CB Eli Apple
July 27, 2017
Q: Are you healthy and ready to go?
A: Yes sir, 100 percent.
Q: What happened during minicamp?
A: Just got a little illness. Sometimes things happen, but I feel good now.
Q: Is the hamstring all good?
A: Yes sir.
Q: How would you describe the feeling heading into year two?
A: I think for me, I feel real confident. I think as a team we’re feeling really confident. Just kind of build off of what we had last year and I think just with the group of guys that we got and the news guys coming in too, we’ve got something real special. It’s just about putting the work in now.
Q: What will change for you in year two?
A: I think I’m a lot more comfortable with the defense, a lot more comfortable with the guys. Now it’s just about like I said, putting the work in and just going hard every day.
Q: Have any veterans verbalized to you that you have to understand that playoffs are not a guarantee every year and the work still has to be put in?
A: Yeah, definitely. We have high expectations for ourselves and we know that now it’s just about, like I said, continue to put the work in, continue to just watch film and work hard because we know that we have to actually go out there and really play hard. Nothing’s given to us, we’ve got to go out and continue to take every day.
Q: How comforting is it that so many defensive players are returning this season and how much more can you do because of that?
A: It definitely helps a lot. I think it helps with our chemistry, being comfortable with each other and know what we expect from each other as football players and people. So, I think that’s going to really be beneficial for us during the season. Just building off what we did last year and just continue to just grow up as a defense.
Q: Do you enjoy when you see the media constantly rank the Giants’ secondary as one of the best in the league?
A: Yeah, I guess that’s cool. But it’s one thing for the fans I guess to look at, but for us, we just know we’ve got to put the work in. Nothing’s going to be given to us at all, all that stuff doesn’t really mean anything for this year. We’ve got to just go out and prove to everybody and ourselves that we’re a top defense. We’re just thinking about how we can come together and how we just have to continue to work.
Q: Did you maintain the weight that you put on in the spring?
A: Yeah, I did.
Q: Is that where you want to be?
A: Yes sir. It’s around like 202 [pounds]. Around that area.
Q: How do you think that weight change will make a difference on the field?
A: I think it will make a big difference. Just being more consistent I think, just being stronger. Being able to just take more punishment and all that stuff and just being healthy.
Q: What was your weight heading into training camp last year?
A: I think I came in here around 195.
Q: How much does cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie help you?
A: I think ‘DRC’, his versatility, he just helps our whole defense. The one guy we can move him around, he can bounce, like play inside. Especially if somebody in the secondary gets hurt. So, he’s interchangeable in that area. And he helps me too because he helps me out with the defense, he’s very knowledgeable, he’s very smart. So, I’m just glad that somebody like him is on our team. Even ‘Jack Rabbit’ [Janoris Jenkins], everybody on the defense you have to be able to be versatile and move around.
Q: In what areas can you improve?
A: Just want to be better overall as a football player. No crazy goals, I just want to improve and help my team as much as possible to get to the Super Bowl and win it.
Q: What were you doing at the end of last season to help get your hand on the ball more?
A: It’s about film study, it’s about understanding yourself as a player, understanding what the offense is going to do to try and attack our defense. So, just becoming smarter, becoming more mentally savvy out there on the field and just keeping the state of mind, everything just kind of plays into that. That’s something I also want to be – that’s a goal of mine and I think that’s the goal for our defense, just creating more turnovers and causing more havoc.
Q: Is there a difference going into this year as opposed to last?
A: Definitely a difference, for sure. I think just a lot more excitement now with this year. This team, we’re just really anxious to get out there on the field and just excited to get out and show what kind of team we are.
Q: Do you think there are Super Bowl expectations for this team?
A: Definitely. I think we have high expectations, but it’s not about talking about it, it’s about going out there and putting the work in.
Q: Did you sense the uncertainty heading into last season and is that not the case this year?
A: Well, I think that’s the case every year for every team, no matter what type of situation you’re in. But I know our coaching staff did a great job just getting everybody comfortable and acclimated. I didn’t really feel like they were a new coaching staff or anything, I could tell they were seasoned and experienced. Especially Coach McAdoo, he was just very confident the first day and I think that kind of feeds off everybody else too.
Q: Will it help having Super Bowl expectations this year?
A: That’s just the expectation every year, of course. You always want to end the season with a victory, a championship, a Super Bowl. So, that’s just the expectation that we have for ourselves and that’s the main goal right now.
Q: Is it a different feeling walking into the building this year, already knowing most of the players and staff?
A: I think it’s kind of the same with me, I kind of came in with a little new look, some of the guys just looked at me and they didn’t really recognize me at first, so I’d introduce myself all over again [laughs]. It’s not the same thing in my opinion, every season is different and you can just see it in the guys, I can just see the excitement in their looks. They just know what kind of team we have and what kind of season we’re expecting ourselves to have if we keep working.
Q: Who has the better new look, you or Coach McAdoo?
A: I haven’t even seen Coach McAdoo yet, but I’m always going to go with myself [laughs].
Q: What led to the decision to change your look?
A: Just wanted to start off fresh, that’s all. It’s been awhile, I haven’t had this [hair] since the last time we won the championship over at Ohio State. So, it’s just a little fresh start, that’s all.
Q: Did other players get on you for the new look?
A: Yes, already. They’re slapping my head a little bit, they’ve been getting on me.
