NY Giants OLB Abdul Carter Ready to Lay It On the Line

New York Giants rookie Abdul Carter is ready to play some football, and who cares if it's just preseason?

New York Giants linebacker Abdul Carter | Kevin R. Wexler-NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

New York Giants outside linebacker Abdul Carter isn’t very demonstrative off the field, but the excitement he emulated after the team’s final practice before its preseason opener Saturday against Buffalo wasn’t hard to miss.

“Yeah, I'm excited for sure,” he said. “Definitely a good opportunity for me to get my routine down, like coming into a football game. My last game was, shoot, six months ago, something like that. So, it's cool to come out here, get a routine down, play football again.”

Carter has been one of the toasts of the town since arriving in East Rutherford following his selection as the No. 3 overall pick in the draft back in April. 

He has dazzled teammates, coaches, and onlookers with his lightning-fast first step off the snap, his wicked spin and dip move that gets him under taller would-be blockers, and his quiet intensity that is bound to strike fear in the hearts of opposing linemen and quarterbacks.

And when one remembers that he’s still learning the intricacies of playing in the NFL and at outside linebacker, a position he started playing last year at Penn State, forget about the sky being the limit, as the limit for this young man could potentially be the moon. 

“I'm putting it all on film,” he said when asked if he might save a little something for the start of the regular season. “I'm going out there, I'm playing, I'm doing what I do best. I'm also doing what my coach asked me to do, but at the same time, just play my game.”

Ready to earn a new reputation

New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll instructs linebacker Brian Burns (0) and linebacker Abdul Carter (51) during training camp. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Carter, who has been getting pointers from his veteran teammates not just about playing his position but life in the NFL, agrees with fellow outside linebacker Brian Burns, who recently said that the Giants defense hasn’t done anything yet and must deliver the goods rather than rest on its press clippings.

“Yeah, I feel like that's important,” he said. “You don't want to buy into all the hype, all the things that people are saying. So, I feel like once we go out there and prove it, that's when we can say, all right, we're the best unit.”

Carter has kept his goals for his rookie campaign to himself, but one thing he did share is a commitment to stay true to his game, even if the opponent figures out what he does in certain situations. 

“I feel like you can still work the moves that you use,” he said in response to a question about being stonewalled. 

“It's really getting to a point where you're mastering your moves, even though they know, just getting to a point where you can do it without thinking.”

And, of course, having fun doing what he loves to do.

“It's going to be fun, just playing in the preseason and getting to take guys to the ground, actually sack the quarterback,” he said. “So, I look forward to that.”

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