Kadarius Toney Puts "Dog Mentality" on Display in Overcoming Equipment Issue
New York Giants wide receiver Kadarius Toney shrugged when asked about his new jersey number, 89.
“It really wasn't my choice, but I mean, at the end of the day, at least I got a jersey,” the Giants first-round draft pick told reporters during a video conference call following the team’s first practice of its two-day minicamp.
If anyone thinks that’s simply Toney being polite, think again. The jersey number doesn’t matter to him (but the jersey name does).
Being on the field for the Giants, regardless of the planned activities for the day, is so important for Toney that on his first day as a Giant, he scored major brownie points with head coach Joe Judge when he battled through equipment issues with his cleats.
Toney, who chalked up his cleat issue to not having the right size cleat, was determined not to miss a practice snap, at one point going through the drills with his right foot let bare, a scenario that could have been dangerous had someone with a cleated shoe had accidentally stepped on his foot.
“I do whatever it takes, you know what I'm saying?” When asked if he ever had to go through a practice with one foot left unprotected as he did Friday afternoon, Toney said. “Yeah, I probably have, but I don't remember.
“It just me,” he added when asked why he didn’t stop. “It's that's dog mentality.”
MORE MINICAMP RELATED COVERAGE
- Giants Rookie Minicamp: Tryout Player Profiles
- New York Giants Rookie Minicamp Day 1: Notes and Quotes
That dog mentality is what the Giants are looking for as they seek to build off last year’s 6-10 record and narrow miss of the NFC East title.
In Toney, the Giants have themselves a young prospect with a lot of upside, a lot of heart, and a lot of guts--a guy who, on every play, has shown a desire to be the influencer rather than let circumstances dictate to him.
For proof of that, look no further than Toney’s college career, where in 120 career receptions, he’s forced 43 broken tackles, 20 of which came last year (third-most among the receiver draft class).
“Really it’s a mindset,” Toney said when asked about his ability to break tackles. “Like the ability that you’re blessed with to be able to do it consistently.”
While Toney appears to have left a positive impression on his first day, Judge refrained from getting too excited about any of the 22 players who took the field Friday.
“I think with all these rookies, it's about the same. Our first impression of these guys really was on tape and what we saw leading up to the draft,” he said.
“Right now, we're just trying to get them out there and get them moving. This is all very new for these guys in terms of walking around the building.”
While only the Giants staff knows how well Toney and the rest of the rookies did with finding their way around the facility, on the first, Toney is off to a strong start in showing Judge that he will do whatever it takes to be competitive—shoeless or otherwise.
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