Markus Golden’s success has meant just a little bit more to Giants defensive coordinator James Bettcher.
“For me, that one is personal because I have such a great relationship with him,” Bettcher said of Golden, whom he coached with the Cardinals before helping him come to the Giants this offseason. “Having worked with him when he was a rookie coming in and seeing that first year, how hard he worked to go from just being a 4-3 defensive end at Missouri to learning how to do some different things in this league.”
The success also means a bit more to Golden.
A stat correction this week turned a half-sack into a full-sack, giving him 10 for the season and triggering a $1 million bons.
“I earned it,” Golden said.
Golden began his NFL career with the Cardinals after the organization drafted him No. 58 overall in 2015, the same year Bettcher was promoted to defensive coordinator after two seasons as an outside linebackers coach. Bettcher, who is in his second year with the Giants, feels like he’s gotten a firsthand look at how much Golden has overcome to be where he is now.
“To watch the injury going into a year where he had big plans for himself in Arizona, we had big plans for him,” Bettcher said. “Then coming off that injury and continuing to battle, a knee turns into an ankle turns into another injury and seeing him come into this season and just have a chance to play healthy. Have a chance to play as hard as he can, as long as he can during the course of the game. I’ll forever be a Markus Golden fan and be one of his biggest supporters.”
The 28-year-old is set to become a free agent at the end of this season. He’s already made it clear he hopes to remain with the Giants.
“That meant a lot to me, that meant a whole lot to me,” Golden said. “As a pass-rusher, if you’re rushing the pass you want to be able to get to double-digit sacks no matter what, it’s always the goal. It was my mindset coming in and then I know that me rushing the passer and getting them down double digits is helping my team win.”
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