Super Bowl XLVI – Wednesday, February 1, 2012(on having an impact with his speeches to teammates) “I think it definitely resonates with my teammates. It resonates with myself first and foremost. If it did put a spark to make people realize that this game is more throughout practice then so be it. My job has not been done, and my job is further yet from being done. I have to go out here and make sure that I take care of everything that I need to do and be the best player that I can come Super Bowl Sunday.”
(on if he ever doubted how good the team could be this season) “Absolutely not. That was a reason for my frustrations and my anger. Eli (Manning) is our guy. He is our leader, he is our quarterback. For another team to go out there and do what they did and us not retaliate, I think there was only one person who retaliated, which was Chris Snee. It lit a fire under my butt because he is a guy who we definitely have to protect. We go out there and we protect all of our brothers and that is the way I look at it. I don’t look at them as teammates, I look at them as brothers. If someone was going to go out there and cheap shot my brother, I know I would go out there and try to rip their head off. That was my frustration behind that.”
(on if he has tried to become more of a leader because Justin Tuck was injured) “I don’t know what Justin’s thoughts have been. I know he has been struggling with injuries and so forth, but I think he has done an exceptional job of doing the best he could and doing what he could while he could do it. As far as still being a leader, Justin will always be a leader in our locker room. Nothing is going to change whether he is healthy, whether he is hurt, his opinion will always be taken and we will always value his opinion as a team. I just say what I feel like needs to be said. None of my thoughts are premeditated and I never speak out of anger or frustration. I just say what it is on my mind if I think it will better help myself and my teammates, then I will say it.”
(on if he thinks he will speak to his teammates sometime before the game) “There is nothing that needs to be said at this point. We are here and this is our final resting ground, and our team is going to go out here and be the best team possible this Sunday. Everything that has been said that needs to be said is over and done with. Nothing needs to be said at this point.”
(on representing the University of Miami) “I think we all definitely represent the University of Miami and its tradition. We provide the league with a lot of intelligent and outstanding football players over the years. Hopefully, we are going to continue and pick that drive back up. We always represent the U. No matter where we are, whether it is in the streets, whether it is in church, whether it is on the football field – we always represent the University of Miami because that is where home is for all of us, even those who are not from there. It is a family-type atmosphere, and I think that is where we have shared the most blood.”
(on Head Coach Tom Coughlin being an old-school coach) “My first season I questioned a lot of things that Coach Coughlin was doing. After taking a step back and reflecting on all of it, I understand exactly why he is the way he is. I used to always wonder, I felt like he was always trying to turn us into men. Does he not know that we are men before we ever step on the football field here as a Giant? I used to ask myself questions like that. Once I matured enough and I took a step back, he is not trying to turn us into men, he is trying to help us become better men. That is something that I realize and that is something that I have taken on my shoulders and I am man enough to admit. I understand everything behind his discipline and his structure, it comes with a reason. Things are tough in New York and he has to be that way. He has prepared us for a bigger and brighter stage, which is the stage we are on right now. For us to come here and be able to handle all the press, all the media, all the festivities and things around us and our team has done an exceptional job doing that. I see it, I see it in our eyes that our focus is the game and the game only. I think that this is what he has been trying to prepare us for all year I long. He has just going about it in different ways.”
(on Head Coach Tom Coughlin creating a disciplined environment) “It wasn’t about discipline. I think it was more so about the little things. You know, socks and this and that. Like I said, I would just let all the little things get to me. I understand. It might not be about the socks to him. It might not be about getting there five minutes on time. It’s about a bigger and a brighter stage. I think that’s his purpose. I think us as a team, you know all men, definitely understands that purpose, and we are riding with him, no matter what.
(on adapting to living in New York) “This is a New York thing. I am in the New York swing of things right now. Honestly, it has taken me a little bit of time to get used to the living arrangements in New York, as far as space. Everything has to do with New York being so broad and so broadcasted. I can actually say that New York is my second home. Sometimes I find myself, every chance that I used to get to get to Miami, I would always take it. ‘I am going to Miami. I am going to Miami.’ Now I find myself [saying], I am going to hang out in New York for a little bit because New York is my home.”
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario