Abdul Carter on Michael Strahan’s Advice to Rookies | New York Giants

Abdul Carter on Michael Strahan’s Advice to Rookies | New York Giants

How does 51 feel? Uh, I feel good. I feel like it’s going to have to grow on me a little bit, but it’s feeling good right now. How’d you settle on 51? Um, pretty much what we had available, so feels a good number. Is it set or could you change it for the regular season? Uh, it’s pretty much set. I’m just happy to be out here playing football. That’s really I’m that’s all I’m worried about. What’s it like to be out here today? Yeah, I feel like it really hit me today. Like being out here playing football, working with the guys, like just being on the field. Like I’m here like I made it to the NFL, but I’m also got to keep putting the work in. But I’m I’m loving it. What do you feel you want to show the coaches that you haven’t yet shown it? Um probably like more leadership ability. I feel like in college I’ve shown that a little bit, but just taking that next step, continuing growing as a leader. How much has Penn State prepared you for this opportunity? Can you kind of handle it really well? Yeah, I they prepared me a lot. Like more than I could thank them for. Like just them being there my my last three years growing as a a football player, but not just that, just growing as a man in general. So they helped me a lot. Have you met Brian Burns and Kavon Tibido yet? Yes, I have. What have you tal shot with them yet? No, we haven’t get a chance like to really chop it up. It’s really just mostly the rookies in here. I did I did meet them. They said what’s up to me, you know, gave me the good greetings. Just told me put my head down, just keep working. What’s What’s one of the first things you want to ask them about this game and how to be successful? Um, I feel like I probably wouldn’t ask anything more just watching. Just sitting back watching, seeing what they do, their habits, things like things I can pick up on, just grow from there. What’s it like having Straan at practice today and then Yeah, that’s dope. Like seeing somebody as legendary as somebody in the Giants organization coming back, giving back, giving us great advice. It’s dope to see him here. What did you say that kind of like stuck with you a little bit? Um, I would just say just speaking about the Giants history, knowing how much we win, know how much like our history, the championships we’ve brought to be a part of bringing that that legacy back. Um, just bringing that greatness back to New York. and knowing how much you care about legacy because you wore the 11 at Penn State, how much you take pride and just want to keep that going knowing that that’s part of your awareness. Yeah, I take a lot of pride in that. I just want to be great in everything I do and just being here. I just want to strive for greatness. It seems like you’re working with a couple different groups here today. Um, do you feel any added pressure because of how versatile you are to pick up the entire defense? No, I I pretty much did the same thing since I got to Penn State. They they moved me around since I was a freshman. Play linebacker, uh, edge, line up inside on guard stack. So, I pretty much been doing this since my freshman year. No difference at the NFL level on day one. No, it’s all good. All good so far. Are you one of those guys that has a hard time when the coach says, “All right, you’re going to be out. You’re not going to be in on seven on sevens today.” That sitting on the sideline not wanting to be out there competing. No, whatever they feel is best, I’m going to listen to what they say. Uh, so whatever tell me to do, that’s what I’m going to do. Just do my job. You working on pass protecting over there a little bit? Uh, it’s pump block. I like pump protection. Yeah. Yeah. How do you balance being humble but also being confident? Yeah, it’s definitely like a silver lining in there. It’s like a I don’t know. I feel like if you listen to the people around you, like the people that you trust and love, they tell you like, “Okay, you got to calm down a little bit or like there’s definitely a fine line there. I try not to cross it too much.” Abdul, going back to what you said before about wanting to be more of a leader. What how can you grow as a leader, do you feel? Um, I would just say pulling more people to like like just getting extra work in. Like after practice today, we just got all the guys that was there in the room with me that got got some extra work in after practice. Like things like that. Just not only making myself better, but pulling people to make them better, too. Is that something to do? No, I don’t think so. Uh, so dancing in line a little bit kind of music. How how comfortable are you? Yeah, I just I like having fun out here. I just when I’m out here with the pads on, with my helmet on, I feel like that’s where I’m at my best. just I don’t know. I just fit in the most on the field just being out here having fun. Bill, Bill, what kind of linebacker Giants fans gonna see on Sunday afternoon? Um I ain’t worried about Sunday right now. I’m just focused on rookie mini camp. Uh taking everything one day at a time. What’s your What’s your weight right now? Uh 248. Is that where you want to be? You want to be Yeah, that’s pretty much like my prime. I feel best like 248. Oh, the Giants released their behind thescenes video of you on your like uh 30 visit here and one of the coaches said to you like uh can you learn all five positions? And you were like I’ll learn more if you want me to learn that. Is that something you expect? Like I’m going to have to learn all 11 positions like I need to know the entire defense. I don’t know about all 11, but but I mean just what everybody’s doing on every play. Yeah, I was talking to coach like he want to line me up at full back tire and I can block and catch. So wherever they need me, I’m going line up at. what you also said on that that you and Theo Johnson have unfinished business. You care to care to elaborate on that? Is that like practice battles? Yeah, we both like really competitive and like being on the opposite sides of the ball at Penn State, we just always was battling one-on- ones, team periods, just always going at it. So, it’s just going to be fun to do that again here with the Giants. I know. Did you ever play special teams in college a lot? Yeah. Um like my freshman year, my sophomore year, I played a little bit, but my last year I didn’t really play much, but I was on like pump block, so I did a little bit of that. Do you like playing special teams? I love it. Yeah. every position, every special team, defense, offense, they all just important. Are you bouncing around between meeting rooms at all right now or are you just learning edge right now with defense? Uh just mostly outside linebacker room. Anything else? What do you think of uh your outside linebackers, coach, Charlie? Yeah, he cool. Uh real laidback uh detailed when whenever we describing our playbook and everything we going over uh he willing to work. Come out here, he he be in the drills with us. His point working, got his cleats on. So I like it. Saw your tweet. jump in the you you on the Knicks bandwagon now fully or what? Yeah, I got to I got to catch the game. I want some floor seats to see just to see it up close. Just being up 12 right now versus the Celtics, the champions. I feel like they on a really good run. I’m starting to become a fan.

OLB Abdul Carter speaks to the media after day one of rookie minicamp. Presented by Zero Restriction.

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