Super Bowl XLVI – Tuesday, January 31, 2012(on Super Bowl expectations) “It’s pretty much what I thought. It’s a lot like the national championship I played a few years ago with Ohio State. It is the highest level of competition and hopefully we can win it all.”
(on Ohio football) “We were just in the locker room taking pictures with all the Ohio guys. It was with center Jimmy Cordle, (LB) Chase Blackburn, (WR) Mario Manningham,( LB) Greg Jones, and I. It’s cool to see all these guys. I know we are not all from the same school, but it’s cool that we are all from the same area.”
(on starting this year) “I would not say it was a breakout season or anything. I played well, and I was happy to help the team out anyway I could. When (TE) Kevin Boss left, I knew there was a big void. It was an opportunity of a lifetime, and I took advantage of it. Luckily, I was able to earn (QB) Eli Manning’s trust, and he got me the ball. I don’t care if I make a single catch all game in the Super Bowl, just as long as we win. I will block or make catches all day long; it doesn’t matter.”
(on sharing experience with C Jim Cordle) “Oh yea it’s awesome. We are roommates at the hotel and we live together back in New Jersey. I found out right away that he (Cordle) was going to be a free agent. We both signed with the Giants. I knew it was going to be cool to have someone you have known for a while to go along for the same ride.”
(on tickets for family) “I got as many as I could get. My family is going to make the drive up. It is only about a two and a half to three hour drive. It is going to be a lot of fun.”
(on evaluating opponent) “To me it is similar to the Packers’ situation. The Packers’ defense was ranked low against the pass. When you have a high powered offense that puts up a lot of points the opponent has to come out throwing to stay in the game. I wouldn’t say the Patriots are bad against the pass. It is just hand-in-hand with what their offense is doing. The Patriots have a great offense, and I think their defense is extremely underrated. We think we can do some things offensively to hurt them, but we don’t think the Patriot’s defense is bad by any means.”
(on having more catches and yards this season than his entire college career) “I won a lot of games at Ohio State and would not replace that for anything. With the type of offense and the weapons we had, I was not a big part of the passing game. However, I was a big part of blocking and making sure those guys could get the ball to make plays off the run. The Giants are asking me to do something different, and I’m doing well.”
(on reflecting on playing Patriots earlier this season) “Yeah, a little bit. I mainly think about personnel and what each player brings to the table, what challenges I deal with on running routes and blocking. I don’t really think about the catches or winning the game. I feel if you get caught up on that stuff, you won’t take it serious in this game. You have to take it like you have never played them before and prepare that way.”
(on Patriot’s tight end Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez) “They don’t ask me to do what (TE) Rob Gronkowski and (TE) Aaron Hernandez are doing. Those guys are having a great season. Rob is great and he is doing things no one has ever done at the tight end position. Rob is entertaining to watch. It is fun to watch him, (Gronkowski) and Tom Brady’s relationship progress. Tom is always looking for him. I wish all the best for Rob. I remember taking him on a tour when he visited Ohio State, so I have known him for a while, and it is good to see tight ends have success like he is. Aaron Hernandez is one of those guys who will do anything you ask him to do. It’s neat to see tight ends impact the game like those guys do.”
(on studying Gronkowski) “Any time you have a tight end like Rob Gronkowski’s caliber, you definitely want to see what he is doing to get those numbers. He does a lot of good things with his routes, he is big, athletic, and he gets open. He is a mismatch everywhere on the field. I know I can definitely learn some things from studying Rob’s film.”
(on his knee) “It is still a little tweaked. It feels a lot better than it has in a long time. I am running well and I am running a lot better than I have in the last three or four games.”
(on having no catches in college) It’s frustrating a little bit. Every season I said I wanted to get the ball. Every offseason the coaching staff would mention that they wanted to get me more involved and it would not happen. Like I said before, we won a lot of games at Ohio State and I would not replace that for anything.”
(on playing in Super Bowl as undrafted player) “I try not to think about it too much. I try to stay focused on the task at hand. Once it is all said and done I will look back at my accomplishments.”
(on feeling of playing in the Super Bowl) “This is the Super Bowl. It is as good as it gets. I never really realized it till we got out here. Not the media day so much. We were practicing in New York and we went through the same patterns and repetitions we usually do. It hit me when we got on the plane and you realize you have a real chance to be Super Bowl Champions.”
(on people coming from Springboro Ohio) “Mostly my family and a couple of friends will be coming up. It means a lot for them being here.”
(on number of tickets he purchased) “Ten.”
(on price of tickets) “They were at nine hundred apiece.”
(on watching last Super Bowl) “I was back at my hometown of Springboro, Ohio, with my parents.”
(on playing in Super Bowl this time around) “ I have not had a lot of time lately. Looking back at it now it is a dream come true. I cannot let this opportunity slip by me and not win this game.”
(on he and wide receiver Victor Cruz stepping up) “Victor and I had a rough go at it. We were both undrafted. Everyone at camp did not know who we were. Victor got hurt last year. I got hurt last year at training camp and was on the practice squad for most of the year. We both took advantage of the offseason. During the lockout we both busted our butts to get to where we are today. My situation, when Kevin Boss left, I knew it was a huge opportunity for me and I could not let it slip by me. I made the most of it during camp, and it has worked out for me so far.”
(on the success of the offense) “One major reason is Eli Manning. He knows the game better than anybody. He studies film very hard. He makes sure he get tips and knows what the defense is going to do by studying every opponent’s film. I also think we have three of the top receivers in the game and that can help out a lot.”
(on Tom Coughlin’s mentality) “I don’t think he is the same guy throughout the season. When we lost four in a row he was pretty rough to be around. Lately he has been very excited and happy. He is always reminding us that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. As a team we need to take advantage of it and work hard. We always need to be focusing on the ultimate goal.”
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