New York Giants wide receiver Golden Tate has been to 10 NFL training camps in his prolific NFL career — five with the Detroit Lions, four with the Seattle Seahawks and one with the Giants.
The soon-to-be 32-year-old former Notre Dame star has never been through an offseason such as this one. That’s because no one has. The coronavirus lockdowns and restrictions have paused — and changed — every facet of American life, including sports.
The Giants, like every team, are doing the best they can to prepare for the upcoming NFL season, which the league is determined to make happen, and Tate and his teammates have been meeting and working out virtually this spring.
The Giants are one of the teams that is at a disadvantage this offseason. They hired a new head coach (Joe Judge) this past offseason and with him comes a new staff. Instead of being afforded extra time to meet and prepare, they are in the challenging situation of trying to build relationships and install a new system via various telecommunications methods.
“We’re trying to make the best of what we have,” Tate told former Giants offensive lineman and now website analyst David Diehl in a recent interview.
“We’re able to get on Zoom meetings and spend time with each other that way. We’re in a unique situation with a new head coach, new coordinators and draft picks and so on and get to know each other the best we can. Obviously, it’s not the same as being face to face, in the classroom or on the field, but I think the coaches are doing a great job in maximizing what we do have.”
Tate told Diehl that he is looking forward to getting out on the field once the restrictions are lifted and the Giants can slowly convene in person in the next few weeks.
Tate, known as “Showtime” to his fans, like everyone else in the organization, is looking forward to proving the critics wrong about the Giants’ prospects this season.
“Showtime loves primetime TV, but I’m just excited to get back out there and play some football. Like you said, this is my 11th season. I still feel really good,” Tate said. “Love the direction we’re going in as an organization. I always though that this was a Grade A organization that does everything great. Now we’ve got to put it together on the field, give out fans something to cheer loud and proud for and get back to what we know the Giants could be.”
We’re all hoping for that, especially the part where we can hear the roar of the crowd again.
[lawrence-related id=649889,649879,649849]