Lughead Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 Shockey Speaks TE Jeremy Shockey meets with the media for the first time in training camp. By Michael Eisen, Giants.com Take this story to go! - RSS | Podcast | Mobile August 1, 2007 EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. � The day Jeremy Shockey first speaks publicly in training camp is one that is usually eagerly anticipated by reporters who cover the Giants. The team�s stellar tight end is usually controversial, humorous and provocative, and his occasional shots have kept tape recorders rolling and headline writers busy since he joined the Giants in 2002. But it was a different Shockey who stood before the media today at the University at Albany. He was quiet and careful, refusing to discuss some subjects and saying little about others that normally would elicit a memorable comment or two. �Even my first year when I went to (the University of) Miami, I tried to be outspoken with the team. A leader is not something that someone tries to make you into, it�s something you are naturally born with.� - TE Jeremy Shockey on his role with the Giants. Take, for example, his response to a question about how the offense will change without Tiki Barber, the franchise�s career rushing leader who retired after the 2006 season. Shockey could have boasted about how the offense won�t miss a beat, or how annoyed he was that Barber�s midseason retirement announcement stole the focus away from last year�s team. But instead of lashing out, Shockey made nice. �I just feel like he was such a great leader, a great person and obviously you hate seeing someone like that leave, but that�s life,� he said. �He moved on and this team is going to move on without him and I think we are going to be successful and some guys are going to have to step up and take on that leadership role and take command of this offense. It�s still early in camp and everybody is just kind of coming in and trying to grasp all the plays that they�re throwing at us and we really don�t have time to do anything but practice and study, so it�s been hard to imagine not playing with him.� The closest Shockey came to displaying his old bravado was when he was asked if he would be one of the players filling in the leadership void. �Every team I�ve been on, I�ve considered myself to be a leader,� he said. �Even my first year when I went to (the University of) Miami, I tried to be outspoken with the team. A leader is not something that someone tries to make you into, it�s something you are naturally born with.� Coach Tom Coughlin has been pleased with Shockey�s effort and demeanor. �He has he has been working hard and encouraging guys,� Coughlin said. �He�s trying to do things in a very positive way from a team standpoint.� Coughlin has instructed his players to make fewer divisive comments and do their talking on the field. Shockey has apparently taken that to heart, because he was unusually reticent on several subjects. For example, a question about Michael Strahan, who has not reported to camp, was met with an �I don�t want to talk about that. That is Mike�s business and I respect him, he�s a Hall of Fame player and whatever he�s doing, it�s none of my business." At the Giants� mini-camp in June, Shockey spoke about the weight he had gained in the offseason. Today he said, �Let�s get off the weight subject and talk about football.� That�s a topic about which he remains passionate. Shockey has been selected to four Pro Bowls in his first five seasons (though he missed three of the games with injuries). As he enters his sixth Giants year, Shockey believes he still has plenty of room for improvement. �I�m very hard on myself,� he said. �I know a lot of people put pressure on me. But it�s not something outside people put on you, it�s something you put on yourself. I put a lot of pressure on myself and I expect to get a lot better every year. �I�m 26 years old right now. I have a lot of time to play in this league and I feel I can get a lot better. Last year I made some bad reads and I cheated myself out of probably 10 balls. Even though I get all the accolades and the awards, I feel I can definitely get better. When you stop thinking you can get better as a football player, it�s not good.� Despite missing the season finale with an ankle injury, Shockey led the Giants last year with 66 receptions, the second-highest total of his career. He tied his career best with seven touchdown receptions. When training camp opened last week, tight ends coach Mike Pope, who is as close to Shockey as anyone in the organization, said his prot�g� is still on the rise. �I think in this league you have to be every year,� Pope said. �Because he has been in the Pro Bowl a few times, he led the team in receiving last year, he's not an unknown item. Our new defensive coordinator (Steve Spagnuolo) is from Philadelphia and it is very interesting to hear what those people say when they look at your players and they come here from a team you play twice a year, or three times as was the case last year. When they contribute information to what you thought about their particular team, then they turn around and tell you how they planned to stop those types of players, it's very helpful. You get to a point where a player physically probably won't get a lot bigger, as they age they tend to decline, but the experience and the things that they've learned along the way they just have to put that in play more, and then it involves getting them the opportunities. I thought Jeremy made a good deal of progress on the blocking side this past year. He really contributed to our running game; you don't run for that many yards off tackle without those players, so we're going to have to continue to do that.� Shockey caught many of his passes last season with his back to the end zone. Ideally, the Giants would like to get him downfield more often and have Eli Manning hit him in stride. �Unlike golf, where guys can go out and workout on their own, it doesn't happen that way here,� Pope said. �(Shockey�s expected improvement) is a combination of a lot of things and we spend time in the spring making all the parties, the throwers and the catchers involved and trying to get the ball down the field and seeing if we can't get more big plays. Everyone was not pleased that a guy with his size averaged 9.4 yards per reception. We have got to do better than that, so we are going to get to work on that and it doesn't take too many balls down the field. If you just continue to throw the ball short to good players, then the defense just collapses on them and it gets harder and harder to do that. So hopefully what we come out of this camp with is opportunities to push the ball down the field, particularly against the types of coverages that are played today, so many two-deep coverages.� Right now, Shockey and the Giants� offense are preparing for the season. So, one reporter asked, how about the �dynamic� plays the team will run this season? �I don�t want to talk about that,� Shockey said, �because when I talk about it, other teams read it and then we don�t get to run those dynamic plays.� Shockey is still a Pro Bowl player, but early indications are he�s no longer an all-star talker. My, MY could It be he finally get's "IT". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeMesiS Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 It doesn't matter. I want to see how he reacts if or when the Giants start losing. That's when you see Shockey's true colors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sephiroth Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 Dude, it was awesome to see him keep his mouth shut. Let's hope it lasts the whole year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lughead Posted August 2, 2007 Author Share Posted August 2, 2007 Dude, it was awesome to see him keep his mouth shut. Let's hope it lasts the whole year. It's not that he is keeping his mouth shut he is talking to the media. But now He is talking like and adult . Not like his cockey youthfull way. Also Not Talking about this one or that oneon the team. He had a chance to slam Strahan or at least put in his 2 cents worth and look how he handled it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickeef2 Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 It doesn't matter. I want to see how he reacts if or when the Giants start losing. That's when you see Shockey's true colors. Exactly. Let's see how this "new Shockey" holds up after the first pass sails over his head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Treehugger Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 What did Shockey say in the past that blew everyone's minds? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herc Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 i dont care what he says as long as he produces and plays hard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randoff Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 i dont care what he says as long as he produces and plays hard I expect 70 catches (most on third down conversions) and 5-7 T.D.s I DO care what he says.....control your tongue Shockey. When your team loses a hard fought game don't go mouthin' off about other factors (i.e. coaching, playcalling, Tiki not being here, Eli, etc..) Capeesh?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sephiroth Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 What did Shockey say in the past that blew everyone's minds? Uhh... it's a joke, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Treehugger Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 Uhh... it's a joke, right? No Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randoff Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 What did Shockey say in the past that blew everyone's minds? Calling Parcells a Homo? Ever heard of ANY player doing that....? And there's more....! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Treehugger Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 Calling Parcells a Homo? Ever heard of ANY player doing that....? And there's more....! Trashing another team's coach...is disruptive how? And it was four years ago, and he denied ever saying it. What else? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randoff Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 Trashing another team's coach...is disruptive how? And it was four years ago, and he denied ever saying it. What else? Why even go there? Calling a former Giants coach a homo. Or calling another man a Homo on t.v.? Anyway.... remember this? Giants' Shockey speaks, and creates no controversy August 2, 2007 What Shockey did yesterday was to follow the path he set for himself - or perhaps was set for him - after his "We were outcoached" rant after the 42-30 loss in Seattle last Sept. 24. He's been a lightning rod ever since he joined the Giants out of Miami in 2002. He kept that up in his first comments of last year's camp, calling Tom Coughlin "an ass," albeit as part of a compliment, and saying part of his maturation process meant he could party hard but still recover in time to do his workouts in the offseason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randoff Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 Tree, check this out! Outsports - Shut up and play! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Treehugger Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 Why even go there? Calling a former Giants coach a homo. Or calling another man a Homo on t.v.? Anyway.... remember this? Giants' Shockey speaks, and creates no controversy August 2, 2007 What Shockey did yesterday was to follow the path he set for himself - or perhaps was set for him - after his "We were outcoached" rant after the 42-30 loss in Seattle last Sept. 24. He's been a lightning rod ever since he joined the Giants out of Miami in 2002. He kept that up in his first comments of last year's camp, calling Tom Coughlin "an ass," albeit as part of a compliment, and saying part of his maturation process meant he could party hard but still recover in time to do his workouts in the offseason. This is my whole point. Shockey never said "We were outcoached", he said "We got outplayed and outcoached", described how well the opposing defense was put together, then went on to compliment Eli's play. Hardly a 'rant'. And the 'homo' comment was reported in a magazine, it wasn't on TV. The media are all over these guys and any tiny comment gets blown so far out of context that it's ridiculous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGBLUE01 Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 This is my whole point. Shockey never said "We were outcoached", he said "We got outplayed and outcoached", described how well the opposing defense was put together, then went on to compliment Eli's play. Hardly a 'rant'. And the 'homo' comment was reported in a magazine, it wasn't on TV. The media are all over these guys and any tiny comment gets blown so far out of context that it's ridiculous. I loved it, fuck Fatcells, that trader. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Treehugger Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 I loved it, fuck Fatcells, that trader. He's a fucking traitor as well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGBLUE01 Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 He's a fucking traitor as well! LOL!...Thanks Tree. You've been vary hellpfol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Treehugger Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 Tree, check this out! Outsports - Shut up and play! He's not down with showering with gays, so what? Again, I'm pretty sure that's just a molehill. I've read far more comments from him where he's been extremely supportive of teammates, especially Eli. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randoff Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 He's not down with showering with gays, so what? Again, I'm pretty sure that's just a molehill. I've read far more comments from him where he's been extremely supportive of teammates, especially Eli. Just pointing out some things he said...I know Shockey has said good things too. But I'm a slight Shockey hater. The arm flailing and the overrated tough guy 'image' isn't my cup of tea. And I haven't forgiven him yet for droppin' that pass in the Wildcard debacle vs SF....then he smiles after....whoa! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
US Patriot Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 It doesn't matter. I want to see how he reacts if or when the Giants start losing. That's when you see Shockey's true colors.Yeah, he is not satisfied being a "loser". If I were a Head Coach, I would only want players that want to be winners and are not happy being losers. Nem, what kind of players would you want? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGBLUE01 Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 Just pointing out some things he said...I know Shockey has said good things too. But I'm a slight Shockey hater. The arm flailing and the overrated tough guy 'image' isn't my cup of tea. And I haven't forgiven him yet for droppin' that pass in the Wildcard debacle vs SF....then he smiles after....whoa! This, in bold, I agree with. But other than that, I love Shock. The arms flailing at what not, its great. Get pumped up and run people over, and if we start losing, get pissed. You know who doesnt do those things? Randy Moss. Why? Cause he dont give a shit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randoff Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 This, in bold, I agree with. But other than that, I love Shock. The arms flailing at what not, its great. Get pumped up and run people over, and if we start losing, get pissed. You know who doesnt do those things? Randy Moss. Why? Cause he dont give a shit. That being said: My list of guys worse than Shockey (in no particular order) Terrell Owens Randy Moss Porter Burress Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGBLUE01 Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 That being said: My list of guys worse than Shockey (in no particular order) Terrell Owens Randy Moss Porter Burress The Blue agrees w/ the Doff on the list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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