Nick Gates is Adapting to Life at Center Stage

When Nick Gates first signed with the Giants as an undrafted free agent out of Nebraska in 2018, the former college offensive tackle kept an open mind regarding where he might project in the pros.

After spending his rookie year on injured reserve, Gates last year came back and delivered some solid play as a reserve guard and tackle.

But his NFL future appears to be at center, a process he first commenced last year in practice learning from the very same man, Spencer Pulley, he’s competing with for the starting job.

“I think all three of the centers, me, Spence(r Pulley), and (Tyler Haycraft) kind of throw questions off each other, especially Spence since it is going to be his fourth or fifth year,” Gates said of the ongoing camaraderie among the centers.

“He’s a good veteran to ask some questions, get some things off.”

Whatever advice he’s been getting from Pulley, it’s been promising. Gates has mostly looked at home playing center and has executed his snaps and getting into his blocks or pass protection sets with a ballerina's grace.

The physical part coming together is not a surprise. In addition to starting his cross-training at center last year, Gates continued that training this off-season at a gym out west where he worked with guard Will Hernandez.

“I got lucky this offseason being able to work with Will,” Gates said. “It was really good to get in there with Will and we can run a couple plays off of each other and get used to our fits and work together in that kind of way.”

With the physical stuff coming naturally, Gates said the mental part has been the biggest challenge.

“Getting the playbook, getting in and just knowing what to do with every single front the defense gives us—our defense gives us a lot of different things to look at, mix it up a lot,” Gates said.

“That’s probably the biggest thing, but it’s good for me to get out there against our defense and see all that because we are most likely not going to get this much different stuff in a game when we go to a real live game.”

As center, Gates has to identify what the defense is showing and make the corresponding calls. He also has to orchestrate the rest of the offensive line, a process that, while coming together, was set back by the lack of off-season OTAs.

“It takes time,” Gates said. “We didn’t get OTAs together, which doesn’t hurt us, but that time helps gets the kinks and little things out of the way then so when you come to training camp you know the offense, you know the technique, and you know how each person plays.

“I think we’re doing a good job playing off each other. Me, Will and Zeitler have been together with each other for the last two years, I think. We kind of understand each other on the inside.”

Giants offensive line coach Marc Colombo recently described Gates as “the alpha male you want at (the center) position.” Gates, a modest sort, took Colombo’s praise in stride.

“I think just as an offensive line, it’s kind of like a mentality as a whole,” he said. “I think offensive linemen have to be the alpha people of the whole huddle. As a center, it’s your huddle until the QB steps in. You have to make sure it’s right and it looks good until the quarterback steps in.”

While the center position seems like it’s Gates’ job to lose, the modest third-year pro who signed a contract extension earlier this summer is keeping things in perspective.

“It’s the first time I have been in charge of the line, so it’s nice,” he said of the experience. “It’s a lot more responsibility mentally. It’s something I am getting used to.”