Barry Cofield is the Giants nose tackle, the first opening-day rookie starter on the defensive line since Bill Neill in 1981.
But is Cofield indeed the Giants’ nose tackle or someone merely occupying the position until someone better comes along?
Cofield’s Northwestern education means he’s far too smart to anoint himself as anything other than what he is: a player on a weekly trial.
“This business is in and out, it’s a revolving door,” Cofield said yesterday. “I’m not going to say I feel comfortable at all. I feel comfortable playing the position, but any day it can change. I’m going to go out there and approach every week like it’s a tryout in practice and if I don’t play well in that game my job is going to be in jeopardy.
“If a couple of years down the road they give me a new contract then I’ll be the Giants’ nose tackle. As long as I’m a fourth-round pick with a minimal contract I know I can be out of there any time.”
Conversely, if he plays the way he did in Atlanta, where he had five solo tackles and dove into the pass-rush pool with the first sack-and-a-half of his career, he’ll be manning the demanding and often-unnoticed nose tackle spot for years to come.
“I think it’s a perfect position for him,” linebacker Antonio Pierce said.
It’s where Cofield will spend his Monday night at Texas Stadium, far removed from the glare of the national-television spotlight, nowhere near the battle downfield that pits the Giants’ defenders against the talented media-hog that is Terrell Owens. No, Cofield’s job above all is to grind his way through the Cowboys’ offensive line, holding his ground, occupying two blockers, trying to either bring down or at least slow up running back Julius Jones, who is averaging a healthy 4.6 yards per carry and comes at the Giants with three consecutive 100-yard rushing games.
The Giants’ run defense took a statistical plunge after allowing 223 yards in a 27-14 victory over the Falcons, an eruption that wasn’t as bad as it looks, considering 90 yards came on a single Warrick Dunn scoring run.
Cofield helped the cause with his best game to date and he does not operate like an ordinary rookie. He speaks with a low, rumbling, Barry White sort of voice, appears serious almost all of the time, and already looks fully grown at 6-4 and 306 pounds. As a fourth-round pick who simply hoped to make the final roster, he is amazed how quickly he got here but is not overwhelmed by where he’s at.
“I had a vision for myself,” Cofield said. “I was hoping I could be a guy who could stay active and come off the bench and spell guys when they needed it, be a guy who could be more of a utility man. Not in my wildest dreams did I think I’d be starting opening night.”
He got the job, Tom Coughlin said, not by default but because “He earned it.” Cofield’s teammates have come to appreciate that the rookie doesn’t act like one, which is rare.
“He’s tough,” linebacker LaVar Arrington said. “He stepped into a situation where there was uncertainty and guys are trying to win jobs; when the smoke has cleared Barry is playing very well. You can see his confidence level is going up. He pretty much had a breakout game last weekend. I think he fits in very well.”
Pierce calls Cofield “Quietly good, a quiet storm. He doesn’t say much as a rookie, you don’t even know he’s there half the time because he’s quiet, just does his job. He’s pretty consistent and you can see week in and week out he’s been getting better. As a young player, seeing him play, it excites the older guys, because they see this young guy playing real well.”
