NY Giants Kicker Graham Gano Says Fans Have Wished Him Ill-will

Contrary to what some might think, New York Giants kicker Graham Gano doesn’t look to get injured or miss any of his scoring attempts.

But that hasn’t stopped angry fans from wishing Gano, who is on this week’s injury report with a herniated disc in his neck, worse harm.

“It’s unbelievably frustrating. I mean, obviously, all I want to do is play football. I can’t control the injuries that have happened,” Gano said Thursday after practice.

“It’s not like I’ve done something that is out of the ordinary, like outside the building to hurt myself or anything. So, I think that’s frustrating.”

It’s the angry vitriol that Gano gets via social media, in letters, and sometimes even to his face, every time he misses a kick that is particularly hard to deal with.

“Shoot, ever since sports betting started happening, I get people telling me to kill myself every week, you know, because I’ll hit a kick that loses them money,” he said.

“It was the other day somebody told me to get cancer and die. I mean, that stuff’s part of it. But just playing this long, that stuff, you’re used to it by now.”

New York Giants place kicker Graham Gano (9) on the field during training camp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Gano said he tries to deal with it by not responding to it or reading that hatred, calling it part of the game. But it is still a hurtful and over-the-top reaction that can have tragic consequences for people’s mental health.

“I think especially nowadays, when you talk about mental health, it’s tough,” he said. “I’ve gotten thick skin over the years. I think it really bothered you early on. But, I mean, nobody wants to hear that stuff.

“Everybody in everyday life goes through hard things. That’s the sad reality of life. But I think it’s important to have people that you can lean on,” he said.

“I think we have great guys in this locker room. I love every player on this team. I hope that every single person would feel comfortable coming to me with something difficult.

Gano has been around long enough to understand the passion of the fans and how, when he doesn’t live up to expectations, it can anger an already ticked-off Giants fan base.

But he insists he is giving it his all every day.

“I’m proud to be a Giant. I wish there was something I could do not to be hurt,” he said.

“At the end of the day, I want people to know I care. I want to play. I want to be the best I can. I want to make every kick. I want to be the best teammate I can. It’s something I care about. I wouldn’t be playing this long if I didn’t care about it.”

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

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