One hero from the New York Giants’ Week 12 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals was undrafted rookie out of Dartmouth College, Niko Lalos.
Making his NFL debut in his home state on Sunday, the Ohio native made one of the biggest plays of the afternoon with a miraculous diving interception.
“We were just running a basic pass rush twist and coach [Patrick] Graham always talks about running out of the stack,” Lalos told Giants Wire in an exclusive phone interview.
“That means the defensive linemen are following the ball once it’s thrown. It’s a good habit of hustle and it worked out in my favor. I saw the quarterback released the ball and I wasn’t able to get there on the rush, so I turned around and saw Darnay (Holmes) make a good pass deflection and saw the ball was in reach, so I dove out for it,” said Lalos.
One of the main reasons Lalos has reached this point is due to the special bond he has formed with defensive coordinator, Patrick Graham. It all started with a common connection as Lalos’ defensive line coach at Dartmouth, Duane Brooks, also coached Graham at Yale.
A simple ice breaker that evolved into Lalos asking Graham to watch film together, which they now do on a weekly basis.
“He was able to put things in layman’s terms for me. The game was moving at warped speed compared to college and he was able to slow it down and simplify things for me,” said Lalos.
One went to Dartmouth, the other went to Yale. It’s almost as if the two Ivy Leaguers speak their own secret language, which Lalos says Graham loves to joke about.
Graham gave Lalos eight snaps on defense in his first game and he certainly made the most of them. Following the interception, the rookie found himself at the forefront of another key turnover not long after.
Lalos, who played defensive end in college, was asked to drop into coverage on the play. After allowing a short reception to Cincinnati Bengals’ tight end Drew Sample, Lalos nearly deflected the pass but was able to hold him up long enough for veteran safety Logan Ryan to swoop in and force a fumble to which the Giants recovered.
Believe it or not, Lalos pegged this as his favorite moment of the day over his interception due to the player, or in this case mentor he assisted.
“I look up to Logan. He has taught me so much mentally including how important it is to be the first one in and the last one out (of the facility),” Lalos said.
“I dropped into coverage and saw the quarterback make a tight throw and I just tried to break on the ball the best I could. That was the first time I’ve dropped into coverage since high school and I’m hoping to be able to do it again.”
But asking Lalos to drop into coverage was no coincidence. The coaching staff approached the rookie during training camp and told him the best way to stick around was by learning how to play multiple positions thus “exemplifying his value.”
This meant rotating between outside linebacker, defensive end, and defensive tackle during practice. His coaches would also give him weekly assessments to make sure he was up to speed.
With edge rusher, Trent Harris, landing on the inactive list Sunday, Lalos was called up to the 53-man roster. After earning a spot on the Giants’ practice squad prior to the start of the regular season, the undrafted rookie paid his dues, which led to the coaching staff’s decision to activate him in Week 12.
And what an unforgettable day it was both on and off the field as Lalos even received a shoutout on Twitter from his fellow St. Vincent-St. Mary high school alumni, and the King himself, LeBron James.
While a public shoutout from the NBA superstar would send chills down any young athlete’s spine, Lalos told Giants Wire that he did not find out about it until after the game when he was notified in the locker room by a PR staff member.
So how did Lalos go from undrafted kid from the Ivy League to getting acknowledged by LeBron James and making diving interceptions in the NFL?
Look no further than his mother, Leslie Lalos, a teacher of 33 years, who raised him as a single parent. She never played organized sports, but she was a bodybuilder prior to having her son.
She even taught the now 6-foot-5, 270-pound NFL defensive end how to lift weights when he was growing up.
Leslie sacrificed everything for her son and made sure he was involved in as many sports as possible growing up as a “highly energetic” only child. She even forced him into Taekwondo, where he received a black belt at the age of 10.
Although Leslie was unable to make it to Cincinnati for Niko’s debut as she is taking care of his grandmother in Florida, make no mistake she is the main catalyst behind her son’s success.
“She’s my everything. She raised me by myself, taught me how to sacrifice and taught me the true meaning of giving my all. She also taught me toughness and made me into who I am today. I’m very thankful for her and without her I am nothing,” said Lalos.
Mama Lalos also had her son on a very strict schedule growing up, which head coach Joe Judge surely would approve of.
“I had to be in bed by 9 o’clock every night during the week all the way up until my senior year of high school. I think my mom and coach Judge would get along because both are hard-working people, who don’t mess around and run a very tight shift,” said Lalos.
Looking ahead to this week’s matchup with the Seattle Seahawks, Lalos was sent back down to the practice squad per league rules. However, the Giants have protected his rights meaning no other team can claim him off waivers.
Outside linebacker Kyler Fackrell was placed on injured reserve on Tuesday with a calf injury, which means Lalos should be back up with the 53-man roster and he expects to find out from his coaches as the week progresses.
If he is indeed activated again, Lalos could see a healthy amount of snaps versus the Seahawks as the Giants are now razor-thin at edge rusher.
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