Super Bowl XLVI – Wednesday, February 01, 2012(on the experience that he has received from this season) “I think this year has been a great year for me. Like I said, I am still learning a lot of things, and I feel like I can come back next year and do better than I did this year. I am still learning the game, and it is fun to me that I can just go out there and do things and execute the plays. Just going out there and executing plays and seeing the way my coach looks at me when I walk off the field, knowing that I am doing a great job is a great thing. I’ve got to learn and we’ve got a Super Bowl up. Hopefully we get a win and next year come back and do it again.”
(on whether the team having its backs against the wall has helped in the playoffs) “We started our playoff run early. We had to win two games in order to be in the playoffs, which we did. It was hard, but we did it, we fought through it and we all came together as one. When we were playing individually you could see that we had nicks and bruises in our defense, our defense and in special teams. But when we all came in as one in harmony, (it was) like nothing could stop us. We knew what we had to do to get the job done, and we trusted each other and look where we ended up at. We are in Super Bowl XLVI.”
(on the benefit of playing alongside Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora) “If you look at other teams, you don’t really have pass rushers like us. We are talented guys, and when you look at us you could put any one of us anywhere on our D-line. You could put Linval (Joseph) at end, you could put Rocky (Bernard) at end, you could put Chris (Canty) at end, you can put me at inside tackle and you can put Osi (Umenyiora) at tackle. We can just switch up the whole defensive line, and if you put us anywhere we’re going to get the job done, no matter where we’re at.”
(on the pressure that the talent of the Giants’ defensive line can apply to opponents offensive lines) “It puts a lot of pressure, because when we line-up differently they don’t truly understand, ‘what are they doing?’ and what we are going to do at the time. So it is a great deal for us, and it gives us the advantage.”
(on whether it will be more difficult to have crisp, strong practices, because the team is not on a normal routine) “That is something that I’ve been thinking about. How I feel going into it is (that) we had a couple of practices last week, and if the Super Bowl was on Sunday we would have been playing in it. But we had a great Sunday, and now we’ve had Media Day, and we got here on Monday, we had media yesterday and media today. Today we actually get our first practice, so we’ll see how things go from there. We know that everybody is anxious to practice, and we’ve got to pick-up the pace right away. We’ve got to go in running full-speed. I know that I am going to go in and run full-speed, because I need it. I feel like I’ve been off for like two weeks now without practice, and that’s just not me. I feel like I’m home just relaxing. I know that I’m going to pick it up full-speed, and when it is time to play then I’m going to play.”
(on whether he is worried about what the team may face against the New England Patriots that the team will not be ready for on Sunday) “I’m not worried about (anything). I know what is at stake, my defensive line knows what is at stake and we’ve just got to play. No matter what the outcome is we know that it is going to be a tough game, and it is going to be a physical game. They are going to throw stuff at us that we might have never seen before, but we are going to get the job done.”
(on a consensus along the defensive line that they must get pressure on New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady) “Yeah, we know we have to get to Tom Brady, there are no ifs or buts about it. We’ve got to get there and we’ve got to get there fast, because Tom Brady is a good quarterback.”
(on whether he has additional nerves or emotions preparing for his first Super Bowl) “I feel the same way. It really hasn’t hit me that I am in the Super Bowl. I guess we might go out there in the first practice today, it is intense, we’ve got to hit the ground running and it might hit me. But right now we are going into another game and we need to win.”
(on whether he felt that the lack of competition on the collegiate level would hurt his draft stock) “To be honest with you, going into the draft I really didn’t care what team I got picked to. I was a hard-working man at the time too, so I was going in to help my parents out, just to make a little bit of money and I would work my way up (to) the top. But I had no clue where I was going to get picked at. My agent, Drew Rosenhaus, was like, ‘you will probably go first round,’ and I didn’t really know too much about all of that stuff. I wasn’t really a football guy that was focused in on the draft and all that type of stuff. But when I got picked where I got picked, I wasn’t too excited because I didn’t understand it. Now, going back and thinking about it, that was a big deal.”
(on not being overwhelmed as a football player) “I’m a humble guy, the big stuff doesn’t excite me. Me just playing football and going out there to help my team win is a lot to me. Just to see the smile on their faces like, ‘oh my gosh, we just won the game.’ That is what excites me. But all of the other attention, and all of the getting named this and named that, doesn’t really excite me. Just going out there and playing great football, and showing the fans how much we can do, the fans make me go crazy too. When I hear the fans screaming and stuff it makes me want to do even better.”
(on whether he gets caught up in the moment or in the hype) “Not at all. I do this day-by-day, and I am the same way every day. After the football season, I go home and relax with my family, and when it is time to roll back, then it is time to come back.”
(on how to rattle New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady) “Anybody can be rattled. Tom Brady is a great quarterback, but at the end of the day he is just a quarterback. It is not like he is God, he can’t be untouched. We’ve just got to get to him, and going into this game we know what’s at stake and we’ve got to get there fast enough. I know our secondary is going to do a great job covering the wide receivers and the tight ends, and we’ve just got to get to him. We know it all starts up front no matter what.”
(on how much the of the New York Giants’ success depends upon the team’s ability to apply pressure) “I would say that it is all on us really. It is all on the front line, the front four of the D-line, and also on the offensive line too. It is going to be all on the line in this game, and we know it. We’ve just got to get the job done. If guys are hurt, and they get hurt during the game, this is the last game. You’ve just got to tighten-up, you can’t feel sorry for yourself, and get the job done.”
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