, there is not much chippiness at practice. There is not much name-calling or anything else. Everybody is like, ‘We want you to get better,’” he said. “I think it is just (cool) how much everybody embraces wanting to win on both sides of the ball, and special teams.
“That is just something that has been really different, because at different programs, everybody (says) they embrace that,” he continued. “But here, you see it in action. You see it in the games. It is a culmination of everything we have worked for in the offseason to get those wins in games.”
Jeudy-Lally was asked how the talent level he has found at BYU compares to what he’s faced in the SEC.
“Honestly, I would say they match up pretty well. Only difference, I would say, is across the country, when you play in the SEC, the big guys, they are just faster,” he said. “I am not saying that the skill positions are anything different, because you know you got to throw the ball, you gotta catch it. It doesn’t matter who is throwing it and catching it, you gotta have your technique and do things the right way.”
That said, Jeudy-Lally said BYU’s linemen are bigger than Vanderbilt’s.
“Really, the talent level is very comparable and I am just excited to be playing with these guys coming up this season,” he said, after describing how much more relaxed and cheerful fall camp is at BYU compared to his previous stop.
“I want to come to a place where you are going to get treated like family and win football games,” he said. “I think this is the spot to be at.”