Although the New York Giants have a star-studded defensive unit, one of the defense’s most irreplaceable players is defensive end Justin Tuck. The two-time All-Pro can harass any opposing quarterback and creates a mismatch nightmare for offensive linemen with his versatility and strength. In this exclusive one-on-one with Pro Player Insiders, Tuck reflects on the Giants’ run to the Super Bowl and has a message for Giants Nation with the big game right around the corner.
Q: How would you characterize the way this season has gone, considering some of the challenges you guys faced and how you’ve been able to put it all together in the playoffs, and now, going into the Super Bowl?
A: It was one of those roller-coaster years where it seemed like nothing was going our way. After the Jets game (a 29-14 Giants win), we just started to go with “all-in” as our rallying cry, and we’ve just been playing as a team since then. I think earlier in the year, we were playing as a bunch of individuals. We did a good job of just putting all that stuff behind us and really utilizing our talents that we have on this football team of late.
Q: When the Giants’ record was 7-7, what changed in the locker room? Talk about how the team has come together during this Super Bowl run and played its best football at the most important time.
A: After that 7-7 start, we were just a bunch of individuals; we weren’t a football team. The reason why we made that resurgence is … we don’t care about who scores the touchdown, who makes the sack, any of that. It’s all about playing as one. In the locker room, it’s been great. The leaders have stepped up to lead by example and by telling the younger guys what it takes to win. And that’s one of the reasons why we are where we are.
Q: Your front four seems to have no shortage of ways to get after the quarterback. How has the strength of the defensive line helped the team, and how much of an asset will having such a dynamic defensive line be in the Super Bowl?
A: We’ve got a lot of guys that can get after the quarterback. All of us are different and we’re all alike. I play inside and outside; JPP (Jason Pierre-Paul) does the same thing, Osi (Umenyiora) has been dominant at right end all year. We’re blessed to have the package that we have. This league is based off of scoring a lot of points and the quarterback play. The reason we’ve been successful is we have the capabilities of getting after the quarterback and making it a hard day for them.
Q: For all the Giants fans out there reading this, getting pumped to see their team in the big game, what message do you have for Giants Nation?
A: I would say continue to do what they’ve been doing the last couple weeks, because obviously it’s been working for us. Obviously, we feel very fortunate to play in a city like New York, with the fan base that we have, and we’re gonna try and go out to Indianapolis for those people because they definitely deserve it.
