Giants Training Camp 2014: First-Hand Account

Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports

Today marked another milestone in the start of the New York Giants 2014 campaign, as the players practiced in full pads for the first time.  I had the pleasure of being at the Quest Diagnostics Center to witness the practice first hand, and Giants’ fans will be very excited about some of the things I noticed.

The day started off inauspiciously with weather concerns threatening to force the Giants to move practice inside.   Luckily, the rain held off, but it certainly was hot and humid.  In fact, it was so brutal that a fan standing in front of me in the midst of a large crowd of onlookers collapsed about ten minutes into practice.

Thankfully for the young fan, a teenager, other Giants fans quickly reacted and got the attention of a nearby New Jersey State Trooper and team security staffers.  The state trooper and EMT’s treated the fan for a few minutes, re-hydrated him, and everything seemed to end up okay.  It was a scary scene for sure, but it was also nice to see the comradery of the fellow Giants’ fans who were quick to react and come to the fans aid.

As things got a little less hectic on the sidelines, I was finally able to focus more on the actual practice.  The Giants’ players also seemed to start off slowly, as some of the opening drills were done with little to no intensity.  However, I did notice right off the bat the new look Giants’ offense as the team never huddled once while playing against the scout team.