Super Bowl XLVI – Tuesday, January 31, 2012(on playing in the Super Bowl and what makes it special) “When you’re on a grand stage such as this, there’s no experience like it. When you were a kid, watching the Super Bowl, seeing it on TV, now you’re front and center, and it’s almost a surreal moment of, ‘Wow, this is the Super Bowl.’ I can remember when we played in Super Bowl XLII, and Jordin Sparks was singing the National Anthem and that first kickoff. It’s almost like a dream world, a fantasy.”
(on how to prevent becoming overwhelmed) “You have to control yourself. You have to have a sense of controlling the chaos around you.”
(on the intensity of the Super Bowl) “It’s very intense because that is the last game of the year. There are no surprises; there’s nothing to hold back. This is the last hurrah for some guys to go out there and get that Super Bowl ring or get another one. So, it’s going to be a dogfight.”
(on experience being a calming factor for guys who have played in the Super Bowl) “It’s a little bit more calm, in terms of being able to know what to expect in terms of media day and the atmosphere around which we find ourselves. … (You) take it for what it is and enjoy yourself, but at the same time have that focused tolerance to go ahead and do your job.”
(on the impact that his personal faith makes in his life) “Faith plays a great role in my life, and being able to go ahead and play a game as violent as this and to compete week-in and week-out — to deal with victory and lulls — because when you look at it, anybody that plays sports, 50 percent of those who participate, lose. It’s difficult when you put so much work into the actual week itself, the preparation necessary to have the opportunity to win and not have it work out for you. To have the faith necessary to understand that, through trial and error, sometimes things will go your way and sometimes they won’t … At the end of the day, you still have the opportunity — you have your life, your health and your strength — to play a game.”
(on how his faith shapes his football perspective) “It works in terms of being able to understand what life is all about. It’s the small victories in life that you have to enjoy, but the moments where you have the opportunity to be blessed. I’m blessed to have the opportunity to play in two Super Bowls.”
(on how ready he is for the day of the game to arrive) “I am not ready to fast-forward through anything. Nothing. I’m going to enjoy each and every precious moment I have because it’s not promised to you.”
(on not being able to attend the funeral of former Penn State coach Joe Paterno) “You would have liked the opportunity to go ahead and pay your respects, but understanding who Joe is and the type of person he was in terms of his work ethic, I think he would have understood us being focused on winning a championship and making sure we were as well-prepared as possible to play in the Super Bowl.”
(on the perception of former Penn State coach Joe Paterno in light of the charges against former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky) “I think it was unfortunate to have 50, some 60-odd years of coaching, come down to such a finite moment and point in his life, especially looking at how his life ended with his legacy, to a certain extent, almost being tarnished by something that transpired that was realistically out of his control in my opinion. It’s a sad situation that a lot of people have been involved with that was just unnecessary.”
(on the closeness between the Giants and Patriots in Super Bowl XLII) “That’s the NFL every week, building up throughout the whole season, so it’s no surprise at all. This is the last game of the year. It’s the pinnacle accomplishment in terms of any NFL professional’s career and the mark by which we measure a good team and a bad team.”
(on the perception of Giants quarterback Eli Manning after winning Super Bowl XLII) “I think the naysayers had a hard time trying to disprove that he was a good quarterback. … I think he’s been a cool and collected individual under pressure, and that’s why he’s been able to go ahead and lead us successfully for the past eight years.”
(on the anticipation of standing in Lucas Oil Stadium a few days before the Super Bowl) “It’s one of those deals where you get the chance to go ahead and walk around the stadium and familiarize yourself with it and really take in the grandness of it: seeing the Super Bowl marquee, seeing the fan zone, seeing the actual end zones, taking the team picture and dealing with the media and having a chance to say, ‘This is what it’s all about.’ This is the fun part of it, and obviously, the next time we’re in this building, it’s going to be all business.”
(on being appreciative of the opportunity to play in the Super Bowl) “Definitely, because you never know when you’ll make it back, or if you’ll make it back. It’s such a volatile sport, and given the average career is three years and three games, who is to say you’ll make it back? It’s been four years since I’ve been here, and during that time span, God knows how many players have had their careers end.”
(on what he learned about his teammates during periods of struggle this season) “I learned that we have an unbelievable sense of resiliency and belief in one another to go ahead and get the job done.”
(on playing the Patriots again) “They’re a great team. They have good personnel up front on defense. They have a great offense, and it will be an extreme challenge to go ahead and compete with them.”
(on if the Giants have shifted to an offense that is more pass oriented) “It doesn’t matter. Whatever it takes to put points on the board and come out with a win, if that’s what’s necessary, that’s what we’ll do.”
(on the most important thing to happen to the Giants this season) “I think the most important thing is that we’ve come away with the knowledge and understanding that it doesn’t matter what happens in the beginning, it’s how you finish.”
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