Coach Tom Coughlin, in an interview today with Mike Garafolo, expressed his viewpoint on both the importance and emergence of a team leader this year. While reports have surfaced that former Giant and undisputed defensive leader Michael Strahan has reached out to both Justin Tuck and newly signed veteran LB Keith Bulluck to fill that role in 2010, Tom Coughlin was able to verify that he himself has made it clear to at least Tuck what his expectations are.
Coughlin seems confident that Justin Tuck, who is heading into his fifth year as a Giants, can elevate himself into the kind of roll guys like Strahan and Antonio Pierce have embraced in the past, to the betterment of the team. Coughlin said during his conversation with Garafolo:
"“I’ve talked to a lot of guys, Justin (Tuck) being one of them. The awareness thing is there. The idea of leadership is obviously consistency and it has to do with being able to lead by example and to be a guy who’s a positive influence on his teammates, who has the ability to only think in terms of what is best for the team.”“The challenge is out there. And there are many guys who are capable. And I think it’s going to take the hard work of training camp and the grind guys go through – how we perform, act and speak when we’re tired and when the dog days of camp come in – that’s going to prove the emergence of guys who have the best interests of our team at heart and can, from that respect, be leaders.”"
On defense, whether or not Bulluck and Tuck are expected to play every single snap — one or both is going to need to embrace the role of outspoken leader and keep people motivated to perform for all of 60 minutes, each week of the 16 game season. It takes a tremendous amount of energy, will to win, and unique personality like that of Michael Strahan to do the job, but without question these are the intangibles that can make or break a season.
Who knows what might have been if Strahan hadn’t retired in early 2008… if the team had a fire starter on defense late in the season when times got tough, when everyone was exhausted, over worked. Perhaps it’s a second Superbowl appearance in 2008 if the Giants had that same leader. Perhaps 2009 ends differently if that leader had emerged last year. But whatever the ending, that’s the lasting power and legacy of leaders like Michael Strahan, and that’s the very real void perhaps still left empty by his departure, a void that has been so hard to fill.
When it comes to defensive leaders – Justin Tuck deserves the opportunity, but will he take it? Antrel Rolle deserves the opportunity, will he take it? Keith Bulluck will now get the opportunity with the Giants, how does he respond?
These are all very important questions to be answered in training camp, and beyond in 2010 for the Giants.