Keith Hamilton, knew his baby boy was going to enjoy some tremendous benefits as the son of an NFL star, but also have to carry the burden of comparisons.
So when his wife suggested they name their son Keith Hamilton Jr., Keith tossed that idea like an off-balance guard. Yes, father knew best.
“He didn’t want me living in his shadow,’’ said Rutgers star freshman defensive end Darius Hamilton. “I appreciate him thinking about me like that.’’
It took a while for Darius Hamilton to decide for himself to step out of the shadow of his father, who played on the Giants defensive line from 1992-2003.
Entering his sophomore season at national high school football power Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, N.J., Darius was unable to get the No. 75 he had worn all of his life, the number his father wore with the Giants.
He switched to 94 (he will wear 91 at Rutgers), but the real change was internal.
“Every article I would read it would be, ‘Darius Hamilton, son of ex-football Giant and I didn’t want to have that anymore,’ ’’ Darius said. “My dad was a great player, but I felt like it was time for me to make my own name.’’
Hamilton made quite a name for himself at Don Bosco. He was the No. 1 prospect in the state, the No. 2-ranked high school defensive lineman in the country and the 11th-ranked recruit overall in the nation when he chose Rutgers over Florida and Miami.
Hamilton will see time this season for the Scarlet Knights, who open their season Saturday at Tulane. Rutgers, coming off a 9-4 season, could make a run at a first-ever Big East Conference title, but will have to come without former head coach Greg Schiano, now the head coach of the NFL’s Buccaneers.
Kyle Flood was elevated to head coach, and he quickly scored one triumph by securing a commitment from Hamilton, the highest ranked recruit in school history. Flood recently named former Don Bosco star Gary Nova as the starting quarterback.
“I really believed I was the best man for the job,’’ Flood said. “Because no one could care more about these kids and this program than I do.’’
As for Hamilton, he knows he’s one of the lucky ones. He refers to his mother, Rosita Collazo, as the love of his life, and his father as his rock.
“I am so proud of how my son has grown into a man,’’ Keith Hamilton told The Post. “If he wasn’t my son, and I met him, I would say, ‘That’s a terrific young man.’ That means more to me than any tackle he’ll ever make.’’
The Scarlet Knights are counting on the 6-foot-4, 260-pound Hamilton, the gem in what has been rated as the top recruiting class in the Big East, to help take this program to the next level. He’s ready to step out of his father’s shadow on a national stage.
“I’m honored to have a dad who played in the league, who taught me as much as he taught me about the position,’’ Darius said. “There’s never a day goes by that I don’t thank him for what he’s done for me. He’s always put me in the best opportunities to succeed. He’s always been there to guide me. He’s been my dad, been a coach, been everything to me.’’
lenn.robbins@nypost.com
