GIANT NOTES
ALBANY – When he awakes, Jeremy Shockey feels pain in his right foot. He feels no discomfort when he runs straight ahead but as yet has not been cleared to change directions. He’s not practicing yet with the Giants, and after just two days of training camp the antsy tight end is feeling restless.
“It’s hard to be a cheerleader all the time,” Shockey said yesterday. “It gets old, so I try to correct guys when they do things wrong, but I don’t want them getting tired of me like I’m a coach and look at me like a coach instead of a friend.”
On June 22, Shockey had a pin inserted into his right foot to stabilize a lingering stress reaction. At the time, estimates were he’d miss the first two weeks of camp, a timetable that appears on or close to schedule. Shockey has worked in individual drills but not in any team periods.
“I probably could go out there and practice every day,” he said, “but that’s risking injury and stuff like that.”
*
Tom Coughlin’s complaint yesterday morning was that he wanted to see more enthusiasm out of the Giants.
“It’s got to come from within,” he said. “We all know this is a grind, but you have to have enthusiasm and zest for what you do.”
Coughlin wants to see more spirit but he insists he has little tolerance for the inevitable fights that will break out once the heat rises and the pads are worn.
“I don’t condone it,” Coughlin said. “I condemn it. Fighting, to be honest with you, has absolutely no place in football.”
FS Brent Alexander, an 11-year veteran, worked often with the first-team defense ahead of Omar Stoutmire. The two will rotate as they battle for the starting job.
Rookie WR Jamaar Taylor continues to be an early camp standout. He made an over-the-shoulder grab of a long pass from Eli Manning. Taylor, a sixth-round pick from Texas A & M, dropped in the draft because he had surgery to repair his right ACL back in October.
He’s made a quick recovery and says his speed, once 4.38 in the 40, is back to 4.42. Another good-looking WR is newcomer JaJuan Dawson, a fifth-year player.
The goal for DT Norman Hand was to report to camp at about 315 pounds but he arrived at 335. That’s OK with the Giants, as Hand was over 350 when he signed, and the Giants set a goal of 335.
“I still want to get down, I’ve got the whole training camp to do that,” Hand said.
LB Carlos Emmons, (broken leg) will practice once a day.
