GIANT NOTES
ALBANY – The other day while running the two-minute drill, Jeremy Shockey caught a pass over the middle, was tagged by the defense and proceeded to flip the ball down to the grass.
“Don’t do that!” shouted offensive coordinator John Hufnagel. “Give the ball to the referee!”
This was supposed to mimic a game situation, and Shockey’s move wasted precious seconds. The oversight was about the only issue anyone can have with the fourth-year tight end, who is putting together the most complete training camp of his career. No injuries, no controversy, no headaches.
“In the past couple years, if I dropped a pass in practice, I’d literally try to bite my tongue off,” Shockey said yesterday. “I’d be so bent out of shape. If I make a mistake, if I miss an assignment, if I drop a ball, I don’t want to keep beating myself up over it. I’m going to be 25 soon. I’m getting to be an old man. I’ve only got a couple years left in the game.”
Clearly, Shockey is pleased with his physical shape and confident that the Giants will finally get back to using him like the weapon he’s believed to be.
“I didn’t get drafted to be a blocking tight end,” Shockey said. “I didn’t get drafted to be in a fullback position to lead up on linebackers that are 5-10, and I’m 6-5. They’re going to get under me every time. No one works harder than this staff to get their personnel the ball. I know they are going to try and get me the ball this year. Last year I had 61 catches and it felt like 10.”
Play of the day came in the morning, as a perfectly thrown deep pass by Eli Manning to a sprinting Tim Carter down the left sideline was batted away a the last second by the right arm of CB Curtis Deloatch.
“Heck of a play,” Tom Coughlin said before evening practice was rained out.
S Brent Alexander had an interception off Jared Lorenzen and S Gibril Wilson had one on a Manning pass that was far behind Plaxico Burress.
Coughlin, recalling four missed opportunities for interceptions against the Browns, wants more.
“We have to catch the ball that we have our hands on,” he said.