Amani Toomer Game Reviews

You recently restructured your contract. For how long does it now run?

Amani: It’s really not much different; we just restructured a few minor things. The contract is still the same duration and the same money. We just restructured a few little things and it still runs through the 2008 season.

Do you consider it a good idea for players to restructure periodically since good players routinely get cut when their contracts get too high?

Amani: Well, I don’t really know about that for others. I wanted to do it because of the injury situation. I thought that it was just something that I wanted to do.

How’s the rehab coming?

Amani: It’s coming along really well. I’m back to running and back to running miles so hopefully my leg will strengthen and I’ll be ready to go when the time comes.

Do you still feel your rehab is on schedule or even ahead of schedule?

Amani: I think I’m on schedule and probably a little ahead of schedule. I went to the doctor recently to have the knee checked out and he said that everything was going in a positive direction just the way he wanted. There have been no setbacks. My only problem is that I have a tendency to over work and not rest enough so I’m just trying to be a little smarter about it and not try to jump into everything like I ordinarily do. I need to just let my body tell me when I should work and when I should stop working.

What are you still unable to do?

Amani: I haven’t really started to cut yet. I’m just starting to get my cardio together so when my leg is all ready to go, my cardio will be ready to go too. I’m in pretty good shape now because I’ve been able to run for a while but in terms of the shape I need to be in for the season, I don’t think I’m right there yet. But I’m working on it. I was limited and not able to run for so long. It’s one thing to be in good cardio shape but running requires even better cardio.

Will you be able to participate in the passing camp and if so to what extent?

Amani: I don’t really know. I know I’m going to try and I don’t know if I’ll be able to compete fully but I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to do some of the drills. I’m pretty excited about that.

You’ll be ready to go when training camp begins?

Amani: Yeah, definitely.

How is your rehab coming along?

Amani: It’s coming along really well. I’d say I’m on schedule or probably even a little bit ahead of schedule. It’s just frustrating not to be able to do more. I want to do a lot more but know I could set myself back if I’m not patient enough.

Based on your current progress, how fully do you expect to be able to participate in the strength and conditioning program when it begins on March 19th?

Amani: I plan to start running next week so I’ll be able to do a lot of it. I won’t be able to do anything more than straight running for a while though. I mean I won’t be able to run routes or cut for a while yet.

Will you be ready to run routes by the mini-camps?

Amani: I’d like to say yes but that would be ahead of schedule. So I don’t really expect to be able to do the OTAs or camps this year. I do expect to be ready by the time training camp begins to do everything without restriction though.

Kevin Gilbride was named the offensive coordinator and in his statement he said he particularly looked forward to getting you and Luke back. He said, “We have to be more efficient getting the ball down the field…getting other players involved.” I imagine that sounds good to you also?

Amani: That sounds very good to me and I’m really looking forward to working with Coach Gilbride when training camp begins. I really would like to be more involved in the offense.

Your ballet-like toe drags at the sideline or back of the end zone are something you’re noted for. How are you able to look the ball in and at the same time remain aware of the sideline and the need to drag your toes?

Amani: It’s actually just something I practice the same as I used to do in college. But after a while it becomes instinctive. You don’t need to be aware of where your back foot is so much as you need to know where the first foot is coming down. When you know the first foot is in bounds and you’ve practiced the drag enough, you just automatically drag the second foot without thinking about it. So you know the second foot is in.

Did you go to Miami for the Super Bowl?

Amani: No, I didn’t go. My brother went down there but I haven’t actually gone in a couple of years, not since the Carolina game.

Jerry Reese was recently named the new General Manager. Have you met him or had any contact with him?

Amani: I’ve met him but haven’t had much contact with him. He seems to be on top of things and I think he’ll do a very good job.

For the second consecutive year, the Giants made a quick exit from the playoffs.

Early last season, the Giants were riding high at 6-2, with a two-game lead on the rest of the division. And then disaster struck and one more disappointing season limped, along with many of the Giants’ key players, to an early finish.

Yet again, the Giants came up short. And, as has been the case in recent years, the downward spiral began with injuries targeting specific positions.

First, it was the linebackers. LaVar Arrington was the first to fall, followed quickly by injuries to Brandon Short and Carlos Emmons.

Then the defensive line joined the party. Pro Bowlers Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora missed several weeks to injury and top reserve end Justin Tuck was placed on injured reserve.

Then, with the losses of Luke Petitgout and Amani Toomer, the end was predictable.

The running game suffered with the loss of Petitgout as Giants’ running backs, accustomed to success running left behind the broad back of Luke Petitgout, found the going tougher behind a backup.

Toomer, who had his career day with 12 receptions in the Giants’ first match up with the Eagles, was a major loss. Even though he didn’t always get a lot of catches, he was pivotal in the team’s offensive success and anyone who doubts that need only look at the record after Amani went down with a torn ACL.

There was no other Amani Toomer on the roster; no one to step up and replace him. The result was an offense that struggled, becoming ever more painful to watch as the season progressed.

Amani Toomer is as he has always been, absolutely reliable and a team player. When quarterback Eli Manning needed to complete a critical third-down pass, he looked to Amani.

And Amani delivered.

His end zone and sideline catches with toe drags were something usually seen only in ballet.

And how about his heart? How do you replace that?

Remember again his career day against Philadelphia. In overtime Manning found Amani for five receptions but noticed him struggling with cramps and suggested Amani go to the bench.

“I said no,” Amani exclaimed. “There was no way I was going to take myself out of the game. It just wasn’t going to happen!”

On the final drive Amani went over the middle thinking, "’I’m open’ and then my legs cramped up and I went to the ground. Then I thought, ‘nope, I’m through.’” Toomer had to be carried off the field and given five IV’s to rehydrate before he could even climb the steps to the team bus.

Amani Toomer’s season-ending injury effectively put the Giants’ offense on injured reserve.

But once again, as is the case with most injuries, they’ll be healed by the time training camp rolls around. All the core players, with the exception of Tiki Barber, will be back healthy and eager to prove that they can succeed. And that chip on their shoulders will also be a healthy one because next season no one will predict success for this team.

Amani Toomer, like the rest of the walking wounded, will also be back in time for training camp, once again healthy and despite his numerous accomplishments, still feeling like he has something to prove.

“I haven’t really thought about retirement,” Amani said. “I’ve never yet seen myself not playing and I definitely want to keep on playing. I think I still have something to prove in this league so I see myself playing a lot yet. And I still want to go to Hawaii, you know.”

How can he be denied?

How is your rehab coming along? Are you on schedule?

Amani: It’s coming along well. I just got back from a family gathering over the holidays. We were all together so I probably got a little rest. At the same time I also worked on the rehab at a sports clinic. The combination seems to have been good so I think I’m doing pretty well. The swelling has pretty much subsided and now it’s a matter of strengthening the leg again.

Do you still expect to be ready for training camp?

Amani: Oh, yes, definitely!

You’re a good prognosticator. You said recently you thought the Giants could turn it around and make the playoffs. So I have to ask if they can go deep into the playoffs?

Amani: I think they can. It’s a weird season. I mean look at the best team, the #1 seed, in the NFC and they’re struggling and lost to the Packers, one of their division rivals, last week. There’s all the trouble that’s going on in Dallas. And the Eagles, well, they’re a team that we beat earlier so I think the NFC is wide open. All the teams are beatable by the players that we put on the field. The injuries don’t help of course, but I think that the guys we’ve got out there on the field can do it so I think we can keep going.

Do you think it’s an advantage or disadvantage to replay a team you played so recently?

Amani: You know, I don’t really know. It seems like one of those things that could go either way. I think you don’t ever really know until the game plays itself out but I also think we do pretty well in our division. We were 4-2 in the division so I think we can feel pretty confident against any of our division rivals.

You’ll play the Jets next season. It’s a home game for the Giants but in a sense it’s also a home game for the Jets because they will still be in their own stadium. Does it make a substantial difference whether it’s a home or away game?

Amani: It probably won’t make that much of a difference. There will be lots of Giants’ and Jets’ fans there and I think we’re going to be very excited about that game. We’re looking forward to it. You can imagine how good both teams will feel, with both making the playoffs this year. I think it’s definitely going to be one of our big games next year.

How strange will it seem to you not to have Tiki on the field with you next year?

Amani: I don’t really know but I do know it’s going to seem very different. You know, I have never played a game except for my first year when he wasn’t there. Maybe there were a couple of games here and there when he didn’t play but otherwise he’s always been there. It’s going to be very strange.

That just leaves you and Michael Strahan as the long-timers, doesn’t it?

Amani: Yes, it does and that’s strange to think about too.

Did you watch Michigan’s Bowl game?

Amani: Yeah, I did and I thought it was very disappointing. I think Michigan is a better team than that and a better team than I usually see on the field. For some reason they keep underachieving. It’s a hard team to watch.

How are you feeling? Are you able to get around pretty well?

Amani: I feel fine and I’m able to get around OK but it’s going to take a while to strengthen the muscles again.

Is ligament repair done as authroscopic surgery? Was the surgery in your rookie year arthroscopy?

Amani: No, it was a reconstruction and the one in my rookie year was basically the same thing.

Are you a good patient?

Amani: I don’t know. I’d like to think so but I think I push myself a little too much and then they tell me I have to ease off for a couple of days. If I didn’t push myself so much, I probably wouldn’t have to ease off at all.

Rehabilitation is usually divided into progressive stages, isn’t it?

Amani: Yes, right now I’m just basically trying to get the quad back. For about six weeks after surgery the ligament is at its weakest point and the blood flow isn’t that good but as time goes on and you continue with the rehab, it keeps getting better and better. After about six weeks, I’ll be able to do more.

Have you any ideas about what the Giants need to do to right the ship and beat Carolina on Sunday?

Amani: I think they have taken a step in the right direction because last week they played better than in the prior three weeks. I think they just have to keep on doing what they are doing with a little more consistency and a few more good plays. We haven’t always been able to capitalize on some of our opportunities in the red zone and that’s being worked on, I’m sure.

Does it make you feel worse that you’re sidelined when the Giants need you most or would it be worse to be sitting there if it looked like the Giants would go to a Super Bowl?

Amani: I don’t know and I don’t know that they won’t turn it around and win the whole thing. They have that much talent that they can do it all. It helps to get some of the injured players back and of course to get everyone playing as well as they can.

The Giants use an empty backfield once or twice every game. In your opinion, what are the advantages of the empty backfield?

Amani: I think it’s a lot easier for the offense to read the defense. They can’t really disguise what they’re doing because everyone is so spread out. It’s hard to double cover guys without being very obvious. It’s a lot quicker for the offense to read the defense. There are also more options for the quarterback to throw the ball.

No one was more surprised than the Giants’ franchise wide receiver, Amani Toomer, when he learned his season would end prematurely with a partially torn left knee ligament

“I’m extremely shocked,” Amani said. “I never thought after I’d completed the game, I just never thought that it would amount to a season-ending injury. It was really disappointing when I got the MRI. It’s hard to really accept, you know?

They don’t really know when it happened because the damage in the knee didn’t seem like anything that happened during the game. The doctors don’t know when it happened, but they know it happened during this season, sometime after the physical. I had pretty much the same injury in my rookie season and that one also took some time to develop.”

After reviewing the MRI, doctors told Amani he had two choices. He could have surgery, ending his season, or he could try to rehabilitate the knee and then test it on the field. If he chose to rehab the knee the risk was that of further injury to the damaged ligament or to uninjured ligaments.

“It’s unstable at this point,” Toomer said. “I just want to fix it. I feel like the best thing to do is to get it fixed now. Going out there and not being able to perform to the best of my ability is worse than getting it fixed now and taking the time to let it heal but I’m extremely disappointed I’m not going to be able to play for the rest of the season.

With Tiki Barber, Amani’s close friend, planning to retire at the end of the season, the question was inevitable. Was Amani also considering retirement?

“No, no!” Amani replied with no hesitation. “I haven’t really thought about retirement. I never saw myself not playing. I know I’m definitely going to want to keep on playing. As I’ve said before. I think I still have something to prove in this league so I see myself playing a lot yet. I still want to go to Hawaii, you know.”

Nothing has ever been given to Amani. He has faced and overcome obstacles throughout his career and in each case has come back stronger.

And he will again.

As Tiki Barber said, “He was someone like me, who wasn’t always guaranteed or given great chances. He had to fight for everything that he had and I think, like me, it made him appreciate his success. To have to have him watch as the season plays out, it’s tough on his emotions, I know. It’s also tough on mine, because he’s one of the guys I consider a friend. We’re going to play hard for him, I know that. I know I definitely will.”

He’s down, but don’t start counting him out.

The fat lady hasn’t sung yet.

Amani Toomer and Tiki Barber have had virtually parallel careers with the Giants. Toomer was the team’s second-round draft choice in 1996 (the 34th overall selection). Barber was taken on the same round a year later (No. 36).

Both players struggled in their first three seasons. Toomer started one game and Barber seven. Toomer had one reception as a rookie and 44 after his (first) three years. Barber had 935 rushing yards after his first three years, a figure he topped in five of the next six seasons.

Toomer and Barber overcame their early problems and inconsistencies to become the very best at their positions in Giants history. Barber owns 13 team records, Toomer five. Toomer is the franchise’s career leader in catches (561, one more than Barber) and yards (8,157). Barber is the Giants’ all-time leading rusher (9,617 yards).

The two great Giants have been on the field together for 151 regular and postseason games. Indeed, Barber has played only one game in his career without Toomer in the huddle, the 2004 season finale against Dallas. So it’s understandable that Barber is dismayed by the news that Toomer will miss the rest of the season with a partially torn ligament in his left knee. Because Barber intends to retire after the season, the two friends have played their final game together…The day after the shocking news about Toomer broke brought a range of emotions to the Giants’ locker room. There was sadness for losing the services of a friend and valuable contributor as the 6-2, NFC East-leading Giants begin the second half of their season Sunday night against the 7-1 Chicago Bears. There was the resignation that football players get hurt, even one as durable as Toomer, who had played in 156 of the Giants’ last 157 games, including the postseason. And there was determination, as the Giants vowed to continue playing well even without Toomer, who is tied with Barber for the team lead with 32 receptions.

Excerpt from Coach Coughlin’s press conference:

Q: Amani Toomer is not just a very good clutch receiver but is also very good as a run-blocker. What do you lose in that regard, too?

Coach: First of all, you have to step aside even from the business side of this thing. From the standpoint of just feeling so bad for Amani – he’s poured an awful lot into this season. He’s played very, very well. He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do. He’s been very reliable and dependable and we were all so happy and excited for him with the quality of the season he was having. To be honest with you, this thing just came right out of nowhere. I noticed that he came off the field once during the game and went back on. After the game he was walking (and) there was a little bit of a noticeable limp. Just as he was ready to go through the locker room, I said, ‘How’re you doing? Are you going to be OK?’ He said, ‘Well, it’s a little swollen, but I’ll be all right, Coach,’ and he turned around and headed for the showers. Then literally after 6 o’clock Tuesday night I get a phone call that just about floored me. That took care of that evening. But we feel bad for Amani. He’s worked hard. He’s a very, very good teammate. He’s very solid. We all…The position will be move on, move forward.

Eli Manning on Amani:

I think that’s a part of football. You’re going to have injuries, it’s just a matter of guys stepping up in situations and trying to work around it, and different guys doing different things. You have to manage. It’s not easy, you don’t hope for it and you don’t like to see it, but you can’t complain about it, you can’t get down about it. You just have to figure out a way to keep going and make adjustments.

Q: What part of Amani’s game is the hardest to replace?

Manning: I think just his knowledge of the game. He always seems…at the end of the game when we need a big play and someone steps up, he’s there to make it. Even last week, get the ball in the fourth quarter. On third down you have to keep the ball – you have a four-minute drive, you have to keep the ball out of Texans’ hands on third and four and he’s the one that we go to. He makes a great decision and a great catch to make the first down, we keep the ball and end the game. He’s dependable, he’s going to do the right thing and he has a great feel with making tough catches and when he gets hit. You can’t replace some of those things, but we have some other receivers we’re going to have to mix in and use a couple of them to try and give us some good things.

Tiki Barber on Amani:

Q: What does the loss of Amani Toomer mean to this team?

Tiki: It’s tough, because he’s had a great season so far. He’s been a consistent force and an integral force for this team for years now and for him to just suddenly be away…It’s shocking and it’s tough but, as is always the case in our league, you have to go on. We have guys who can play and some guys are going to have to step up here.

This is the last time you will have played with Toomer for your career. What are you going to remember most?

Tiki: He was someone like me, who wasn’t always guaranteed or given great chances. He had to fight for everything that he had and I think, like me, it made him appreciate his success. To have to have him watch as the season plays out, it’s tough on his emotions, I know. It’s also tough on mine, because he’s one of the guys I consider a friend. We’re going to play hard for him, I know that. I know I definitely will.

Q: How shocked are you that you’re not going to be playing again this season?

Amani: I’m extremely shocked. I never thought that after the game, after I’d completed the game, and never thought that it would amount to a season-ending injury. I’m definitely really disappointed. I felt like our team had a great shot at going all the way. I don’t know, it’s hard to really accept, you know?

Q: You still don’t know when it happened exactly?

Amani: They don’t really know when it happened because it didn’t seem like…The damage in the knee didn’t seem like it was anything that had happened actually during the game. I don’t know, they don’t know when it happened, but they know it happened during this season, sometime after the physical.

Q: About a decade ago you had a similar injury. Did you know right away that you were injured?

Amani: It took some time that time, too, because I did it at the end of the – it was an incident at the end of the first half. I managed to play the second half and I practiced Wednesday and Thursday and then Friday I figured out that I needed to do something about it. It seems like I could keep on going, but I know that probably wouldn’t be the best thing to do for my knee.

Q: Why did you opt for surgery instead of rehab?

Amani: Because the joint is unstable and for what I do for me to try and just rehab it if I came back, it wouldn’t make much sense and eventually it would just go out anyway.

Q: Did you feel any problem with it going into last week’s game?

Amani: No. I didn’t feel any problem with it at all. That’s why it’s such a shock to me, because I didn’t feel like I needed…I barely thought it was a big deal at all.

Q: Any consideration about retirement?

Amani: No, no. I haven’t really thought about that. I feel like when I get back I know I’m definitely going to want to keep on playing. I just haven’t thought about it that much.

Q: Of the guys on the roster right now, which of them do you think fills your role the best?

Amani: Of the people on the – I don’t know. I think Tim (Carter) is going to do really well, and David Tyree plays well on the special teams but I’ve always thought of him as a receiver that is very capable of playing. Michael Jennings…I think everybody is here, they’re playing for the Giants for a reason. They feel like if a situation like this happens, they can definitely come and step in and I have confidence in them, too.

Q: Who is suited for the z-role, that flanker role?

Amani: I don’t know, because it asks the receiver to be able to do a lot of things – to go deep and be able to go underneath and do a whole bunch of different things. You have to block a little bit because you’re not the strong side, so naturally you block a lot. I couldn’t give a good answer.

Q: Do you see yourself now watching the games on the sidelines as a quasi-coach?

Amani: Yeah, I’ll definitely try to do that. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to be there this weekend though, but I’ll definitely, the next home game we have I’ll definitely be on the sidelines doing what I can.

Q: Have the doctors indicated if you can be back for mini-camp or training camp?

Amani: No, I’m shooting more for training camp, because that’s more realistic. I’d probably be able to go mini-camp, but I’ll probably try and hold myself back. I know how hard that’s going to be, but (it’s) just so that when I come back, I’m not going to be in and out of the lineup. I’m going to be in and that’ll be it.

The Giants keep losing key players, even when they’re not playing games.

Amani Toomer, the franchise’s career leader in receptions and yards and the co-leader this year in catches, will miss the rest of the season because of an injury to his left knee. An MRI done last night on the knee revealed a partial tear of the anterior cruciate ligament. After consulting with team physician Dr. Russell Warren in a visit to the Hospital for Special Surgery this morning, Toomer has opted to have surgery on the knee, which will sideline him until 2007.

Toomer did not say exactly when he was injured. In last week’s 14-10 victory over the Houston Texans, Toomer felt pain in the knee. He went to the sideline, but returned to the field and finished the game.

“I didn’t think anything of it,” Toomer said. “It was very disappointing when I got the MRI. This happened before (as a rookie 10 years ago, Toomer underwent surgery after tearing his right ACL). So I kind of knew what it felt like when it happened.”

Toomer was given the option of trying to rehab the knee, then testing it on the field. But the risk then would have been potentially more serious injury or injuries to the knee. Although it puts him out for the season, Toomer chose surgery, largely because he wants to play next season and beyond

“It’s unstable at this point,” Toomer said. “I just want to fix it. I don’t want to get into the specifics of what happened, but I feel like the best thing to do is to get it fixed. Going out there and not being able to perform to the best of my ability is worse than getting it fixed now and taking the time (for it to heal). I’m disappointed I’m not going to be able to play for the Giants now.”

This season, Toomer is tied with Tiki Barber for the team lead with 32 catches. He is second on the team in both receiving yards (360) and touchdowns (three). On Sept. 17 in Philadelphia, Toomer had one of the finest games of his 11-year tenure, with a career-high 12 receptions for 137 yards and two scores.

The Giants are 6-2 and have a two-game lead over Dallas and Philadelphia in the NFC East. They host 7-1 Chicago Sunday with conference supremacy on the line. Given that, it’s an understatement to say this timing of this injury is very difficult for Toomer.

“It’s really disappointing, because I feel I’m on one of the best teams I’ve been on since I’ve been on the Giants,” Toomer said. “Eli (Manning) is doing well, Plaxico (Burress) is doing well, (Jeremy) Shockey is doing well. It seems like everybody is hitting on all cylinders. For me not to be in the mix – I’m going to see them out there and winning games, but I definitely want to be a part of it. That’s the way it is sometimes.”

"We all feel badly for Amani," head coach Tom Coughlin said after practice today. "Here is a young man who had dedicated himself to having a good year, and he was playing well. He has done anything we have asked of him. His numbers and big plays speak for themselves, but time and time again, he does the things that maybe people on the outside don't notice as much, but they are the kinds of things that make a difference in the ballgame. When you have somebody who is playing as well as Amani has and is as dedicated to the team as Amani is and you lose him, we are missing an important aspect of our team."

So the Giants will carry on without their most experienced receiver. Toomer joined the Giants as a second-round draft choice in 1996. Among current players, only Michael Strahan has been with the team longer. Toomer has played in 158 regular season games, tying him with Doug Van Horn for 14th on the franchise’s career list.

He is first in Giants history with 561 receptions, one more than Barber, and 8,157 yards (2,723 more than runner-up Frank Gifford). Toomer’s 22 100-yard games are a franchise record and his 47 touchdown catches tie him with Joe Morrison for second, one behind franchise record-holder Kyle Rote.

Those are impressive numbers. And Toomer intends to add to them in 2007 and beyond.

“I enjoy playing, I enjoy my teammates,” Toomer said. “I don’t see myself not doing it next year.

“Hopefully next year I’ll be able to start up right where I left off. That’s where my focus is – getting my knee as healthy as possible so I can keep on playing and performing to the best of my ability.”

How’s your ankle? How did you hurt it?

Amani: Oh, it’s fine. I did it in the game last week. The pass that I caught I just fell on it funny but that’s all there was to it.

At times this season it has seemed like one receiver is featured per game. Your game was against the Eagles and three weeks ago vs. Atlanta it was Jeremy Shockey’s turn. Plaxico had the big game against Tampa Bay. Is that situational? How do you account for it?

Amani: I don’t know. That isn’t one of the things that I think about. You just run the routes and let the rest take care of itself, you know.

Tampa Bay had some success slowing down the Giants’ prolific running game on a day when passing was an adventure. Do you expect Houston will also try to stop the run first?

Amani: Well, I don’t know but Tampa Bay had the perfect storm against us because they knew we had to throw short and they were cheating to the short routes. I think the wind made the game a lot closer than it should have been because due to the wind we couldn’t exploit the fact that they were cheating up. There were a lot of routes open. People were open but the wind took the ball so you couldn’t always get the ball there. We were still able to run and do what we needed to do but it was a game where we couldn’t use a lot of our options. Some people have said why didn’t we play in the two-minute drill for the whole game but that just wasn’t workable.

Tiki has been the hot topic, first with his announcement and then by calling out some of the media. Did his announcement cause much of a flap in the locker room?

Amani: No, it really didn’t. Next year is so far off that I don’t think anybody is really thinking about it now.

He’s talked of retiring before. Weren’t many of the players already aware of his plans?

Amani: He’s talked about it before but I know him and nothing’s happened yet.

Have you ever found yourself looking past the current season?

Amani: A little bit. I guess yes and no but I never saw myself not playing. As I’ve told you before, I think I still have something to prove in this league so I see myself playing a lot yet. I still want to go to Hawaii.

Sunday the Giants play another team with a losing record and then have a big game vs. the undefeated Bears. I know the players are saying all the right things but have you any concern that the team will take Houston too lightly?

Amani: No, it’s not even being brought up. But I do think the hardest games to win are the ones you’re supposed to win. They’re the hardest to get up for so I see this game as one of the toughest games we’ll have to deal with. I think this game will take some extra special focus, extra special concentration.

Congratulations, you set another franchise record last Sunday. You’re the first Giant to have more than 550 career receptions.

Amani: Thank you, it was sweet. Every little thing helps.

In his post game press conference, Coach Coughlin said your, “play on the sideline was huge. You talk about getting in that situation and being able to read the two-on-one ball, to get the ball outside, it rarely happens in our league. There, it happened. He went up and made a heck of a catch, got knocked out of bounds. That gave us a big first down.”

Amani: Yeah, it was something we talked about before the game. We always talk about different things, different possibilities. I was waiting for that play and I was expecting it throughout the whole game so it finally came. I didn’t know if my feet were in until I saw the replay and then I knew I knew it was good.

How did it happen that you and Shockey were running side-by-side on one play?

Amani: It was just a mess-up. I wish that was a play we could have done over again because it was open. It kind of messed me up because I didn’t know if Eli was throwing it to me or throwing it to Shockey. It kind of messed me up a little bit mentally when the ball was in the air. It just takes that split second of indecision to throw off the whole route.

Before the bye, the Giants struggled but came out last week against the red-hot Redskins and beat them decisively. What do you think were the key factors in that win?

Amani: I think the fact that we had two weeks to think about that game in Seattle. We were so embarrassed and we felt we lost a lot of respect throughout the league. I think this week against the Falcons will be a big game for us to win and get some respect back in the league.

Michael Vick is an amazing athlete. Do you expect this to be a difficult game for the Giants to win?

Amani: I think everybody has trouble with Mike Vick. Our defense is playing a lot better and feels comfortable with the scheme and the coaches. I think this is a great situation because our team is coming together and playing very well.

Do you feel that stopping Vick is the primary ingredient to beating the Falcons?

Amani: Well, that’s a pretty tall order you know. They’re the number one rushing team in the league. It’s going to be a major effort for us to stop their run. If we can get up early on a team that runs the ball a lot, it will make it easier for us. That’s why we haven’t run the ball a lot because we’ve been down so much.

Did you watch the Atlanta-New Orleans game? Sean Payton pretty much shut down the running game in their victory over the Falcons.

Amani: I know Sean Payton and he’s a top-notch guy. I think regardless of the team they’re going to play, New Orleans will be thoroughly prepared because Sean is a very organized, prepared coach. And we have the same kind of staff, they’re all guys that work real hard. I’m glad to see Sean do well and I wish him success until he plays us.

Does the Atlanta pass coverage concern you?

Amani: I know they are very good in pass coverage. I think that will be a big challenge for us this week because I think Atlanta’s corners are probably the best we’ve played against this year. We’re going to have our work cut out for us.

Like Ponce de Leon, the famed Spanish explorer who sought to find the Fountain of Youth, Giants wide receiver Amani Toomer also likes to explore the world in which we live.

Also like de Leon, Toomer claims to have not yet found that fabled fountain, though his play over the last two seasons would seem to indicate otherwise.

Since joining the Giants in 1996, he's played in 153 games (including the three completed in 2006).

In 2004, Toomer was slowed for more than half the year with a severe hamstring strain that he tried valiantly to play through with sub par results, a season that saw him come up with 51 receptions for 747 yards and no touchdowns.

That poor season led many to speculate that Toomer was on the downside of his career that was on his way off the team. "I think a lot of people were saying that (he was finished) in 2004 when I was playing with an injury," he said.

"I knew that wasn't the case; it was being injured (hamstring). I was trying to do what I could do to help the team, but it was futile. We didn't make the playoffs, and it didn't really help my career at all."

Toomer's sagging production was a large reason why the Giants sought to upgrade their wide out position.

They signed marquis free agent Plaxico Burress in 2005 to provide the offense with some firepower and the year before, they had selected Jamaar Taylor, a 2004 fifth round draft pick, to take Toomer's job down the line.

So much for those plans; Taylor retired this spring after experiencing chronic problems with his injured knee…

Toomer, meanwhile, kept his mouth shut no matter what, and focused on contributing to the Giants offense, which at the time was undergoing a transition to its current quarterback, Eli Manning, whose first full year at the helm was in 2005. That was also the year that the coaches moved Toomer to the 'Z' receiver in 2005.

Toomer has taken to his new position like a hand in glove, and it's shown in his numbers. In 191 offensive plays run this season, he's been targeted 24 times (37%) and has come up with 20 receptions for 207 yards, with three touchdowns, the team's leading receiver through three games.

Not bad for a guy whom many thought was washed up, right

"I just feel that I have so much left to prove in my career and to myself," he said of his resurgence. "I don't look at myself as someone who's been in the league 11 years anyway; I look at myself like I did five or seven years ago."

Toomer's face breaks out into a huge grin when he speaks about why the Z position has been such a good fit for him. "I think its real technical. You're working with other people, running routes, and you're underneath.

"It's like a really versatile position where you're running deep routes, short routes; you're running seams, running inside. It's letting me show what I wanted to show my whole career: an opportunity to show my versatility as opposed to just running downfield, running deep end, running curl, and running square outs."

It often also gives Toomer a chance to match wits against the opponent's best cover corner, something he relishes.

"Most of the time if it's third down they try to put their best corner in the slot because it's the hardest position for the corners to play," he grinned.

Toomer has come a long way from his early years, where people often questioned whether he'd ever be the number one receiver the Giants needed. He said those early years were difficult at first, but they're very much a large reason of why he's been able to accomplish what he has today.

"If those first couple of years weren't as tough as they were, I wouldn't appreciate where I'm at right now as much as I do."

Another reason for Toomer's success which often isn't' spoken about much is his workout and personal care regimen.

In addition to weight training and conditioning, his off-season workout includes yoga and running long distances. It's become a habit for him and is a large reason why he believes that he's been lucky regarding the injury bug.

He also made some modifications to his off-season routine as recently as this past spring, something he said has made a difference.

"I think one thing I've been I have been doing differently is taking a lot more time off during the off season. As opposed to working myself and beating myself, I'm a lot fresher during the off-season than I usually am.

"It's like if I'm working out and I'm getting my cardio in, and I feel a little sore or I feel like I'm wearing myself down a little bit, I'll take a day or two to rest, when before I would push through it.

“By resting in between workouts, I avoid a lot of the stuff you don't want to have happen when the heavier workouts and contact stuff begins."

It also helps keep him focused and determined to stay on the field, no matter how many younger receivers the Giants bring in or how many experienced "name" veterans they court during free agency.

"I knew how hard it was to try to get on the field," he said, again reflecting on his earlier years. "Today, you would have to wrestle me to get me off now."

Given his physical and mental condition, that's probably a challenge very few if any might be willing to accept.

Q: Can you talk about the grit that Amani Toomer brings?

A: The play on the sideline was huge. You talk about getting in that situation and being able to read the two-on-one ball, to get the ball outside, it rarely happens in our league. There, it happened. He went up and made a heck of a catch, got knocked out of bounds. That gave us a big first down after we overcame some distance there with the intentional grounding penalty. He made a big play, and he’s done that throughout the entire year.

Q: He also made a big play at the end of that first half.

A: He sure did. He made the big play on the post on the middle.

Congratulations on your latest franchise record. You’re the first Giant to reach 8000-yards receiving.

Amani: Thank you, thank you very much.

Is this going to be one of those years where you set a franchise record every week or two?

Amani: Let’s hope.

How do you feel the team is regrouping after the drubbing in Seattle?

Amani: We’ve had a long time to thing about it and I think everybody is ready to get out and play again. We put ourselves in this position and even though it’s only the fourth game of the season, this is a must win game and I think we’re all approaching it that way.

Beginning with the Panthers’ game several players have made comments about the coaching. Is an effort being made to reconcile this and bring the team together?

Amani: I think the worst thing you can do when things start going bad is to point the finger, especially in New York City where there is a lot of media coverage. It’s just a mistake, I think, and the fact of the matter is that you don’t have any control of the coaches anyway so it’s a waste of time and it makes everybody look bad. It makes the organization look bad; it makes the players look bad. It’s OK to be critical of yourself because you can do something about yourself without reflecting badly on anyone else.

Is everyone making sufficient effort to improve the offense, players as well as coaches?

Amani: Yeah, as an offense I think we’re doing the things we need to do to get the job done. We, as players, need to go out there and execute better and make fewer mistakes. We need to make more plays and give the defense more rest. There are a lot of things that we can do and it has nothing to do with the coaches.

When changes are made to the offense, do you generally find them workable?

Amani: To be honest, I don’t study the whole game, and every week we have a whole new game plan so I don’t see that many changes being made. We’re always trying to iron out a few wrinkles but I don’t think anything drastic or out of the ordinary is being done other than the game-to-game changes we make every week. As a receiver I would only be aware of changes to the passing game. I don’t know how they block up things or who picks up who on blitzes or things like that.

It was an auspicious start. On the opening drive in Philadelphia quarterback Eli Manning found Amani Toomer for two catches including a 37-yard touchdown reception putting the Giants ahead 7-0.

And then it all went awry. The second and third quarters saw the Giants give up the early lead as they struggled in all phases of the game. In those two quarters Toomer caught a total of two passes.

Midway through the fourth quarter, down 17 points, defeat was palpable. The Eagles felt it; their fans felt it; but the Giants didn’t acknowledge it. They didn’t seem to understand that they were done.

With the game on the line, Eli Manning once again looked to his franchise receiver, Amani Toomer. And as he has so many times in the past, Amani rose to the challenge.

He caught five passes in the fourth quarter, among them his trademark catch, a balletic toe-dragging 22-yard reception at the back of the end zone.

With 3:28 remaining in regulation play, Jay Feely kicked a 35-yard field goal to tie the score and put the game into overtime.

As he returned to the sidelines, Amani felt his legs begin to tighten up.

“I went off the field and I was cramping up,” Amani said. “At that point I was drinking everything I could get my hands on, but by then it was much too late. I knew I was dehydrated but I didn’t know how badly.”

In overtime Manning found Amani for five receptions but noticed him struggling to return to the huddle and suggested Amani go to the bench.

“I said no,” Amani exclaimed. “There was no way I was going to take myself out of the game. No way!”

On the final drive Amani went over the middle thinking, "’I’m open’ and then my legs cramped up and I went to the ground. Then I knew I was done.”

Manning, with defenders draped all over him, stepped up into the pocket and threw a 31-yard game-winning touchdown.

And Amani never even knew what happened.

“I was on the ground writhing in pain and looking over to the bench for help but everybody was jumping up and down and celebrating and nobody saw me. After a few minutes, with me still on the ground, some of the guys came by saying, ‘We won; we won’ and I’m going ‘aagh!’ I guess everybody thought I was celebrating because no one helped me till someone on the bench saw me and came out and got me. I couldn’t even get up by myself; I had to be carried off the field and then it took four bags of intravenous fluid before I could go to the locker room and get dressed”

Asked why he was staring at Amani across the locker room, Coach Coughlin replied that it was “with admiration.”

As Amani made his laborious way to the team bus, probably wondering how he would climb the steps, it was pointed out to him that he had a career-high 12 catches and was leading the league after two games with 17 receptions.

In his usual understated way, Amani replied, “That’s nice, I’ve never had more than ten catches before. As for leading the league, I want to be leading the league after 12 or 13 games, not two.

But the thing I feel b:est about is that our team never quits. I said the same thing last year about this team, too. A lot of teams, down 17 points, would say, ‘Well it’s not our day’ but our team says ‘Until the clock runs out, we still have a chance to get it done.’ Not many teams are like that.”

Running back Tiki Barber summed up: “Amani was phenomenal!”

And he was.

Congratulations on your career-high twelve receptions against the Eagles. You’re also currently leading the league with 17 catches in two games.

Amani: Thanks. Thanks a lot. I’ve never had more than ten catches in a game so that was nice. As far as leading the league goes, I was aware of it but I want to be leading the league after twelve games, not two.

Your performance was pivotal in the win but you didn’t even see the winning play. Could you describe what happened?

Amani: Yeah, I didn’t see the play; I didn’t see it at all. I was on the ground and didn’t know what was going on. I was on the ground writhing with cramps. I was running my route and was thinking that I was open and then my legs cramped up and I went down. I was screaming in pain and I looked over to the bench for help but everyone was jumping up and down and celebrating and I’m wondering what happened. After a few minutes some players came by and said, “We won, we won” and I was going “aagh!” and I think they thought I was celebrating too. Then someone on the bench saw me and came out and helped me. I couldn’t get up myself; I had to be wrestled to my feet and I hobbled off the field with help the best we could manage it.

You were having difficulty with cramps before that last play, weren’t you?

Amani: Yeah, on the drive before I was cramping. I went off the field and at that point was drinking everything I could get my hands on but by then it was much too late. Eli did suggest I take some time off but there was no way I was going to take myself out of the game. There was no way!

You’re reported to have had four bags of intravenous fluid, which seems like quite a lot. Were you aware that you were severely dehydrated?

Amani: Yeah, four bags is all they can give you and I did know just before the last play that I was dehydrated but not how badly. They usually give you the IVs until you go to the bathroom.

Do you have any lingering soreness from the cramps?

Amani: I do still have some soreness but I got a massage yesterday and that helped. And then today I think practice helped me out a little bit more. It’s fine.

You’re very close to another milestone, needing only 25 yards to become the first Giant to reach 8,000 receiving yards

Amani: I wasn’t aware of that. I really hope I attain that and a lot more in Seattle.

Following the game, you referred to the team as having established an identity with their comeback win against the Eagles. What did you mean?

Amani: Yes, I did. What I meant is that, unlike some teams, our team never quits. On a lot of teams when you’re down that much the attitude is, ”Well, it’s just not our day.” But it’s good to be on a team like ours that thinks, “We’re down but it doesn’t matter. We still have a chance.” We always believe we can come back and win and there’s not a lot of teams that can do that and come back from a seventeen point deficit. I said the same thing last year, too. We never quit or eased off when we were down last year either.

Last week there was a sideline blowup with a wide receiver seen yelling at his quarterback. This isn’t just an isolated incident. Why do you think it’s always the wide receivers in the game who are the divas? Why not running backs or tight ends?

Amani: Well, I think it’s probably because we’re so dependant on the quarterback. I mean we can do all we’re able to do and get open and everything but it really doesn’t matter unless the ball is there. And if the ball is there but in the wrong area, we look bad.

I don’t really know the circumstances you’re referring to but wide receivers work hard on their game during the season and in the off-season getting our bodies in shape. If the quarterback couldn’t get the ball to them and they thought the quarterback wasn’t also working hard on his game, then it can get frustrating because you’re at his mercy in a sense. That can happen with a young quarterback and an experienced receiver in particular.

That’s why the team is so happy with Eli and the way he handles himself. We know he stays overtime and works harder than anybody. When you know the quarterback is doing the best he can as Eli does, then there isn’t going to be that frustration. Right from the first day he was looking at film and doing everything he could to improve and the team recognized that.

Without knowing the circumstances, I don’t think that kind of thing does anybody any good.

When people talk about your offense, they talk about a lot of other people before they talk about Amani Toomer. What does he bring to the offense?

Coach Coughlin: He provides outstanding play, as a blocker, as a ball carrier, as a clutch performer, as a guy who makes the key catch in critical situations. (He is a) very, very consistent player.

Are you glad all the hype from the Brother’s Bowl is finally over and the team can settle down to a more normal season?

Amani: Well, I never paid all that much attention to it. I think it was more for the fans, to get them excited about the season. I knew it would really come down to the game.

With all the offensive firepower the Giants have now, do you expect to see a 1000-yard season this year?

Amani: Yeah, I always expect success and I think it could definitely happen. I expect it to happen this year. Definitely.

Even the day after the loss to the Colts, there was still a lot of chatter about the Giants going deep into the playoffs. How do you handle these comments so early in the season?

Amani: The reporters are trying to make you feel all good and warm and fuzzy but what it really comes down to is how you play on Sunday. I tell them that we have to win a couple of games before we start talking about the Super Bowl

On the pass that was intercepted, you and Plaxico were in the same general area and it was hard to tell for whom the ball was intended. Were you the primary read or was Plaxico?

Amani: I think he was trying to throw the ball to me but I couldn’t tell exactly what happened so I don’t really know what the deal was on that play. The ball was between us and the guy came off Plax and ended up intercepting the ball. I don’t really know how that whole thing was supposed to work.

Whenever your name is mentioned, it’s always accompanied by comments about how disciplined and professional you are. To what do you attribute your discipline?

Amani: I attribute it to the way I was brought up. I think I learned about a work ethic from my father and how he works at everything. He works hard at everything he does in life so I would say that’s where my work ethic came from.

De la Salle has arguably the best high school football program in the nation. Was coming from their disciplined program a factor in your development, too?

Amani: Yes, I think I had very good coaches and had the opportunity to be around people who play the game the right way. So, yes, I learned a lot from my coaches but my work ethic or discipline comes mainly from my father.

Michigan plays Notre Dame this week. Are you hearing much from Luke Petitgout about the game?

Amani: No, he hasn’t said much this week. He’s always trying to get me to bet on Michigan games but I find it hard to bet on Michigan so I always turn him down.

8/3/06 Coach Coughlin on Amani:

He (Amani) plays hard. One of the critical things when you ask somebody to critique a receiver: he has endurance. He can go and go and go. That’s a heck of an attribute for a guy playing his position. He loves to play obviously and he prepares himself very well. I’m just happy to see him out here. He has fun. The guy has fun.

7/28/06 from Giants.com:

*A good omen, perhaps? On the Giants’ very first snap of the first team portion of the first training camp workout, Eli Manning completed a long pass down the middle to Amani Toomer.

“I had Amani on a post,” Manning said. “He ran a great route, got the guy turned around and we were able to get a big one on the first play. It was a good start.”

from Inside Football:

7/28/06
In an 11-on-11 drill, QB Eli Manning, who to our eyes looks and acts more mature this year as the field general, launched a rocket…to Amani Toomer, who totally torched (the cornerback).

7/31/06
The 11 on 11s opened with a swing pass from Eli Manning to Tiki Barber. We think this is the first time the giants didn’t open the 11-on-11 portion of practice with a touchdown pass to Amani Toomer. Oh well, probably time to let someone else shine, we figure.

8/4/06
So much is made of Tiki Barber and his training regime, which has enabled him to find the fountain of youth. Well, Amani Toomer, to his credit is just as dedicated to keeping himself in optimal shape and being effective…the experience he’s acquired still makes him a very lethal weapon in an offense.

I thought we executed pretty well. In the beginning we marched it down pretty good and didn’t have any mistakes. But towards the end of the time that we were in there we started to have some penalties which is something that we have to clean up. At least we know what we have to work on. I think we showed what we needed to show for tonight but we still have a long way to go.

We did what we were supposed to do in those first couple of drives. I think we are headed in the right direction. We can’t really judge ourselves off of tonight’s game, because it is still preseason and it is a very tough schedule. I think we need to keep on moving forward. We wanted to mix things up tonight and do things to get us in a rhythm. We kept them off balance when we started off with a mix like that. We were productive.

It was a good route between Shockey and me. We both work well together and either he gets open or I get open and Eli put it where I could catch it (the touchdown pass) and that is it.

ALBANY, N.Y. – Amani Toomer had an unusual feeling on the football field this week: boredom.

No, the veteran wide receiver was not bemoaning the tedium of participating in yet another drill in yet another training camp practice. Actually, it was the inability to join the workout that got to Toomer. Even in his 11th Giants training camp, Toomer would much prefer to work in every practice than stand off to the side.

But a sore hamstring forced him out of practice Sunday and Monday.

“I definitely get bored,” Toomer said today. “It goes by so much faster when you’re practicing than when you’re sitting. When you’re sitting there watching you’re (thinking): ‘This is not fun.’”

Toomer found much more enjoyment in this afternoon’s practice; his leg felt better and he returned to work. He is on track to play in Thursday night’s preseason home game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Missing a couple of mid-August workouts or skipping a preseason game might not seem like a big deal to someone who has been doing this since 1996, but Toomer was thrilled to return today and looks with excitement toward the Chiefs game. They might not carry the importance of a regular season game, but to Toomer preseason games represent a chance to play the sport he loves and to improve himself.

“I don’t like to get out of the flow,” he said. “The last two days I’ve been sitting out and it hasn’t really been sitting well with me. Hopefully, I’ll … get into the flow and get the timing down and keep everything going. I feel like I’m doing pretty well and everything is going pretty well, I think.”

However, the Giants had a shortage of available receivers earlier this week. In addition to Toomer, David Tyree (ankle) and rookie Sinorice Moss (quad) were unable to practice.

“It’s part of the process,” Toomer said. “You go to any training camp now you see a lot of the receivers missing because of the amount of running and explosiveness it takes to play the position. If this was the week before a game or the first week of the season, that would be alarming. But right now I dare to say it’s what you might expect from such a tough (camp). Two practices a day are hard on a player’s body.”

Toomer caught one 13-yard pass in last week’s 17-16 victory in Baltimore. But like everyone else, he was dissatisfied with the performance of the first-team offense, which gained a total of 25 yards on its first two series before Toomer’s catch and a 43-yarder by Plaxico Burress set up Brandon Jacobs’ touchdown on the third possession.

The Giants’ offensive players expect to make a better showing against Kansas City. Toomer wants to be a big part of that effort, which is why he wants to play so badly in what some might consider a meaningless game for someone of his stature.

“I think it’s going to be very important (for the offense to do well),” Toomer said. “We wanted to come out and show a lot better than we did. I think we have a lot to prove. We have a lot on paper, but on paper is not going to help us move the ball or win games in the season. So we have to go out there and do it.”

Thursday’s encounter with the Chiefs will be the 43rd preseason game the Giants have played since Toomer joined the team as a second-round draft choice in ’96. Although many veterans don’t get excited about them, Toomer sees value in the practice games.

“You want to get used to getting up for a game, preparing for a game and getting used to going through the motions,” he said. “Also, you want to go out there and perform and get used to performing successfully. Because everything you do on the field is a habit. You don’t want to get into bad habits to where you’re going out there without intensity or not executing the way you want to execute. You always want to be as sharp as you possibly can.”

Toomer was on top of his game throughout the 2005 season. Burress’ arrival prompted him to move from split end to flanker. For the eighth time in nine seasons, he played in all 16 games. Toomer caught 60 passes for 684 yards and tied with Burress and Jeremy Shockey for the team lead with seven touchdown receptions.

He did not, however, catch a pass in the season-opening 42-19 victory over Arizona, ending his streak of 98 consecutive games with at least one reception. Toomer admitted for the first time today that he was bothered the streak didn’t continue.

“I really wasn’t keeping track of it myself,” Toomer said. “But people always came up to me and told me that was important. Other people had more pride in it than me. But it was something I hated to see get broken, especially in a blowout victory. Since we blew them out, I thought I could get a ball. But that’s the way the game is.”

Of course, the 98-game streak is one of several franchise records Toomer owns. He is first on the Giants’ list with 529 receptions (one more than Tiki Barber) and 7,797 yards (2,362 yards ahead of runner-up Frank Gifford). Toomer also holds the single-season marks for catches and yardage (82 for 1,343 in 2002). He has 44 career touchdown receptions and needs four to tie Kyle Rote for first place in Giants history.

Although his numbers didn’t match his finest seasons, Toomer made some of the most memorable grabs of his career in 2005. He somehow kept his feet inbounds in the back of the end zone to score a touchdown in Seattle. Toomer did another tightrope act to score a touchdown against St. Louis. Against Kansas City, he was hit but managed to stay on his feet to complete a 31-yard score.

Toomer said the number of extraordinary receptions he had was no more than he had in other years.

“I think back-to-back there might have been more last year than in other years, but for what reason I don’t really know,” he said. “But there are a lot of difficult catches. If you don’t really understand the game in terms of playing receiver and body position, I think I had a lot of difficult catches during my whole career.

“As a player you always have to have confidence in yourself, even when nobody else has confidence. So I wouldn’t say I expected it, but I kind of did. I knew I still had a lot to give to this game and to this team and this organization and I think there will be a lot more this year, too.”

The Giants are counting on it.

One of the New York newspapers is referring to you today as “the old man” and there have been references to your losing a step. How do you react to these comments?

Amani: Really? I don’t think I’ve lost a step, I just think people make generalizations. I believe they look at my years in the league and then they say what they say. I try not to focus on that kind of stuff. Instead I let my game speak for itself. It’s that time of year and people have to come up with things to say so I understand that. They said that about Tiki last year too so that shows you how much they know.

It’s kind of weird because they don’t say the same kind of things about guys that are older than me that came out in my class. I’m still one of the youngest guys from my class, most of them are about two years older than I am but they don’t say anything about them. Terrell Owens came in the same year, you’ve got Terry Glenn, you’ve got Eric Moulds, all these guys came out my year but they’re all older than I am. I didn’t red shirt so I started a year earlier and am younger than they are.

I think the media sometimes just goes for the obvious but you have to go beyond that and look at the person. It’s not even about production; it’s about play-in and play-out. Production is a product of the system. If the system allows you to have numbers you’ll have them but if the system goes in another direction it can, through no fault of your own, affect your production.

In your career you have been remarkably durable. How do you account for that and have you modified your workouts over time?

Amani: Yeah, I’ve definitely modified my workouts. I think I’ve made them less strenuous on myself. You know, early in my career I used to really beat up on myself and I’d come to camp sore. It’s one of those things where you just learn what you need to do to keep yourself going on the right track and be able to compete for a long time.

Tim Carter referred to you yesterday as someone who really takes care of his body and who has remained durable. Has he spoken to you about your workouts?

Amani: Yeah, he watches and I think he has started doing the same kind of things. I’ve been doing it for so long that I don’t think of it as taking care of myself but just giving myself a chance to compete.

Every few years you have had to reinvent your game. Last year you moved to flanker. Does that become tiresome?

Amani: No, actually I like it because it was a change. It gave me opportunities to do a lot of things that I thought I could do. A lot of plays that I thought I could do well I’m doing now and I’m enjoying it. I’m enjoying the challenge of playing a new position. It’s kept me fresh.

There have been some unusual formations at camp this year; for example, one where Jacobs was flanked outside of you. Are these experiments or are you just trying to annoy the defense?

Amani: It’s not really anything new. We’ve been doing what we’re doing ever since the new coaching staff came in. I don’t know but I think it’s just pretty much the same stuff we’ve been doing though Jacobs is getting out there a lot more.

How do you think the passing game is progressing?

Amani: I think Eli is doing really well. This is his second training camp as a starter. After the first playoff game he’s more experienced as a starter than guys who have been in the league a lot longer because he’s been through a lot. In terms of playing in New York, it’s almost like dog years. I think he’s a lot further ahead than other guys who were in his class.

You know the NFC East very well. What concerns you about the other teams in the division?

Amani: Every year we play Dallas and they know us and we know them so well. They draft for us and we draft for them so we’re like the perfect match against each other. The teams are very evenly matched in mostly all of the positions.

Some columns are writing off the Eagles. Would you be so quick to do so?

Amani: Never. It’s funny because in this division in the last few years the team that was favored to win the division never wins except the Eagles with that little run that they had. Other than that, it’s always the team coming from nowhere, coming together right out of training camp that has a good season. And that’s how you win.

There’s a lot of hype surrounding the Redskins because once again they brought in a number of high-profile players.

Amani: They always do that and hopefully it will have the same results. Football is a team game and it takes a while to mesh together. That’s why I’m real excited about where we’re at because we are together for another year.

You have been in a lot of Super Bowl cities during the week before the game and you were in Germany during the World Cup. How would you compare the atmosphere?

Amani: I don’t know that you can compare them. In Germany, it was such an international affair. The NFL really needs to try and expand globally because I think it’s a great game and I think it’s a much better game to watch than soccer. It’s much more a fan friendly game and they need to make a bigger effort to expand it because it would be such a great game for people all over the world. I think that’s the next step for the NFL. I think the NFL market in the United States is pretty well established and now they need to go on to bigger and better things. Soccer is so international that right now you can’t compare the two. People came from all over the world to Berlin for the World Cup. In the Super Bowl you may have some reporters from all over the world but you don’t have people from all over the world coming to watch a Super Bowl game. If you take a flight from New York for eight hours going either east or south, nobody there will even know what the NFL is. That’s the sad truth and I think that’s a shame because football is such a great game.

Question: What kind of season do you expect Amani to have this year?

Name inaudible: Hopefully, as good as last year or better. He’s a veteran and showed himself to be a good player.

Willie: I think he’s going to have a very good year this year because he’s an all-star veteran and he can do almost anything.

Peter: I think he’ll have a great year. I think last year was probably a disappointment for him but this year, with a more settled quarterback like Eli, I think he could have a great year. Absolutely.

Chris: I expect him to have a good year, probably as good as last year or even better, probably a thousand yards and hopefully a bunch of touchdowns for him.

Eric: I expect him to pick up where he left off last year. He did have a good solid year as the #2 receiver and I think he’ll continue to fit into that role as Eli continues to grow.

Dick: I think he’s going to have a great year. He looks pretty good out there today.

Gary: I think he’s going to have a good year, I think he’s really going to do well. He’s made some good plays and I think he’s going to do very well.

Dioenis: I think he’s going to have an excellent year because he’s a great player. I just think he’s going to do great.

Patrick: I think he’ll have a better year than last year

Gary: I think he’s looking really good out there so I’m expecting some big things.

Joseph: Since he comes from Michigan, I hope he has a great year. I’m a Michigan fan. I didn’t go to Michigan because I enlisted right out of high school.

Jake: Hopefully better than last year. They’re setting themselves up out there and they look like they’re sending a message to the league and I think they’re going to do well. Anything can happen but hopefully it’s going to be a great year for him.

Mike: I think Amani will have a great year. I’m not sure he’ll get a thousand yards but I expect 800-900 yards. If the team could end up 11-5, I’ll be happy with that.

You had the first touchdown of this camp. Do you think that’s a good omen for the year?

Amani: I don’t know. I hope it is but there’s a long way to go and I just need to feel a little bit better out there. I didn’t feel as good as I wanted to out there this morning. But I’ll get acclimated and get in a little bit better running shape and we’ll see what happens.

After the mini-camp Coach Coughlin mentioned that you catch the ball well where some other guys are a little stiff. Do you consider your soft hands your greatest asset?

Amani: I don’t know. I just try to catch the ball and I don’t worry about how I catch it. I think sometimes I catch it in a way that I’m not supposed to. I just feel like the team has done so much with blocking and all the other techniques to actually get the ball in the air so I feel an obligation to catch the ball first and then make something happen afterwards.

In the mini-camp you were running a lot of the long sideline routes and Plaxico was running some of the shorter routes. Is that the way it will be this season?

Amani: I have no idea. They have a couple of new plays in and it will be interesting to see how the whole thing is going to work out. You kind of get half of what the coaches are planning because they never want you to know everything they’re planning because they always want there to be something new. But, you get a little glimpse of what we’re going to do and who is going to run a different route. So, you have to know all the routes because you never know where you’re going to be come game time.

Before the mini-camp Anthony Mix said he wanted to pick your brains because he thought you were probably the wisest of the receivers. Have you talked with him yet?

Amani: No, I haven’t talked to him. I haven’t had much opportunity to be around him yet.

You owe him Amani.

Amani: I’ll definitely talk to him. He’s a big guy and I know being a receiver and being a big guy is a totally different animal than a little guy. The technique is different; it really is a different animal. That’s something I had to learn and I had to learn it by going back during the off-season and working out with some of the San Francisco 49ers' receivers back when I was young. I worked with Jerry Rice, Terrell Owens and J. J. Stokes and some of those guys.

You said recently that you want to fine-tune your timing with Eli. Will there be time enough at camp to accomplish that do you think?

Amani: Yes, I think so. We got a lot of reps at practice today. Usually the first team doesn’t get that many reps with Eli but today we got a lot so I think maybe the coaches are emphasizing our getting more reps and getting more throws in. They have a vision of what they want and I think they want to put the ball up a lot.

Peyton Manning practices before games with Marvin Harrison. Do you have an opportunity to do the same?

Amani: Yeah. We do that before games. We run the route tree and just try to get things on the same page. A lot of it is just warming up because I don’t think we really get enough time to warm up out on the field. During warm-ups we don’t always get to run the whole route tree so we’ll go into the game and sometimes that’s the first time we get to run that route that day. So, we go through the route tree before the game and just get a little more comfortable.

How do you think the first practice went?

Amani: I think the team looks pretty good; I thought we looked pretty good this morning. I was actually impressed with the number of completions and how crisp some of the quarterbacks were

The whole core group is back this year.

Amani: Yeah, that’s a rare thing. There’s been a lot of change around here the last three or four years and to have the whole offense coming back is going to make it a lot easier for Eli and really for the whole offense. The coaches are going to be able to do a little bit more because there’s nobody that’s new to the system. I think that’s going to help us out because we’re going to be able to adjust more quickly.

Tom Coughlin said this morning that one of the things he looked for was the interaction between players on the first day of camp. Did you feel a sense of unity?

Amani: I didn’t feel any friction and I think that’s a good thing. But it’s the first morning; it’s day one and maybe in the afternoon it will be a little different. I think you’ll be able to tell a little more as the camp goes on but I think we’re going to jell well.

Do you think this was one of the more crisp first practices you’ve seen?

Amani: I think so. I think we did a good job in the off-season to stay in shape and it really looked like the last day of mini-camp to me.

How do you feel you did today?

Amani: I did OK but I don’t think I’m ready to play the Colts yet.

After your great first catch, did you maybe think you should have walked off the field then?

Amani: I think Tom would have some words for me about that.

With all the weapons on offense, where do you see yourself fitting in?

Amani: I don’t know. The offense is learning where they fit in now. Everybody wants to make plays and everybody wants to get the ball. When you do get the opportunity, you have to make the play.

Is it frustrating at times to know that it may be eight or nine reps before you see the ball?

Amani: It’s frustrating but that’s football, you know. For wide receivers it’s not just catching the ball. There’s a lot of other things involved so I’m just looking forward to the season and seeing how the whole thing turns out.

Have you seen any improvements in Eli Manning?

Amani: I’m always positive about Eli because I think he’s doing a very good job especially with the amount of pressure that he’s under. I was certainly impressed with the way he was throwing the ball today. And of course he knows all the players now and he knows what we can do.

Is it gratifying to beat a veteran like Sam (Madison)?

Amani: Definitely, the more you play against different people the more techniques you see. Sam does some stuff that I’m not really that familiar with even after all the years I’ve been playing. Some of his release techniques are a little different. You have to get to the point where you’re thinking what the defensive back is thinking before he does. Hopefully, I’ll get a bead on him and make some more plays.

I hope you’ll join the team in Albany for training camp this year, even if you can only make it out to practice for one day. Practices usually alternate between a single practice and two-a-days. The schedule will be posted on Giants.com.

I think you’ll find our practices are fan friendly. There are plenty of places to stand or sit and watch practice, including some bleachers under big shade trees. If you want to get autographs, come to “Autograph Alley” following each practice, as we’re available to sign at that time.

I think most people would agree that the team has added some exciting players to the roster and it looks like the Giants should have a very good season. I don’t want to get into predictions as I haven’t had a lot of success with that in the past but I believe we’ll be very competitive and fun to watch.

So, come out and join us. You’ll have fun and having fans there to cheer us on makes practice more enjoyable for us too.

Amani

Directions to the State University practice fields:
From the North:
Take Interstate 87 (Northway) south to Exit 1E. Off the exit, proceed to Interstate 90 east (Albany/Boston). Take Exit 2, Washington Avenue. Cross Washington Avenue onto campus. Follow University Drive, bearing right, and look for signs to direct you to park in the Dutch Quad parking lot. From there, you will walk a clearly marked path to the athletic buildings and fields.
From the South:
Take Interstate 87 (Thruway) north to Exit 24. After the tollbooths, proceed onto Interstate 90 east towards Boston. Take Exit 2, Washington Avenue. Cross Washington Avenue onto campus. Follow University Drive, bearing right, and look for signs to direct you to park in the Dutch Quad parking lot. From there, you will walk a clearly marked path to the athletic buildings and fields.
From the East:
Take Interstate 90 west towards Buffalo. Leave interstate at Exit 2 (Fuller Road). Turn left at Fuller Road and then take the next left at Washington Avenue. The University at Albany is on your right. Follow University Drive, bearing right, and look for signs to direct you to park in the Dutch Quad parking lot. From there, you will walk a clearly marked path to the athletic buildings and fields.
From the West:
Take Interstate 90 (Thruway) east to Exit 24. After the tollbooths, proceed onto Interstate 90 east towards Boston. Take Exit 2, Washington Avenue. Cross Washington Avenue onto campus. Follow University Drive, bearing right, and look for signs to direct you to park in the Dutch Quad parking lot. From there, you will walk a clearly marked path to the athletic buildings and fields.

“He (Amani) is a good football player. He has had real good OTAs, he has done real well out here in camp. I always talk about just listening; you listen, listen to him catch the ball. He has done a good job with that; whereas, some of the guys are a little stiff when the ball hits their hands. This guy is really functioning well. He is a good football player; his attitude is outstanding. However, you want to use him, he is ready for it. He has been very impressive.”

The Giants’ Career Internship Program is part of the team’s Player Development Program. It is led by former fullback Charles Way, whose career with the Giants ended after only five seasons in 1999. Since then, Way has been the team’s Director of Player Development. Way’s job is to help prepare players for life after football. He stresses to each player that football careers are short, that players should complete their educations, learn how to manage their money and get ready for a post-football career.

The NFL founded the Player Development Program in 1991. The program is designed to help players prepare for life after football. It is made up of three main parts: continuing education, career internship and a family assistance program. Each team can tailor its program to best serve its own players.

This year, five players had corporate internships, six more interned as part-time coaches at local high schools, and five players continued work toward their degrees. In addition, Tim Hasselbeck and Amani Toomer participated in the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton Business Entrepreneurial Program

R.1 DE Mathias Kiwanuka, Boston College
R. 2 WR Sinorice Moss, Miami
R. 3 LB Gerris Wilkinson, GA Tech
R 4a. DT Barry Cofield, Northwestern
R. 4b. OT Guy Whimper, E. Carolina
R. 5 S Charlie Peprah, Alabama
R.7 CB Gerrick McPhearson, Maryland

Did you see Ike Hilliard got a new multi-year contract with Tampa Bay?

Amani: Yeah, I did. I¹m really happy for him.

You took a course at the Wharton School of Business recently. What did you study and what if any plans do you have to use the course material?

Amani: It covered a lot of different material, like real estate and marketing and a whole bunch of other stuff. It was to expose people to a variety of different business practices. It was actually pretty intimidating at the beginning because they were dealing with terms I wasn¹t that familiar with. It was pretty interesting.

Chris Meyers, a sideline reporter, saw you in Vegas recently. On his Fox radio program he said he didn¹t go over and speak with you as you were with your entourage. Were you with your brother?

Amani: Entourage? I don¹t roll with an entourage. He must have seen me at dinner. I went out one night with my brother and a couple of his friends.

Have you been doing any other traveling?

Amani: No, I haven¹t actually. I did go to Tiki¹s 31st birthday party.

Have you looked at this season¹s schedule yet? What was your reaction?

Amani: Yeah, I looked at the schedule a couple of weeks ago. You know, we have our work cut out for us. I think it probably has to be close to the toughest schedule in the NFL. It seems like every time we have a decent season, the next year our schedule is among the toughest. It¹s kind of weird how it works. We¹ll have our work cut out for us.

Do you have any personal goals for this year¹s off-season?

Amani: I¹m working out furiously.

Do you get much opportunity to work one-on-one with Eli? Your said previously you wanted to fine-tune your timing?

Amani: No, I haven¹t yet but I think we¹ll have plenty of time to get everything in order. I do want to make sure that we get some workouts together.

Do you think getting shut out in the playoff game will have any residual effect on the team going into the 06 season?

Amani: Well, we¹re definitely not going to be riding high. I believe we¹ll come back really grounded. I think when teams have a really good playoff it does carry over. But we know that what we did last year just wasn¹t good enough.

Each year the University of Michigan Wolverines send some of their best to the NFL Draft and their players tend to have long, productive careers in the NFL. It should be noted that the Wolverine football program grades all their players as blockers with the result that Michigan players usually come out of college more proficient blockers than players from other schools.

Most of Michigan’s players who participated in the combine chose to run at the school’s Pro Day.

Some of the top players eligible for the 2006 NFL Draft are:

Offensive tackle, Adam Stenavich, 6-4, 310, Michigan pro day: 5.61 and 5.62
Experienced and hard working player who goes till the whistle blows. Tough and aggressive. Has very good hand usage and gets a good punch. Overall has very good technique and the strength to lock on and control defenders. Plays with a good pad level. Looks like a solid prospect for right tackle.

Offensive guard, Matt Lentz, 6-6, 320, pro day: 5.38 twice
Aggressive and strong and plays with the mean streak that coaches love. Sets up quickly and has very good footwork. A strong run blocker. Excellent hand-punch and overall uses hands/arms effectively. Plays with solid technique and has strength to lock on and hold at the point of attack.

Wide receiver, Jason Avant, 6-½, 212, pro day: 4.8
Strong, physical player with good athleticism. Productive and works hard to improve. Good explosiveness. Has soft hands and makes all the tough catches. Very good route runner. Fearless over the middle. Uses body well to shield defender from the ball and can adjust and come back to the ball. Possession receiver who comes out of his breaks very quickly and separates effortlessly. Good blocker. Demonstrated his soft hands at the combine.

Tight end, Tim Massaquoi, 6-2 ½, 255, pro day: 4.84 and 4.87
Productive and experienced, a three-year starter. Very athletic and quick with an exceptionally quick first step. Has good hands and can adjust and come back to the ball. Plays with solid technique and gets separation. Good blocker who continues to improve.

Defensive tackle, Gabe Watson, 6-3 ½, 339, c. 5.25
Athletic and very strong with quick feet. Hard to move off the ball, even when double-teamed. Able to take on two blockers and still collapse the pocket. Exceptional run defender. Plays with a mean streak. At the Senior Bowl Watson had excellent practices against some of the best players in the nation. Top ability.


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