The New York Giants opened their two-day rookie minicamp in East Rutherford on Friday and there was a familiar face in attendance: Team legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Strahan.
Strahan took in practice from the fieldhouse sideline, often stopping to chat with members of the front office and coaching staff.
Michael Strahan in the house for Giants rookie mini-camp pic.twitter.com/hWACLjsXVi
But Strahan, who is angling to purchase a portion of the team, didn’t stay quiet for long.
Following the conclusion of practice, Strahan addressed all 80 players in attendance for rookie minicamp, expressing the grit, determination, and consistency it takes to survive in the NFL.
Michael Strahan spoke to the rooks post-practice pic.twitter.com/l6fu5EtTNm
“I’m proud to be here, man. To watch you guys on your first day here,” Strahan said. “Y’all are working hard, busting your (expletive). And this is that kind of business where this is what it takes every day. And I’ll be honest with you, the more you do it, the easier it gets.
“But you’ve got a great coaching staff here. You’ve got coaches that care. You’ve got an organization that cares about you; an organization that’s here for you and wants you to succeed. And you’ve got guys like myself who are too old to do it anymore but who come around because we want to see you guys and we want to be a part of what you’re building for the future. We want to be a part of your greatness.”
Strahan also expressed the pride of being a Giant and the hope that each of the rookies share in that pride.
For many, Strahan’s message resonated.
“Seeing somebody as legendary, somebody in the Giants organization coming back, giving back, giving us great advice. It’s dope to see him here,” Abdul Carter said. “I just want to be a part of bringing that legacy back. Just bringing that greatness back to New York.”
“It was a great message just telling us to come in here, work hard and compete with each other and root for each other while we out there,” Darius Alexander said. “It’s crazy seeing the Hall of Famer here on the first day just come watch us practice, watch us have fun as rookies like he did when he was younger, but it was awesome.”
Although Strahan is a legendary defender, his message also reached some of the young offensive players.
“It’s incredible. He’s a legend, you see him on the walls. I’ve seen him on TV for a long time, he’s bigger in person. So, it’s great to have a person like that who’s open, who’s able to come around the facility a ton,” Jaxson Dart said. “And kind of like Eli (Manning), those are people that you can lean on and ask for advice because they’ve done it at the highest level. So that’s kind of my mindset, and I’m excited to continue to grow my relationship with him.”
In addition to Strahan, Carl Banks was also in attendance on Friday. The rookies can likely expect additional legends to pop up from time to time — possibly even again on Saturday.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: New York Giants legend Michael Strahan addressed rookies on Day 1 of minicamp
Reporting by Dan Benton, Giants Wire / Giants Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
