EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Sterling Shepard has played in 53 regular-season games in four seasons, but that makes the 27-year-old wide receiver a wizened veteran on the 2020 Giants.
Nineteen of his teammates have at least as much NFL experience as Shepard, but none has worn a Giants uniform for as long as the wideout who is participating in his fifth training camp. His rapid ascendency to become the Giants' longest-tenured player will result in Shepard shedding a nickname he's had since his arrival as a second-round draft choice in 2016.
"I might have to shake the 'Young Shep' off," Shepard said on a Zoom call today. "I was thinking about that. (I will) just set a good example for the young guys and kind of teach them about some of the different rivalries that we have and how important those games are to the New York Giants as an organization."
As that comment indicates, Shepard's status will push him to become a more visible leader in this season of significant change for the Giants. Gone are the likes of Eli Manning and Zak DeOssie, who played in 457 regular-season and postseason games in 29 combined seasons. Second-year pro Daniel Jones will open a season as the starting quarterback for the first time. The Giants signed 14 veteran free agents who played elsewhere last season and drafted 10 players. Joe Judge is the new head coach and he has brought in 16 assistants who were not here a year ago.
"I would definitely say it's a fresh new start," said third-year running back Saquon Barkley. "I do think we are doing a great job of, especially when we are in Zoom meetings, understanding the history, understanding the guys before us. There is a tradition here. Shep is the longest-tenured Giant and he has only been in the league for five years. It's a fresh new start, we are learning every single day, on the offensive side and on the defensive side. Learning a new scheme and system and trying to focus on the little things to get better every single day. Capitalize on the things we are able to do."
Without Manning's long shadow, Jones will certainly be more vocal and confident this year. But the Giants need more players to fill a leadership void, as Barkley is the only one of the seven team captains from a year ago currently on the team. By virtue of his production and experience, Shepard is a candidate to earn a "C" on his jersey.
"If that's what ends up happening and that's the way my team sees me, then I'll be happy to wear that badge and take that role," he said. "I'm happy with whatever role. I can lead in different ways, like I have for the last four years that I've been here. Whichever role they have me in, I'm going to find a way to lead."
That will include continuing to talk about the team's rich history, which includes 696 regular-season victories (the third-highest total in the annals of the NFL), 32 postseason appearances, eight NFL championships and 21 Pro Football Hall of Famers.
Judge also wants his players to be aware of the franchise's long-term success.
"When we were going through the OTA period on the Zoom calls, the coaches would have some trivia questions for us, so we did this Kahoot! challenge to kind of get guys going and understanding the history of the organization," Shepard said. "Those were some of the different ways that we've already began to teach some of these newcomers and guys that really don't know much about the history of the Giants, a way to get them caught up.
"I think it's very important to know the history. You have to know what the guys before you have done and how they played football, and to continue to play that way because that's what this organization was built on and that's what it's used to. I think it's important and the coaches do as well. That's the reason they had us doing those different Kahoot! challenges and trivia questions."
"You have to understand your history and what we're known for," Barkley said. "The Giants are known for being tough, physical and doing the little things right. That's something that coach Judge and all the coaches have made a focal point for us in the short time that we have been here. That's what we try to attack every single day and try to get better every single day."
One key to finding that success is excelling in the offense that coordinator Jason Garrett brought to the Giants. Shepard, who is playing in his third system in five years, likes the scheme's versatility and is excited about its potential.
"It's an offense that utilizes everyone's skill set," Shepard said. "It's a lot of moving pieces as well, which I like about it. I like to move around the field and the guys that I've played with like to move around, too. It makes it tough on defenses. Those are some of the things that I like about it, just being able to utilize everyone's skill set."
The attack can thrive only with outstanding play from Jones, who Barkley believes will take strides in his pro sophomore season.
"Definitely excited for DJ," Barkley said. "We definitely got a lot closer from this point where we are from him being a rookie to us actually hanging out, working out together and stuff. He's a hard worker, he's a heck of a player, he's very talented. You just grow, not just saying system wise but as a player. Being more comfortable from your rookie year to your second year. I know for myself from my first year to my second year how much more comfortable I was just being in the locker room and talking with the guys. That's where you are going to grow and you are going to continue to see him grow in that area. He's a talented player and hard worker and I'm really excited to see what he is going to do this year."
Anyone with an interest in the Giants can make the same statement about Barkley, the first player in Giants history to rush for more than 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons.
Barkley sang his customary song when asked what he wants to see from himself this season.
"What I want to seem from myself is just growth," he said. "I feel like I have been saying this answer so much in my first two years. I'm really focused on trying to get better in every area of my game. I feel like I have so much more room to continue to grow and there is so much I can continue to add to my game. I would say some big focal points are pass pro(tection), in between the tackles, outside the tackles, catching the ball, ball security. Every single day try to focus and try to get better in every area of my game. I am a big stickler when it comes to stuff like that. Definitely when our coaches sat down, they really have us focused on the details and all the little things matter. That's the focus and where I want to improve my game, which I guess you could say is everything."
For every player on the roster and the entire team, it's a good place to start.
Must-see photos from the first week of Giants training camp

S Xavier McKinney


OLB Oshane Ximines

TE Evan Engram

WR Sterling Shepard

WR Golden Tate

S Xavier McKinney

CB James Bradberry

CB Grant Haley

QB Daniel Jones

RB Saquon Barkley

WR Darius Slayton

WR Corey Coleman

WR Golden Tate

QB Daniel Jones

QB Daniel Jones

WR Darius Slayton

QB Daniel Jones

WR Golden Tate

WR Darius Slayton

WR Darius Slayton

RB Wayne Gallman

RB Saquon Barkley

QB Daniel Jones

RB Saquon Barkley

QB Daniel Jones

S Sean Chandler

S Jabrill Peppers

QB Daniel Jones

QB Colt McCoy

QB Daniel Jones

DB Nate Ebner

(From left to right) QB Daniel Jones, QB Alex Tanney, QB Cooper Rush, QB Colt McCoy

QB Daniel Jones

S Sean Chandler

WR Golden Tate

OLB Oshane Ximines

WR Sterling Shepard

RB Saquon Barkley

WR Darius Slayton

S Jabrill Peppers

S Jabrill Peppers

WR Darius Slayton

RB Saquon Barkley

TE Evan Engram

QB Daniel Jones

WR Golden Tate

OLB Lorenzo Carter (right), LB Devante Downs (left)

TE Kyle Markway

WR Derrick Dillon

WR Derrick Dillon

WR Austin Mack

WR Austin Mack

WR Binjimen Victor

QB Alex Tanney

TE Rysen John

TE Kyle Markway

DB Jaquarius Landrews

LB Cam Brown

LB TJ Brunson

RB Saquon Barkley

S Xavier McKinney

WR Darius Slayton

WR Golden Tate

RB Wayne Gallman

RB Saquon Barkley

RB Wayne Gallman

RB Dion Lewis

S Jabrill Peppers

RB Wayne Gallman

RB Saquon Barkley

WR Sterling Shepard

TE Levine Toilolo

OLB Markus Golden (right), LB Blake Martinez (left)

RB Saquon Barkley

CB James Bradberry

DB Julian Love

RB Wayne Gallman

OLB Kyler Fackrell (right), OLB David Mayo (left)

OLB Markus Golden

WR Sterling Shepard

LB Cam Brown

S Sean Chandler

WR Corey Coleman

OLB Oshane Ximines

CB Grant Haley

WR Cody Core

WR Alex Bachman

WR Golden Tate

TE Garrett Dickerson

DB Julian Love

OLB Markus Golden

CB Grant Haley

LB Blake Martinez

OLB Markus Golden

OLB Oshane Ximines

OLB Kyler Fackrell

OLB Markus Golden

CB Corey Ballentine

CB Montre Hartage

DL Dexter Lawrence

DL B.J. Hill

LB Blake Martinez

S Jabrill Peppers

OLB Markus Golden

OLB Kyler Fackrell

OLB Lorenzo Carter

OLB Oshane Ximines

WR Binjimen Victor

RB Saquon Barkley

S Jabrill Peppers


TE Levine Toilolo

P Riley Dixon



P Riley Dixon

P Riley Dixon

TE Evan Engram

QB Daniel Jones

QB Daniel Jones

DL Leonard Williams

LB Blake Martinez

QB Daniel Jones

TE Levine Toilolo

QB Daniel Jones

LB Blake Martinez

TE Evan Engram

LB Blake Martinez

OLB Oshane Ximines

OLB Oshane Ximines

DL Leonard Williams

OLB Markus Golden

DB Julian Love

DL Leonard Williams

OLB Kyler Fackrell

DL Leonard Williams

DB Julian Love

CB James Bradberry

TE Kaden Smith

TE Levine Toilolo

TE Evan Engram

WR Alex Bachman

WR Corey Coleman

TE Levine Toilolo

WR Cody Core

WR Alex Bachman

WR Corey Coleman

LB Devante Downs

OLB Kyler Fackrell

LB Blake Martinez

TE Levine Toilolo

TE Evan Engram

OLB Markus Golden

LB Blake Martinez

LB Blake Martinez

LB David Mayo

LB Ryan Connelly

LB Devante Downs

S Jabrill Peppers

DB Montre Hartage

LB David Mayo

P Riley Dixon

LB Ryan Connelly

RB Elijhaa Penny

RB Saquon Barkley

RB Dion Lewis

RB Saquon Barkley

S Jabrill Peppers

S Sean Chandler

OT Eric Smith

RB Wayne Gallman

RB Saquon Barkley

RB Wayne Gallman (22), RB Saquon Barkley (26), TE Levine Toilolo (85), TE Evan Engram (88)

DB Nate Ebner

G Kevin Zeitler

CB James Bradberry

RB Saquon Barkley

WR Sterling Shepard

S Sean Chandler

OLB Kyler Fackrell

RB Saquon Barkley (front), RB Elijhaa Penny (middle), RB Wayne Gallman (back)

DL Dexter Lawrence

DL Austin Johnson

CB James Bradberry

OL Nick Gates

OLB Oshane Ximines

OLB Oshane Ximines

DL B.J. Hill (95)

OLB Lorenzo Carter

OLB Oshane Ximines

WR Golden Tate

DL Dalvin Tomlinson

RB Saquon Barkley

G Will Hernandez

S Jabrill Peppers

DL Dexter Lawrence

DL B.J. Hill

WR Golden Tate

S Jabrill Peppers




QB Daniel Jones

S Xavier McKinney

DB Chris Williamson

LB Dominique Ross

RB Sandro Platzgummer

OT Matt Peart

TE Kyle Markway

WR Austin Mack

OL Shane Lemieux

DB Jaquarius Landrews

CB Darnay Holmes

OT Tyler Haycraft

LB Tae Crowder

LB Carter Coughlin

LB TJ Brunson

LB Cam Brown

DB Dravon Askew-Henry

DB Christian Angulo

OT Andrew Thomas

S Xavier McKinney
















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