Transcript: Offensive Lineman Jermaine Eluemunor

Offensive Lineman Jermaine Eluemunor

Q. I'm not sure I've ever seen anyone more excited to join the Giants. Certainly not in my seven years doing this. Why is that, especially given the context of they haven't won very much in the last seven years?

JERMAINE ELUEMUNOR: For me, my excitement comes from this franchise as a whole. I grew up in Jersey when I moved from London. Also, the first team I ever saw play football was the Giants, and that helmet and that uniform just sticks out to me. It's known across the world. For me coming here to this franchise was always a dream. You say they haven't won that much, but I've watched them a number of times. Who knows? Maybe I'm the missing piece for helping them get towards that. My goal is to help them win and be on the offensive line and protect (quarterback) Daniel (Jones) and open up holes for the running backs and let the receivers catch the balls down the field and do my job. At the end of the day, I'm here to do my job and to help this team win and add on to the culture. I feel like they have a really good culture here with (Head Coach Brian) Daboll and (Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator) Mike Kafka. I'm really excited to be here. I think this team is really on the up and up, and like I said, I'm really excited to play a part in that.

Q. You grew up here so you know this, or at least you went to high school here. Some places offensive linemen fly under the radar. That definitely is not the case with the Giants. We pay an incredible amount of attention to the offensive line in good times and bad. How do you feel about kind of that spotlight and the pressure that comes with trying to rebuild an offensive line that gave up 85 sacks last year?

JERMAINE ELUEMUNOR: Shoot, I love the pressure. I feel like I thrive under that. You know, playing tackle in the NFL, you're already under a bunch of pressure. You could have 60 good plays but if you have one bad play, that's all everyone is going to talk about. I had to deal with that this year. I would have really good games and that one play, that's all everyone talks about. How you recover from that and play the next week is really all that matters in my opinion. The Giants, I know that all the eyes are on you, and everyone talks about the New York Giants and the Dallas Cowboys. I feel like those are the two most talked about teams in the NFL. Being an offensive lineman here I'm really excited for the opportunity and the challenge of that also, and to get out there against the great defenses we're going to play against this year and the great d-lines. I love the challenge, if I'm being honest with you. I think you can watch me on film and see how I do under pressure. I've been under pressure a lot in my career, especially coming from where I came from to go from there to where I am right now. To be at this point in my career where I feel like I'm finally hitting my stride, I'm really excited for that and to play my role on this team and help the guys around me get better and be that vet presence. I'm only 29, but I'm the vet in the room, which sucks, because I'm still a young guy, too. I'm really excited to meet (tackle Andrew Thomas) AT, meet (tackle) Evan (Neal), (center John Michael Schmitz) JMS and (offensive lineman Jon) Runyan. I feel like there is a lot of talent there and a lot of potential. Like I said, I hope I can be just one of the people that helps uplift everyone and help everyone reach their potential. There are a lot of guys in that room that have already reached their potential, but they can still play at a higher level. I'm one to believe that you can always be better than you already are, so I'm going to help bring that to the o-line room, bring the positivity and bring the energy, and hopefully that translates to the field. We're going to work hard. I know (Offensive Line Coach) Carm (Bricillo) is going to push us and work us and I'm really excited for the challenge.

Q. You mentioned role. Do you have an idea what you expect your role to be at this point, or haven't you got there yet?

JERMAINE ELUEMUNOR: No. That's one thing that has helped me get to this position right now, is my versatility. I've played left tackle, left guard, right guard, right tackle. We have a really good left tackle. Evan Neal is a really good player in my opinion. I think he has a lot of potential. I'm really excited to play with Runyan and JMS. I'll play where I'm needed. That's my thing, and I think that's what's helped me stay in the league this long and get to the position, is I'm really versatile. Wherever I'm needed and whatever helps the team is where I'm going to be.

Q. The Giants offensive line has been a sore point, what does it take to make a good offensive line and how can you help that?

JERMAINE ELUEMUNOR: I think it takes hard work, determination, and just grit. You have to be able to put your hand in the dirt and just hit someone in the mouth and come back and do it again and again and again and again. No offensive line is perfect. The best tackles in the league in my opinion, AT is one, I think (Eagles left tackle) Lane (Johnson) is another, (Lions left tackle) Penei (Sewell), (49ers left tackle) Trent (Williams). You can watch the film and there is always going to be the one play they could have done better. No one is perfect and no one is going to play a perfect game. It's not like you're a baseball player and you're going to strike out for eight straight innings. I don't think that's possible as an offensive lineman. You're always going to have that play where you know you could have done better. You have to have the mentality of next play, next play, next play, and I think that when you have that type of mentality, but then also you are determined and know what's coming, you prepared the entire week for the one game, one play, you know they're going to give you their everything. When you stop that, that's when you can become a really good offensive line. To anticipate what they're going to do and stop that. Once you do that, then you're in their head. Once you're in their head, you can do whatever you want in the game. That's the way I think, and I'm really excited to get around the guys in the offensive line room. If I can be that vet presence for them and be a leader and just add on to what they're already doing, I think we have the potential to be a really good offensive line. Like you said, I'm sure they've come under scrutiny the past couple years. Runyan, really good player. Evan Neal has a lot of the potential and excited to get around him. JMS was a rookie last year and it's hard to play in this league as a rookie. I remember my rookie year I sucked if I'm being honest with you. So, getting thrown into the fire as a rookie, as a center, that's fricking impressive. And then AT, he's Pro Bowler, all pro. He just needs to keep doing what he's doing. I want to mesh into the group and add on to whatever they're doing and like I said be that positive person and bring the energy and just be a leader in that room and just continue to add on to what we're doing and keep improving.

Q. You mentioned Carm before. Obviously you were with him in Vegas. Just curious if you had a scouting report, and was it important for you when you were considering your options to kind of follow here with the Giants or was that just an added bonus?

JERMAINE ELUEMUNOR: Yeah, I mean, if you really look at my production, my best two years came under Carm. To have someone like him that just believes in you and is going to go to war and bat for you up in that room up there and give you tough love and also do what needs to be done and help you in ways that you need to be helped, that goes a long way. I've been around the league long enough to know that not every team is blessed to have an o-line coach that knows the game like him but then is also going to be as technical as him and knows the things he knows. He got to study under one of the best o-line coaches, if not the best o-line coach that ever coached in the NFL, (Former Patriots Offensive Line Coach) Dante Scarnecchia. To have that experience, that's huge. I think that will be really huge for the young guys to learn from him and take his coaching to help them take that next step in their progression as an offensive lineman.

Q. How aware are you when you come here and ask for the number 72 of the recent legacy of the team that you talked about watching for the first time back in 2007 and who wore that and his run to the NFL?

JERMAINE ELUEMUNOR: Yeah, (Former Giants Defensive End) Osi (Umenyiora) is my guy. I asked him if I could wear that number because they asked me if I wanted to wear 72, but I knew the history behind it, the player that wore it, and really represented that number well for the Giants. I asked him about it, and he said, absolutely, do your thing. I made a promise to him that I will make sure I play to an extremely high level for him and match his energy on the field. If you watch him, you can see the energy he brought to the game and the excitement and just how happy he was to play the game. I plan to follow suit and try to recreate that. But as offensive linemen if you watch my film, I think you see I bring excitement and passion and love of this game. I love being the offensive lineman. It's the coolest thing in the world to put your hands in the dirt and just hit people for fun and get paid to do it, and you can do it with a smile on your face, too. I'm really excited for that. I was over the moon that 72 was available. To get to represent him and the number 72 as a Giant, that's dream come true for me.

Q. I'm so excited that you mentioned Dante Scarnecchia. I had a one-on-one opportunity with him several years ago. He told me his philosophy with the offensive linemen that he coaches is: You give me the effort, I'll coach the rest and make you the best you can be. Is that something, whether he said those exact words to you, or you had a conversation with him, is that what you're talking about when it comes to being an O-linemen?

JERMAINE ELUEMUNOR: 100%. I think with Scar, his main lesson was if you give me everything you have, I'll handle the rest. I will do everything that needs to be done to help you be as successful as possible. Keep you in the league as long as you can and do everything I can for you. I think that's the same thing as offensive linemen. You have to be able to give everything you have every single day. Some days will suck. You'll wake up sore, beat up, can't really walk great. Your ankle is swollen, knee swollen, hands hurt, fingers are all messed up. You have to have that dog inside of you to be like look, today is probably going to suck, but I'm going to give it everything I have and if I do that then I got better. I'm a true believer in getting 1% better every single day. That is something Carm preaches that as well. What can you do today to make yourself better than you were yesterday. I'm a firm believer in that. Having that mentality is a big part of being an offensive lineman. You can ask any offensive linemen in the NFL do you feel 100% every day? Some will say they haven't been 100% since their rookie year. It is hard to find a player in the NFL right now that gives everything they have and ask them if they're 100%. I bet you a lot of them will say no. As an offensive lineman, you have to find that place where you're comfortable at being uncomfortable. That's the biggest thing in my opinion. You're never ever going to be comfortable there is always going to be someone out there that's gunning for your position. There is always going to be that defensive lineman that's the next big thing, the NFL is hyping him up. He's a monster. He's this. He's that. But you've got find that place within you where you're going to go out there and lock him up and dominate him where everyone is going to be talking about you or the next guy, and you keep going. So that's my mentality, as an offensive lineman. Next play, 1% better every single day, and be comfortable being uncomfortable.

Q. I just want to follow up on Carm if I could. Talk a little bit about how he has worked with you to make you into the player that you are. Obviously, you had growth every year in the league. What specifically has Carmen done to get timeout level that you're at now?

JERMAINE ELUEMUNOR: Yeah, well, I met Carm my first year in New England and it was his first year, too. He got hired from Youngtown State. Me and Carm have really grown together in the league. If you really look at every year, I've only not been with Carm for one year of my career, which is when I got to Vegas with Jon Gruden. Me and Carm, our progression has been similar, him as a coach and me as a player. It's having that trust in him and belief that if I give him everything I have he is going to give me everything he has, and he is going to coach me hard and love me harder, and I'm going to go out there and do everything I can to just show how good of a coach Carm is. I think he's gotten a lot better as a coach over the last couple years because he's really started believing in himself and he is a really talented coach, and he can really coach people and help them improve their game. I think you see that with the offensive lines we've had in Las Vegas. We haven't had the best record, but if you really look at the offensive line, we've been pretty dominant, and that's because of Carm's teaching and then also our love of the game. Me, (tackle) Kolton (Miller), (center) Andre James, (guard) Dylan Parham, last year (guard) Alex Bars was at right guard. We built chemistry and we listened to Carm in meetings. During practice he worked us hard and we love that. Then we're able to go out on Sunday and dominate people. That's what he brings to you this game. He is going to coach you hard, but then love you harder, and also if you trust him and listen to him, you do the drills right, you're going to go out there and be pretty (darn) successful.

Q. Carm also believes in position flexibility. Is that correct?

JERMAINE ELUEMUNOR: Yes, 100%.

Q. I just had a quick question: I imagine you've since talked to Carm. What was his response or the communication you had with him once you found out you were coming to New York?

JERMAINE ELUEMUNOR: Yeah, he was excited. I got to talk to him yesterday when the new league year started. He was just over the moon. For me to be able to be under him more and learn more and continue my progression in the NFL is a really a dope thing. I don't think a lot of guys get the opportunity I have to be with the same coach in three different positions and three different teams, New England, Las Vegas, and now the Giants. That's really huge for me because I've been with him for so long. He knows me like a book, and I know him like a book, and we can just feed off each other's energy and I can go out there and continue to add on to what I did last year and the progression I made last year. I feel like I made huge leaps. I'm really excited to keep learning under him and keep progressing as an offensive lineman.