Post columnist Steve Serby catches up with fourth-year Giants receiver Wan’Dale Robinson during his breakout season for some Q&A.
Q: Describe Jaxson Dart’s swag.
A: Whenever you just talk to him, you can just tell he’s got everything that you need and that you want in your quarterback. He can relate to everybody. Whenever it’s time to goof around, he can goof around. Whenever it’s time to be serious, he can get the guys going as well.
Q: Physically on the field, what excites you about him?
A: He’s just gifted. He works really hard knowing exactly what he needs to do out there, just doing the stuff in the building so that pre-snap he’s all ready to go before every play. And then he’s just got that God-gifted ability to be able to create plays whenever plays break down, and make things happen.
Q: Can he lead this team to the fifth Lombardi Trophy?
A: I think so. I believe so.
Q: Why do you want to stay a New York Giant?
A: I love my teammates, and I feel like a big part to a receiver is having that guy back there that you know can get you the football. A couple of my other good friends on this team are still gonna be here next year. Want to just build with this team. New York’s a different place whenever we’re winning.
Q: You’ll be a free agent at the end of the year.
A: I feel like I’ve honestly handled it pretty well. Haven’t been pressed about getting a contract or anything like that. I have great agents that I know will do everything they can in their power to make sure that I get the deal that I deserve and that I need. So I’ll just let them handle that, and whatever happens, happens.
Q: Define Wan’Dale swag.
A: I’m calm, I’m cool. Just kind of a quiet confidence, and never too loud, never too much for anybody. I’ve just always been pretty chill and just try to be able to relate to everybody.
Q: You’ve got 828 receiving yards, so 1,000 yards is right within your grasp. How important would that be to you?
A: I think it’d be pretty important, a slot guy that people like to label me as, just having 1,000 yards, not a lot of slot guys you can, per se, have done that. I think it’d be a pretty big accomplishment for me — always kind of been told you wouldn’t be able to do that being in the NFL, you did it in college but you won’t be able to do it in the NFL.
Q: You have 73 catches, 20 shy of your 2024 career high.
A: I wasn’t too worried about the catches, was more so worried about the yards. The catches are gonna come. I feel like our coaches do a great job of putting me in great positions to get my catches and get my touches.
Q: When did you tell Brian Daboll and Mike Kafka you wanted to run different routes?
A: Whenever we had our exit meetings I was just kind of like, “I just feel like it would be beneficial for kind of all of us, our whole offense, me getting down the field more.” Just the way guys were playing me, they knew that I wasn’t going down the field, and so it would help open up all that.
Q: Was this with both of them?
A: There was only Dabs and Joe [Schoen, GM] at that point, but then just having conversations with Kaf in the offseason, and then he was kind of on the same page too, he was like, “I want to get you more down the field, just watching the stuff from last year I just think it’ll open up your game a lot.”
Giants wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson (17) runs with the ball against New England Patriots safety Craig Woodson (31) during the third quarter at Gillette Stadium. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Q: What percent this year have you been out of the slot?
A: Much more, especially whenever we’re in our 12 personnel packages, with two tight ends and just two receivers — I wouldn’t say 50/50, probably more like 60/40 now.
Q: How good can you be?
A: I think it’s all just given with opportunity. I’ve always felt like I’m one of the better receivers in this league, and just being able to showcase what I can do.
Q: Where have you made the biggest strides this year?
A: I think just the whole route tree, just being able to run everything, playing inside, playing outside, getting down the field a whole lot more.
Q: Scale of 1-10, where’s your confidence level?
A: 10 … Always (laugh).
Q: It’s always been 10?
A: I’m always confident, I’m never going into a game not confident. I’m always well-prepared, knowing exactly who I gotta go against, and just always feeling that I can do everything that I want to do out there on the field.
Q: Can anybody cover you one-on-one?
A: No, I don’t think so (chuckle).
Q: Describe you and Malik Nabers together.
A: We had talks about it this year. I think you saw it in the Dallas game. That’s kind of what we wanted and what we expected, just feeding off each other, just being able to go out there and play our best ball.
Giants wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson (17) catches a pass for a touchdown in the first quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Q: What makes you so tough?
A: I started playing when I was 5, and I was actually playing with 6- and 7-year-olds. I was always a year younger than everybody that I played with. My dad, that was his doing, wherever I was technically from, we didn’t have tackle football so we drove to Louisville [Ky.] and we used to fake birth certificates so that way I could play with older kids. When I was in sixth grade, I was on the eighth-grade team. When I was in high school, I started as a freshman. Just always been told you gotta get back up even if you get hit hard.
Q: Ever think about challenging Dexter Lawrence to a wrestling match?
A: Nope. I would lose in a heartbeat (laugh).
Q: Which are your favorite plays this year?
A: Probably would have to be the trick play [in Detroit]. Everybody was kind of involved in that play — throwing it to Motor [Devin Singletary], Motor throwing it back to Jameis [Winston], and then I’m wide open down the field. Jameis throws a great ball, and catching a touchdown in the end zone there.
Q: Where does the 32-yard TD bomb from Russell Wilson in Week 2 at Dallas rank?
A: That’s probably No. 2 right there. At that point in that game, it felt like it was kind of the dagger into the game and we were gonna be able to seal it off, but obviously it didn’t end the way we wanted to.
Q: Tell me about your girlfriend, Alyna.
A: She’s great. I feel like that’s kind of part of the reason why I’ve been able to play so well this year, too. I don’t have to worry about anything at home, she takes care of everything that I need. I don’t have to worry about the extra stuff. She motivates me, too. She wants the best for me. Every time that I come home, she’s just asking, “How is football da da da da da?” She gets me motivated, too — like whenever I hit certain milestones, she’s always celebrating it like no other. It just makes you feel appreciated.
Q: How did you meet her?
A: We met at the Kentucky Derby … two years ago.
Q: Tell me how that happened.
A: I was there with a bunch of my friends. One of my buddies had a friend that was there and she was around with them. We were more so just friends at that point in time, and just talked more and more from there, and then became boyfriend and girlfriend (laugh).
Q: Where did you two go during the bye week?
A: Universal Studios and then went to Fort Lauderdale [Fla.]. It’s good to get away, be in some sun. I love roller coasters, so that’s like one of the things I wanted to go do was go ride all the roller coasters, and she wanted to go spend some time on the beach, so we had the best of both worlds there.
Q: Why do you like roller coasters?
A: I guess it’s the thrill of going fast. The only roller coasters I really won’t do are the ones that just drop down like the drop towers and stuff like that. I don’t like those. But anything that’s moving and going pretty fast, I’ll do it.
Giants injured quarterback Jaxson Dart celebrates with wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson (17) on the sideline during the second quarter of the game against the Green Bay Packers at MetLife Stadium. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Q: You’re one of the nicest people I know. You’re not mean enough to play pro football.
A: (Laugh) I would say if you saw me on game day and saw me on the field, I’m a little bit different. I wouldn’t say angry, I just have a little bit more feistiness to me. Part of it’s just knowing how to treat people, and at the end of the day, I love my life and I have no reason to be mad about anything, so why not treat everybody with respect, too?
Q: When does that switch flip?
A: Really the moment I get into the locker room. You can’t be a nice guy out there on the football field or you’re gonna be hurt.
Q: Describe your offseason training in Atlanta.
A: Me, Slay [Darius Slayton] and Theo [Johnson], we all trained with the same trainer, his name’s Drew Lieberman. I also feel like that’s part of the reason why I’ve kind of excelled this year, just honing in on everything that it takes to be a receiver in this league. That was really our first year working together. Just made tremendous jumps with it. It was just so detailed, we had certain days that were just focused on releases, we had certain days that were just focused on certain breaks. Everything I feel like translated to football games,
Q: Whatever comes to mind: Jameis Winston.
A: Hilarious (laugh).
Q: Russell Wilson.
A: Confident.
Q: Abdul Carter.
A: A monster.
Q: Have you spoken to him about his tardiness or whatever?
A: Personally, I haven’t. I know he has some good vets in that room, Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux. Sometimes you just let those guys handle it. They’re with him more often than I am, so obviously they’re gonna have a much better relationship with him than I am. They’ve both been first-round picks and they know exactly what he’s going through.
Q: Cam Skattebo.
A: Crazy man (laugh).
Q: Kafka.
A: Calm.
Q: Daboll.
A: Crazy man, too (laugh).
Wan’Dale Robinson of the New York Giants carries the ball into the endzone for a touchdown as Kelee Ringo of the Philadelphia Eagles defends during the first quarter of the game at MetLife Stadium on October 09, 2025. Getty Images
Q: How so?
A: He cares a lot, he’s just really passionate about his players. I was one of his hand picks, I feel like. He just wanted the best out of you. If you made a mistake you were gonna hear about it, but whenever you made good plays, too, you were gonna hear about it as well.
Q: Do you guys feel like you let him down?
A: Yeah, I say somewhat, you know? Not closing out some of those games, people feeling like it was his fault … but at the end of the day, great coach and great man.
Q: Do you think Kafka will be a head coach in this league?
A: I do, I definitely do think Kafka will be a head coach. You can just tell by his demeanor that he’s ready to lead, and he has a calmness about him that players react well to.
Q: Burns.
A: Spida (laugh). He’s one of the good people that I talk to on this team. He’s a great person.
Q: Thoughts about John Mara.
A: I wish him all the best. He’s here occasionally now with the sickness [cancer], but just a great man, and every time you see him you want to shake his hand and just let him know you’re thinking about him. Whenever he was doing well, he was always at practice. If he saw you, he was gonna speak to you. Just a great man.
Q: You missed the playoff win as a rookie in the 2022 season.
A: I was laid up on the couch with a crutch on my leg just watching from home. I had [ACL] surgery probably a month before that.
Q: Is dealing with all the losing depressing at times?
A: It can be, but at the end of the day, kind of have to look at it on the bright side, like I’m still gonna do what I love to do, not a lot of people have this opportunity to do what I do. I just kind of always try to look at the bright side of it and just not take anything for granted.
Q: What was the flight home from Denver like after the Week 7 collapse?
A: Quiet. Didn’t know exactly what to think. Obviously, you don’t want to blame either side ’cause either side could have done more to help each other. It was just quiet and everybody was just kind of in shock.
Q: Do you ever get in a bad mood?
A: It’s rare, but yeah, there’s definitely times I’ll get in a bad mood.
Q: What puts you in a bad mood?
A: I would say right after a loss, that puts me in a bad mood (laugh). And then just normal life stuff, whatever may be going on with my girlfriend, and stuff like that. But never truly in a bad, bad mood.
Giants wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson (17) is all smiles after he scores a touchdown in the first half at MetLife Stadium Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025, Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Q: What drives you now?
A: My family. At the end of the day, me and my mom didn’t grow up with everything. Just being able to take care of her, make sure she doesn’t have to work another day in her life. Whenever I have kids and stuff like that, I want them to be well taken care of, and I don’t want to work again another day in my life, too (laugh).
Q: You mean after football?
A: I want that to be my last job that I ever have. I’ll be with my kids and stuff, but I’m not gonna be like, “Dang, I’ve gotta go to work” or something like that. I’d rather have stuff that’s on the side I can just go do whenever I want to, but I don’t want to have to answer to anybody.
Q: How’s your mom’s MS?
A: It’s a lot better. Being able to provide for her at this point in my life, she gets everything that she needs. She’s getting a whole lot better, she still has her days, but definitely a lot better than it was before I got to the NFL.
Q: What is the best advice she ever gave you?
A: Probably, “They’ll find you anywhere.” I kind of learned that pretty young. People are always trying to pull me away going to a better team or something like that, she was just like, “No, you could just stay right here with your people,” and I feel like that kind of kept me grounded. Like, [I] wanted to go to a different high school just ’cause it was a bigger high school and stuff like that. Se was like, “No, schools are gonna find you.” Then even being in college she was like, “You don’t have to worry about going to the biggest schools” that I could have went to. “At the end of the day, you go where you feel like you’re the most comfortable.” That’s what I did, and it got me to where I am today.
Q: Best advice from your father?
A: When I was 5 years old, the mentality that I always stepped out on the field with is, “You’re the best player when you step out there.” So that’s just kind of my mindset whenever I go out on the field.
Go behind the scenes with Big Blue
Sign up for Inside the Giants by Paul Schwartz, a weekly Sports+ exclusive.
Thank you
Q: Your favorite tattoo?
A: Probably my little sister’s name [Eliza, inside left arm].
Q: Why is she so important to you?
A: She’s my little Mini-Me. It’s kind of crazy ’cause we don’t have the same moms, we have the same dad. I just want to be a good example for her to grow up and know what it’s like, you gotta put in work to get what you want.
Q: Do you get into Manhattan?
A: I go in to shop, for the most part.
Q: How would you sum up your Giants career so far?
A: Sort of like a roller coaster. At least personally rookie year, tearing my ACL, and coming back (2023), not feeling all the way there until towards the end of the year. Then last year just didn’t get everything that I wanted out of it, just felt like I was just used in an underneath role and didn’t showcase everything that I wanted to do, and then now having the best year of my career.
Q: Career goals?
A: Haven’t really thought ever too much about career, just try to take it a year at a time. The goal of mine was to play 10 years, and then after that, everything else is a little bit extra. Just continue to go year by year and just continue to be the best person I can be.
Q: Tell Giants fans why there is hope for the future.
A: I feel like the guys that are here and that want to be here are going to continue to work and do everything that they can to turn this thing around. I feel like we have a good group of young guys that really want to turn this thing around and that are really passionate about football. And then I think there’s obviously some good vets that we have around here, too, that are really passionate as well.
Q: A final message to the fans?
A: Hopefully, I’ll be here. If I am here, I think that we’re gonna get this thing turned around. Obviously, I think ownership’s gonna do a great job of finding whoever they feel like needs to be here next year to lead this team.