 |
If you ever needed motivation for anything, winning the Super Bowl is probably the easiest way to be motivated. To be out there and watch the game from a fan’s perspective with a seat is bittersweet. You want to be out there. You want to play. You want to share that moment with those guys you went through camp with. Unfortunately, it didn’t come to pass this year.
But I was at the game. Game day I woke up excited as if I was going to play. I actually had to calm myself down because I was getting all riled up for no reason. It was exciting. We got there at like 4:30 and saw some of the guys and tried to stay out of their way. We tried to take as many photos and videos as possible just to document the event. To come away with a win is just something I’ll take with me for the rest of my life.
For the week, I didn’t get out there until Thursday when friends and family had an opportunity to go out there. There were so many fans out there. I obviously think the Giants have the best fans in the league in my opinion. They were out there. A lot of them actually knew me, showed me love, and wished me the best in my recovery. It was just awesome. It was a great experience to say the least. I was taken away by how much hospitality the Giants showed the players who weren’t actually even playing in the game. From my understanding other organizations don’t show the same type of love so it was good to be out there and be a part of a wonderful experience.
I say this all the time. I’m excited to be a part of it. I haven’t been on any other team obviously; I’ve spent my three years with the Giants. I’ve been hurt for the majority of my career and they’ve always been there to keep me upbeat and keep me involved. That’s something you really appreciate when you go through a significant injury like I am. There’s a bunch of great guys in this organization as well as a bunch of great players, which is why it’s known around the league as one of the best places not only to play but to just be a part of it. I’m blessed to be part of it.
Charles Way was kind enough to introduce himself when I first came to the Giants. One of the first things he said is that he’s a UVa guy. He’s been more than an asset not only to me, but guys like Chris Canty and Nate Collins that was here for a time period. Charles has been a big benefit for us. He was one of the guys that helped me out through the ordeal of figuring out where to go during the Super Bowl and what to do without distracting the guys who were participating in the game. Charles is a huge asset.
I thought Indy did a great job too. Indy is a small city. Typically if it weren’t the Super Bowl, you wouldn’t see that many people in Indy. The streets were packed. They had a lot of different other events like the NBA player party. I went to that. Ras-I Dowling obviously was out there with the Patriots. I hung out with him a couple of times at different events. Chris Long was out there doing business. I had an opportunity to go out there and enjoy the city of Indy with the Super Bowl surroundings. It was awesome. It’s one of those things where you’re thankful to be a part of it.
Everybody in New York City is on board. Even though there are Jets fans and Giants fans, the city was awesome. For lack of a better word, it was pandemonium. I think one thing about New York City is that they love and they hate hard. The fact we were able to bring a championship back to the city with the amount of people that support the New York Giants was such a cool event. Everyone is still living off of that right now and going out and reaping the benefits of being a Super Bowl Champion.
After the Super Bowl experience, I think we have to be back here by mid-April, but because I’ve been hurt all year my routine doesn’t waver that much even though the season is over. I still maintain a pretty phased rehab regimen. I stay around here and rehab. I go home every so often, I think every couple of weeks, to just get a change of environment. To be honest, the only thing different for me is that there aren’t as many people around to hang out with. I’m still in there pretty constantly working out and coming back home to take care of little things here and there.
The doctors and trainers are saying nothing but great things. The biggest thing is remaining positive and diligent in what you’re doing. If I can continue to do that, and I think I’ve done a pretty good job with it, I think I’ll be alright. I’ve just got to continue to grind and do what’s expected of me and try to get healthy so we can make another run at it next year.
“Beyond The Lawn” is a 12-month series found exclusively on TheSabre.com that follows three Virginia Cavaliers through a year as a professional athlete. Baseball’s Tyler Wilson (Baltimore Orioles), track and field’s Stephanie Marie Garcia (U.S. Olympic hopeful), and football’s Clint Sintim (New York Giants) share their experiences throughout the year.
