Giants rookie lineman plays waiting game
Published: October 1, 2010
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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Inside a crowded and frustrated New York Giants locker room, a throng of reporters rotated around dressing stalls last Sunday and probed outspoken players moments after the host Giants lost to the Tennessee Titans.
On the other side of the room and away from all the media attention, first-round draft pick Jason Pierre-Paul helped fellow rookie Linval Joseph tuck a red tie under his collar.
Both players got dressed in silence and for Joseph, a St. Croix native and the Giants’ second-round draft pick, it was the third straight week he had to put on a suit after not playing in the game.
“I understand the situation,” said Joseph, who was not included on the 45-man active roster Sunday and did not dress for the game. “There is zero discouragement from me. None at all.”
Joseph, who skipped his final year at East Carolina University to enter the NFL, signed a four-year, $4.1 million contract on July 31, which includes includes $2.5 million guaranteed. Yet the 6-foot-4, 328-pound defensive tackle has not been activated this season. That means Joseph has attended the Giants’ first three games but has been relegated to the sideline.
It’s not a question of skill or work ethic. It’s more of a numbers game.
NFL teams are allowed to dress only 45 players for games and those selected are based on a host of factors. The team’s game scheme for that week, depth at certain positions and injuries all come into play and ultimately influence who gets to put on a uniform and who does not.
For Joseph, who plays on a loaded defensive line, the numbers have not added up in his favor. It’s something he did not expect in the early stages of his professional career, but he’s not sulking one bit.
“Right now I’m a sponge,” said Joseph, who was one of five defensive players the Giants drafted in the first seven rounds back in April. “I’m soaking up everything and learning new things every day. I haven’t been on the field yet, but if you look at it, we have a great defensive line. We have good depth, everyone is healthy and that’s good.”
New York coach Tom Coughlin said the player limit is what’s keeping Joseph off the field for now
“The 45,” he said. “He is plenty good enough to play and dress and be a part of the team except the fact that it’s very difficult and you have to plan for this. We kept nine defensive linemen and you keep them for a reason because as you get further and further into the season ... you find out that you need all the outstanding players you can have.”
Joseph said he is close with Pierre-Paul, who has appeared in each game this season in backup roles and on special teams. On Sunday, he tackled Titans running back Chris Johnson for a loss on a third-down play in the second quarter and celebrated with teammates as the Titans prepared to punt.
Aside from Johnson being Joseph’s former ECU teammate — they played together during Joseph’s freshman season — he is also one of the leading rushers in the NFL. Johnson rushed for 125 yards and two touchdowns to lift the Titans to a 29-10 win over the Giants, who dropped to 1-2 on the season.
“Chris was a senior when I was a freshman so we know each other,” said Joseph, who communicated with Johnson days before the game through text messaging. “He’s a good guy. Actually, we’re a lot alike. We both went to a small school but we are hard workers and we will never give up. Strong willed and dedicated. Nothing holds us back.”
As he watched from the sideline Sunday wearing a Giants practice shirt and blue shorts, Joseph did what he could.
He cheered for his teammates after a big play and kept his eyes glued to the what the Titans offensive line was doing. When starting defensive tackles Chris Canty and Barry Cofield came back to the sideline, they tapped Joseph for information and made adjustments accordingly.
The defensive tackles help, Joseph said. “We’re a team. When we’re closer together, we play better. Sometime, they can’t see what I see from the sideline and vice versa. During the game, we talk about it and together, we get the job done.”
In Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers, the starters told Joseph to study a certain guard.
“When they came back, they had questions and we went over everything,” he said. “Next time, we started to make sacks and it felt good to contribute in that way.”
Those same veteran players have had the biggest influence on Joseph since he made his first-ever visit to New York for a rookie mini-camp in May. Their breakfast needs have also been met, compliments of Joseph and the other rookies.
“Being a rookie can be fun sometimes,” Joseph said. “Like they say — you have to pay your dues. On Fridays and Saturdays we have to bring the vets breakfast. I got them breakfast sandwiches today.”
The early morning delivery came out to 12 breakfast sandwiches for the entire defensive line and a special order of pancakes for standout defensive end Justin Tuck.
“Yeah, there’s the singing and the dancing you always hear about,” Joseph said when describing the rookie rituals. “I buy them 100 calorie snacks and stuff like that. But right now, after training camp and everything, I feel like they respect me and I respect them. We have a solid bond and hopefully they will trust me enough to help the team.”
Joseph said he has prepared for each week like he is going to start at defensive tackle for the Giants and has perfected a daily routine that eliminates all outside distractions and possible setbacks.
He lives less than five minutes from New Meadowlands Stadium and his day usually starts around 6 a.m. After a quick meditation session, he drives to the team’s practice facility and gets in an early morning workout and then repetition takes over.
“After that, it’s eat, meet, and practice,” Joseph said. “Then we eat, meet again and then I go home and watch film for at least two hours. Before I go to bed, I like to look over the playbook to get a head start on the next day. The studying continues every minute of the day.”
Joseph has to be on top of his game every single day because coaches are watching and decisions are being made. He does not get a final word about the active roster until an hour or even 30 minutes before kickoff.
“I feel very badly for Linval,” Coughlin told reporters last week. “It hurts as a coach to have to tell a kid that he’s not getting a suit, but you do have to stick to the 45 and you do have very serious special teams considerations. It’s not just offense-defense.”
Joseph admitted that it can be mentally straining to work hard all week and not get rewarded with a uniform, but it all goes back to the first lesson he learned when he got drafted by the Giants. It’s the same lesson every person his age learns right after leaving college.
“It’s a job. I know it’s almost funny to say that, but it is a job,” the 21-year-old Crucian said. “It’s hard work, both mentally and physically. But I love playing football. I take it very seriously.”
The first three weeks of the regular season have been a trying time for Joseph, but he remains positive. He has had open discussions with Coughlin about his status and he believes No. 97 will march through an NFL tunnel in the coming weeks and will eventually play a significant role with the Giants.
“I know my number is going to be called any day or at any time,” Joseph said.
— Contact sports reporter Aaron Gray at 774-8772 ext. 352 or e-mail agray@dailynews.vi.
