Giants OL Justin Pugh is Ready to Learn from Teammates
+ Good Will Beatty quotesQuote
No matter what the advice is, if it's coming from one of his veteran teammates, New York Giants first-round draft pick Justin Pugh is all ears.
Just how serious is the offensive tackle out of Syracuse about listening to his older teammates?
When right guard Chris Snee "advised" the rookie to get a credit card before he reports to the team's program full time, presumably so that Snee and the rest of the veterans could enjoy a few meals at the rookie's expense this season, Pugh listened.
"I did get a credit card," Pugh said with a boyish chuckle. "I am ready."
Pugh might not be ready for the kind of dinner bills his perpetually hungry teammates are capable of generating in a single sitting--very few rookie offensive linemen are--but that he's willing to listen to even the minutest recommendations bodes well for the 22-year-old, who said he'll be asking them for more than just tips about what to bring to his first training camp this summer.
"I think for me, the biggest thing I can learn is how to be a professional," Pugh said regarding one of the most pressing pieces of advice he'll seek from his teammates. "How to prepare, how to study--all of those little things that go into taking my game to the next level and contributing to the New York Giants."
Pugh, who will initially compete with James Brewer and David Diehl for the starting right tackle job, said that he has already heard from Diehl.
"Yeah, he actually texted me when I was drafted and said congratulations and any way he can help out," Pugh said. "He is an 11-year tackle and he has been in the biggest games and won the biggest games."
Pugh can also expect to receive support from William Beatty, the Giants' starting left tackle, who was the team's second round pick in 2009 and who knows a thing or two about being a high draft pick coming in with even higher expectations.
"When you're drafted by this organization, they tell you exactly what's expected of you," Beatty said when asked what Pugh is facing as he begins his transition to the pros. "It's all about being a professional and taking pride in everything you do both on and off the field."
Beatty, who has developed into one of the game's top left tackles, said one of the most important things for Pugh to understand is how to take care of himself so he can make it through a football season that, in the NFL, is longer than in college.
"You look around the league and there are guys who are in their eighth, ninth, tenth year, and you ask yourself, 'How are they doing it?'" Beatty said. "It's all about doing the little things to take care of your body--getting into the cold tub after practice, eating right, sleeping right, and so on."
Another common mistake that some young players tend to make as rookies is to think they have all the answers when they get to this level. Beatty believes there's nothing wrong with reaching out to teammates for help or reinforcement, especially when it comes to mastering the playbook, and noted that even to this day he's constantly collaborating with his teammates to make sure he's on the same page as those lined up next to him.
"You have to realize that no matter how intelligent you are, you're not going to learn everything in one or two days," he said. "You have to talk to the guys lining up next to you and get their take on what they're seeing and what they're thinking because that can help you see things in ways that maybe you didn't think of before.
"Once you start to get all these new perspectives and you start to realize how the plays all relate to each other, then things will start to become clearer," he added.
Then there is the matter of making every minute of every practice count by preparing ahead of time so that when it comes time to execute on the field, one has completed more than half the battle.
In Pugh's case, he'll be looking to make the transition from left tackle to the right side, something he began working on in practice this past year just to get a feel for the position. While the initial transition took some getting used to, Pugh noted that the transition has become easier and that "with more reps against guys, it (will) get better, it will get easier."
Beatty agreed that practice makes perfect, but also noted that when the bumps come--and they come for all players at some point--it's important remember one very important thing in order to avoid becoming discouraged.
"Make sure you're still having fun doing what you're doing," Beatty said. "It doesn't matter what you did in college or high school--if you don't bring that same passion to this level, you're not going to be successful.
"Know that each day at work, you're being evaluated," he added. "They brought you here for a reason, and they know a lot more about you than you probably realize. What you did in college is what helped you to get here, so continue to build on that and you should be fine."
This post was edited by xnozx. on May 20 2013 09:54pm