Super Bowl XLVI –Monday, January 30, 2012(on having a team composed of 19 players with Super Bowl playing experience) “I know what to expect. I know what to expect on pretty much every level. I’ll be honest with you; I kind of forgot what this feeling felt like. Getting off the plane, it was a remarkable feeling. It was a feeling of comfort and a well-deserved atmosphere. You have to be prepared for anything (this week). Most of all, you have to keep your eye on the prize and understand that this is a business trip. We’re not here for fun. We’re not here for anything other than to take care of the Patriots come Sunday night.”
(on whether there will be problems keeping the team focused this week) “I don’t think we’ll have that problem. We have a very focused group of guys, of men, of veterans. As far as young guys, the young guys have been doing an excellent job of following suit. They’re (a) main reason why we’re here at this point and we’re going to continue (with) that drive and that focus.”
(on New England WR Deion Branch) “People who prepare against him, they understand how good Deion is. Deion is the best in this league. He understands all the tricks of the trade to this game, and most of all, he’s great for (the New England) system. He fits in that system extremely well. I think Deion definitely gets his due. Maybe not in the media or in the press, but within his team as an organization, I feel he gets his due.”
(on the problems posed by the New England tight ends) “They’re great tight ends. I think they both (TE Rob Gronkowski and TE Aaron Hernandez) possess great qualities. Whereas Hernandez, I think he’s a glorified tight end, and Gronkowski, I think he just pretty much does it all. He has great hands, great route-running and catch(ing) ability, and most of all he just always finds a way to get open.”
(on whether he prepares differently given the injury to New England TE Rob Gronkowski) “No, not at all. This is the biggest game of the year. (New England) wouldn’t be in this position if it wasn’t for him, so he’s going to do whatever he has to do to make sure he’s ready for this game, and we understand that.”
(on whether he is concerned about the hype during the week) “I’m not worried about the hype. I’m not too big on the hype. I’ll just make sure that whenever I have some downtime in my room that I’m studying to make sure I’m the best prepared guy on the field come Sunday.”
(on the mood of the team on the plane to Indianapolis) “It was great. Same as always. Like I said, we’re not going to get beside ourselves. We’re not going to do anything different that we haven’t done for the previous 20 weeks. We’re going to go and we’re going to play ball.”
(on whether the confidence that New England has shown affects his team) “It doesn’t matter at all. The game (still) has to be played on Sunday. And the only thing that is going to determine the outcome of the game are the players in the game, who’s going to take the field and who’s going to be on either side. No talk, no media, no speculation, no parties, none of that stuff is really relevant at this point.”
(on his experience switching from cornerback to safety several seasons ago) “My experience was just based off that I was in a system that I really didn’t like. I was in an off-the-man system and I really just didn’t understand the scheme. Now that I know much more about football, it just wasn’t a good scheme, for me or for anyone else who was playing the cornerback position. So it was just a decision that I made to go to safety and use my skills otherwise.”
(on the toughest part of the position change) “The toughest part is probably the mental aspect of the game. Corner is a lot easier than playing safety. In safety, you have to know the fronts, you have to know the linebackers are in, you have to know your gap assignment, you have to understand that you are the quarterback of the defense. When playing corner, you just need tunnel vision and to know the coverage. That’s the biggest difference.”
(on whether he brings swagger to his team) “I’m just trying to go out there and be a player. If swagger is what it is, that that’s what it (is). I don’t approach every game the same. Some games I might be the most quiet guy in the locker room. Sometimes I might be the most amped in the locker room. I never know what I’m going to be, so I might as well just go out and play it by ear and be whoever I’m supposed to be on that given day.”
(on team owner John Mara and the New York Giants ownership) “Great, great ownership. Outstanding ownership. (Mara) is definitely close with the players, with the staff and with the coaches. I love it. I would definitely love to retire a Giant and be a part of this franchise for as long as I can.”
(on if he had confidence in team owner John Mara during the lockout) “Absolutely. Our organization and our ownership did something no other team in the NFL did, and I don’t have to speak on what that was, but my mother helped me realize and open my eyes to (the fact that we) have some outstanding owners, owners with a heart. That’s something you have to be appreciative of. It’s not all about football. It’s about having a heart and having someone who is close-knit with you and who understands what the majority is going through.
(on his feelings about QB Eli Manning’s speech to the team during the Super Bowl bye week) “I’ve been learning a lot about Eli all year long. I think that that guy has been exceptional, not only on the field, but off the field. I think his attitude, his confidence, his approach has been remarkable. I needed to hear (what Manning said). Even though I’ve been (to the Super Bowl) before, it’s something that I also needed reiterated to myself, and I’m glad he said what he said. Eli doesn’t talk much, so you know when Eli stands up – and he had a look on his face – that you knew it was time for business. Eli and I, we have a lot of personal conversations, and him standing up and saying that, you just heard chatter going around the room, like ‘Wow.’ He’s our guy, man. We don’t do this without No. 10. Everything else falls into place after that.”
(on what he feels about QB Eli Manning being thoughtful with his words) “I love it. He’s not like me. He’s nothing like me. Whatever I feel in a moment, I’m going to say, and I think he definitely picks his moment. But we also understand him as a teammate. And the guys who are close to him, his running backs, his receivers, those guys are always on the same page and I see his leadership with them in and out, every day. We love Eli, man. We’re going to ride and die with him no matter what the situation is, and he’s the reason why we’re here, without a doubt.”
(on his personality) “I don’t know. I think it definitely comes from my family. My mother’s a counselor, my father’s a police chief, and, honestly, they haven’t always been that successful. I’ve seen them climb the mountain and I’ve seen the hard work it took for them to get there. And through it all, you know, they’ve had some pats on the butts, but they’ve always stood strong for what they believed. I guess that trickled down to me, because that’s honestly the way I see things. A lot of times I’ve (taken) a lot of heat for a lot of things, and I understand that, but, at the same time, I don’t care what the outsiders say. I only care about what’s going to happen and what’s going to come forth in our locker room with our guys. My teammates understand me and that’s the only people I really care (about) who need to understand me. They know that I’ve never been a problem, I’ll never be a problem, and everything I say is for the betterment of this team. They understand that and we’re moving forward.”
(on if there is a certain attitude among the team’s defense) “I think as defensive unit, we’ve had a lot of struggles this year. But right now we have a badass mentality. That’s the way we like to look at it, that’s the way we want to keep it, and we’re very confident in our approach. But most of all, I think we’re very smart in our approach, meaning that everyone is on the same page at the same time and we have a clear understanding of what every guy is doing, not only yourself. So, you know, we’re a very intellectual team, and we take pride in that. But, at the same time, when the bell goes off on Sunday, we’re in attack mode. That’s the way we look at it.”
(on how much of the defensive attitude comes from defensive coordinator Perry Fewell) “Perry Fewell is an exceptional guy. He’s a brilliant guy, mindset-wise, and he’s a very fiery guy. I think it definitely trickles down to us. We feed off of him, he feeds off of us, and we’re one. When it’s all said and done, we’re one.”
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