Saturday Transcript: Running Back Tyrone Tracy

Running Back Tyrone Tracy

May 11, 2024

Q. We didn't get to talk to you after you got picked. Saw some videos. Pretty emotional. What was that day like for you?

TYRONE TRACY: It was very emotional. I'm blessed. I'm grateful. I've been working for this for 20 years, so when you work for something for so long and you see that all the work has an outcome and you see the results from it, it's a special moment for me and my family.

Q. What was your reaction when you heard during the pre-draft process that the NFL changed the kickoff rules?

TYRONE TRACY: At first they didn't, so everybody was talking to me about punt and punt return, but when they changed it, it kind of added a little bit more value to me and really the rest of running backs because that's something we can place in our bag and do on the field and add to our skillset. I was pretty happy to say the least.

Q. How do you think that will work? Have you watched I guess XFL film? It's not going to be like college, different alignments and stuff. How do you think it'll work?

TYRONE TRACY: Pretty much the same. To be honest with you, like to me, football is football. You place a playmaker on a football field, you put ball in his hand and he goes out there and makes a play.

It's one-on-one blocks across the field, so when -- again, when the ball comes to me I'm just going to do my best to make sure I make an explosive play.

Q. What was your contact like with the Giants during this pre-draft?

TYRONE TRACY: You know, I had a meeting with them during the Shrine Bowl and I met with the running back coach, Coach T (Joel Thomas), probably right after my pro day. But other than that, not really much contact.

You know, I knew they liked me just from my agents and what they was saying. Other than that, not much contact. Happy to be here and blessed to be here and just thankful they chose me.

Q. What was that initial meeting like?

TYRONE TRACY: It was lovely, not going to lie to you. Just because like, again, I've been thinking and waiting for this moment.

When it actually gets here and I'm in the meeting room in Giants gear, it's just a blessing. You get to think back on all the things you've done to get to this point.

But that meeting was good. It was definitely good.

Q. Something we discussed a lot in your past, why did it take you so long to transition to running back?

TYRONE TRACY: That's a great question. So I always knew I wanted to play running back, but just never had the opportunity to. The opportunity was really for receiver. At Iowa, we had some really great running backs. At Purdue, we had great running backs. So I did what the team needed me to do. They needed me to be a receiver, so I went out there and did the best I could at the position.

Q. How did it change? Did you finally wear them down and say, hey, I'm your guy, or did they come to you? How did you actually get to do what you wanted to do?

TYRONE TRACY: Yeah, at first it was Coach Walt (Ryan Walters), so the head coach at Purdue and the running back coach, Coach C (Lamar Conard). But Coach Walt was initially the one that came to me and said, hey, you're a pretty good receiver but you can be a really good running back if you put your mind to it.

He was watching my film, seeing that that when I had the ball in my hands, I could be very explosive, but -- which is the easiest way to get the ball? At receiver or running back. I kind of bet on myself.

I knew that I could play running back because I played it my whole life. I just changed to receiver. It was actually easier to transition to running back than it was to go to receiver, because receiver is different techniques and different things you have to do to be successful at that position.

So when I went back to running back everything came naturally. I had to be more detailed, more focused on the details and the fundamentals of the position.

Q. Do you think you would've been drafted if you were still a receiver?

TYRONE TRACY: To be honest with you, no. To be honest, no. At receiver, I might have been an average speed receiver, average size receiver.

At running back, I'm a fast running back, I’m a big running back. I’m a running back who can catch the ball out of the backfield.

So, yeah, when you look at how God placed every single thing and allowed my situation to kind of align up, switching to running back from receiver was actually the missing piece to the puzzle.

Q. Since you played receiver, you had less wear and tear on the body than you would have at the running back position.

TYRONE TRACY: Yeah, that was a lot of things that the -- some of the NFL teams were talking about during the process, was just the wear and tear on my body is minimal.

So I didn't really have that many snaps as a lot of the other players that was in the draft, but I did have -- my stats kind of spoke for itself. The film kind of speaks for itself as well.

Q. You said it was natural to go back to running back. At the highest level, having to read everything so fine, how much has that been an adjustment to be able to do it not just like high school where you probably were the best athlete on the field?

TYRONE TRACY: It was an easy adjustment because I love the game. When you love the game, things about the game comes easily, like studying the film, understanding why you have to pay attention to the nose tackle rather than the D-end.

Just understanding that the details matter of the position. So when that switch kind of happened I was in love with the idea of understanding that I have to know more. I have to know more about the position and know more than what I know now, because it wasn't good enough.

So when you take everything in and you understand that like, again, you have to kind of broaden your perspective of the whole game, not just what do I do on this play.

It just makes you smarter on all levels.

Q. As an explosive player yourself, what do you think makes Malik Nabers a top offensive weapon?

TYRONE TRACY: Yeah, Malik is different. I'm just watching him run around. I had actually -- haven't watched any of his film myself, but watching him out here going through practice, he's about the details and he’s doing things the right way.

When the ball comes to him he's catching it. Not only catching it, he's catching it all around his body and making sure that he's catching it to the tuck and doing things the right way, and I think that's what makes him special.