Ahead of his second year with the New York Giants, many are expecting a big jump from Abdul Carter following his rookie season. Carter will be working with a brand-new coaching staff that includes newly hired head coach John Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson.
Retired Giants great Justin Tuck, who was promoting the release of The Beast by Dane Brugler, recently spoke with Giants Wire and was asked about Carter’s rookie year.
Ironically, Carter’s rookie year reminded Tuck of his own.
“I mean, honestly, Abdul’s rookie year reminded me of mine, to be honest with you. He came in with more fanfare than I did. It started off slow. There was a lot of praise—and well deserved, for that matter—for what he did in college and what he looked like he was going to turn into as a pro,” Tuck said. “So it definitely started out slower than people expected, but I think that’s because of a lot of reasons. One, it’s hard to finagle yourself into that lineup when you have guys like Burns and Kayvon who are pros and know exactly what the NFL game looks like. I obviously had Michael [Strahan] and Osi [Umenyiora] and was in a similar situation.
“As time goes by, you start to realize that this is a pro game. This is not college. It’s something that makes you grow up pretty quickly, and I think he did that. From what I saw from Abdul later in the year, the game was slowing down for him. Also, just the distractions around him—I think he did a good job of eliminating those and getting them out of his life, from what I could see at the end of the year. And I think you saw his production pick up.
“So now, getting an opportunity to go through the offseason and truly hone his craft as an NFL player, I think the sky is the limit for him. I think his talent is phenomenal, and I’m only wishing him a ton of luck.”
Carter had some off-the-field issues and was benched early in a few games throughout the season under former head coach Brian Daboll and former interim head coach Mike Kafka.
Carter’s production certainly came alive toward the end of the season.
Tuck’s comparison of Carter to himself is something the Giants can certainly get behind. Following the selection of Carter, the Giants’ star-studded defensive line was often compared to the dominating defensive lines that Tuck was a part of.
If Carter turns out to be anything close to the player Tuck ended up being, he will be a building block for the Giants for years to come and a player fans will get behind.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: New York Giants great Justin Tuck on Abdul Carter: ‘Sky is the limit’
Reporting by Tyler Henry, Giants Wire / Giants Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
