DE JASON PIERRE-PAUL
Q: Are you embarrassed by what ended up coming out to the public?
A: Not at all. It was something that happens in here. It's supposed to stay in here. Unfortunately it got leaked out. I'm not embarrassed it but me and Prince know we're all family in this locker room and it's something that leaked out.
Q: Was your action mean spirited in any way?
A: Not at all. I felt like me and Prince, we're cool. All the guys around here are cool. We're all like families to each other. It's just something that we were just having fun and it got out of proportion. The media took it out of proportion.
Q: You could have hurt him.
A: Yea. It looked like it was a big slam, but it really wasn't. I softened it up, but it just looks [that way because] I'm a bigger guy.
Q: What happened that led up to that?
A: It's something about the team knows about. I'm not going to put it out there. We were just having fun and that's basically it.
Q: Has he done anything to you?
A: No. Not at all. Prince has never done anything to me. Me and Prince are very cool.
Q: With all the hazing and bullying incidents, are you maybe not surprised that it's a big deal? You're the guys that people look up to…
A: That's true. I'm going to be… of the kids. That people took it a totally different way is… Like I didn't take it that way. Even the guys in the locker room didn't take it that way. For it to be out there and leaked to the media, it's totally different. People look at it different [outside of] the locker room.
Q: Is it more of a case of a professional athlete misusing Twitter or social media?
A: I don't think Steve meant [any] harm [by] it. I think he meant for it to be funny. For us guys, it was funny. To the media and to all the fans, they didn't find it funny. I apologize to the fans and my fans and that's basically it. It was a joke that gone bad.
Q: Did Tom say anything to you today?
A: He said something to the whole team. He explained the situation of what's going on and he told us not to do anything like that. It can harm our teammates. We understand the concept of what Tom Coughlin was telling us and that was basically it. It was nothing to harm Prince. Me and Prince are a family. All of these guys in the locker room are a family. I would never try to hurt one of my teammates. We need them all.
Q: Anything to be construed here that there's problems in the locker room in any way?
A: There is no problem in this locker room. The Giants have a great organization and we follow every rule that's in the book. It's just a great family. There's no problem in this locker and nothing at all.
Q: So no limits from Coach on the future of social media use?
A: Coach tells us all the time about social media use and what we should do and what we should put out there. It was just a joke that Steve thought would be so funny and he showed the media and the media took it wrong and the fans took it wrong. After that, it is what it is. It's out there now and we'll try to clean things up.
Q: Did Coughlin warn you about hazing or about social media?
A: He warned us about social media.
Q: But he was O.K. with the…
A: No. I didn't say that. Come on now. We all family. What goes on in this organization… We know the concept of it and I'm not trying to harm Prince or any one of my teammates. We need them all to play this game of football and that's basically it.
Q: Will pranking and horseplay will always be apart of the football locker room?
A: I think it will always be apart of football and inside the sports locker room. Only the guys in the locker room knows what's going on and people might take it the wrong way.
Q: Is there a message here going forward that you think that you've learned or teammates learned?
A: Basically not to haze people in a different away and not to tweet things out. People might take [it the wrong way]… Whatever we do in this locker room stays in this locker room. It's football. Guys are going to have fun and we have fun and only the football players will understand.
Q: Was it your first year dunking people?
A: It was my first year? Actually, yeah. It's my first year and this is my last year.
SAFETY ANTREL ROLLEQ: Antrel, what's your reaction to this hazing?
A: I don't really have a reaction to it. We all know what it is around here. It's all fun and games. We just have to be a little more cautious about some of the pranks that we pull, and more importantly, about what happens in the house, stays in the house.
Q: You think this was mean spirited?
A: No, not at all. We're all family. It doesn't matter how anybody else wants to look at it, when you're family, you horseplay around. There's no difference than between brothers and sisters and what happens in the household.
Q: Even though you guys know it's not a big deal, can you see why other people would see it as a big deal, with the hazing and some of the harassing at some of the younger levels?
A: Absolutely. We're fully aware of what things look like to the outside world. That's why we're definitely going to be more cautious with the things that [we do] around here, also with the things that we do, within the organization. It's all fair game, there's no harm intended on anyone's behalf, it was just all fun and games.
Q: You're pretty sure that Prince feels the same way about it being horseplay?
A: Absolutely. We wouldn't do it if he didn't feel that way.
Q: Is it just one of those cases of professional athletes misusing social media and it comes back to burn you a little bit? We've seen a lot of examples of that over the past year or two.
A: Absolutely. Like I said, it was all fun and games. I've been thrown in the cold tub before. I don't look at anyone with harsh feelings or take anything personal. Like I said, it's all fun and games. I can definitely see the way it may look to the outside world. So we just have to be more careful about the things that are done around here.
Q: Is there too much information out there on social media? On Twitter?
A: I think it's a way of putting too much information out there. What's only going to be out there is what you put out there. We have to do a better job of keeping whatever horseplay, or whatever happens, inside the house.
Q: Are you upset with the person who posted it?
A: No, I'm not upset. I'm not upset.
Q: Do you wish it didn't happen?
A: Yeah, you wish it didn't happen. We wouldn't have to deal with these questions, about something as silly as this. It happened, it's over and done with, and we just have to make sure it doesn't happen again.
Q: What is the team chemistry like with this club?
A: The team chemistry is great. I mean, this is nothing in our eyes, and we understand that. Our team chemistry is great, and it's probably the best it's been in a long while. We're going to continue to keep it that way.
Q: Antrel, when you say that you want to make sure that something this silly doesn't happen again, are you talking about posting the video like that online, or the actual act of tossing someone into a cold tub?
A: I mean, we're going to horseplay. That's our way of keeping us united. It's our way of us interacting with each other. We just have to be a little more cautious about how we go about horseplay, and more importantly, about leaking things to the outside world.
Q: Did it go a little bit too far? I mean, if you were thrown headfirst nto a metal tub, wouldn't you be worried about hitting your neck, your head, or something like that?
A: He wasn't thrown headfirst. The flipped him in there, he wasn't thrown headfirst. Like I said, we're not here to hurt anyone. That's going to be my final statement on that. Whatever else they want to say, they can say, but we know what happens in-house.
PUNTER STEVE WEATHERFORD
Q: When you look back on what happened here with the social media thing, how would you change it?
A: It was just disappointing because I pride myself on being a good example, and that was a lack in judgment. Everybody in this locker room loves each other. We all get along great. It's simply horsing around. It wasn't perceived that way, and I apologize for that. It was a mistake on my part. What happens in here stays in here, and I think everybody in here gets along great, and it was just perceived wrongly, and that's my fault and I apologize for that.
Q: Did you talk to Coach Coughlin?
A: Absolutely. Obviously he's a very private coach, and for good reason. A lot of what goes on in here should stay in here. This is a family. We get along great and like I said, it was just disappointing for me because I pride myself on being a good example and a role model, and I wasn't thinking when I posted that.
Q: Did Coach Coughlin or the team issue any rule changes about social media or hazing?
A: No, the rules have always been the same. Like I explained to Bruce, nothing has changed.
Q: The video shows something mean being done to one of your teammates, do you have any issues with the act itself, the hazing or whatever it was?
A: Like I said, it was just horseplay. Training camp, that's all I can comment about that.
Q: Thought on the chemistry of the team:
A: It's always been the same. It's a very close-knit team, tons of synergy on this team. We get along great; we get along exactly like we did last year, so nothing has changed. I apologize for posting that because I understand that we're examples for a lot of young kids, and that is not what I was aiming to do.
Q: What do you want the message to be for kids that may have seen that video?
A: That was simply horseplay, and it was not meant to be hazing of any sort towards any of our teammates, and that's simply all that it was.
Q: You understand the big deal in that aspect, with hazing and bullying in the lower levels?
A: Sure, absolutely. We all went through grade school, and middle school. We understand the difficulties of growing up and being accepted. This had nothing to do with anything like that.
WR HAKEEM NICKS
Q: Big day?
A: Yep, big day. Going out there and practice. I'm excited. You know I did a little bit of stuff last week individually, but that's all they would let me do. Today, I get to do some reps with the team, team period, stuff like that.
Q: How much do you expect to practice today?
A: I think right now they're thinking 50%, so take a couple snaps each period. They want to ease me back into it.
Q: Thoughts on the mental battle of recovering from an injury:
A: It is. My mind is saying, "Take it easy, but at the same time still be smart about it." Still want to be on pace to make it back for the first [regular season] game. I don't want to have any setbacks. That's the mindset. Still want to progress at the same time though. Get back into the shape that I would like to be in when it comes time for the first game.
Q: Thoughts on the extended length of the injury:
A: It's kind of what I thought after meeting with the team doctors and trainers, and what their expectations of it were. I'm just having to prepare mentally for it, knowing that I'm the type that's always eager to be on the field, eager to come back quick. So it's just me having to know how to handle the situation. It was a foot injury, so you know being a wide receiver having a foot injury, that's not too cool. At the same time, I just have to bounce back from it, like I did, and the time is here now where I can be back on the field. I'm excited about that.
Q: Thoughts on playing in the preseason:
A: I still don't know. They'll see how it goes this week in practice, and then let me go out this Friday, but I think it's going to be based on team doctors and coach's decision, and I'm all for whatever they decide. I know they'll decide whatever is best for me.
Q: How important is playing in the preseason?
A: It's important to get your feet wet before you go out there and play a whole game on it, but at the same time you understand where they're coming from, so whatever they decide, wouldn't hurt anything. I want to go out there and get a few reps, a couple series. That's on our team doctors, our trainers, and Coach Coughlin to decide.
Q: Are you practicing full out?
A: About 50%. I'll take a couple of snaps each period.
Q: Are you still worried about the foot, or have you gotten to the point where you can work on your timing with Eli?
A: Yeah, it's progressed to the point where we're working on the timing and stuff now. I've been running routes now for two weeks; I've ran every route in the route book and haven't had a problem. I feel like I need to just go out there and keep taking care of the things that need to be taken care of, stay on top of it.
Q: Are you full speed yet?
A: Yeah, I'm full speed.
Q: All these guys have been playing for awhile, how will you feel?
A: I might have some fresh legs, that's the good thing about it, but I'm just excited about being back out there practicing with the team, and I can't wait.
